#Spinning Globe & Clouds
19 messages in this thread
Lee –
Per your request, I've loaded a project file into the Mesh/Project Files
library here. It is a 1 meg zip file containing a project and all required
materials to render. It's a globe I used on a recent project.
The name of the file is Globe5c.zip, and it consists of a globe against a
starmap that makes one rotation over 144 frames (loops), and has a separate
semi-tranparent cloud layer. This cloud layer currently rotates with the globe,
but can be made to rotate independently. Cloud opacity and degree of bump
mapping of the continents can be varied from within the materials editor.
One additional point – use "unhide all" to see some additional, 'undocumented'
elements. 😉
Have fun with it.
Bob
Thanks for posting your project file. Talk about service above and beyond the
call of duty…
I'll try to download it and check it out.
Thanks again,
Lee
Bob,
I was unable to download your GLOBE5C.ZIP file from ASOFT's Mesh/Projects
library at 8:00 a.m. EDT 05-Sep-95. CompuServe says no such file can be found.
Might this be some kind of normal delay between the time of uploading and its
visibility on this forum?
At any rate, my download effort was unceremoniously dumped by CIS.
Lee
Lee –
The GLOBE5C.ZIP library file is now released and can be found in Library 4,
Meshes/Projects. It was uploaded by Bob Weil around 1AM Eastern and I generally
get to library files first thing in the morning but not 1AM <G>. As soon as
library files are released to the public libraries I post a notice in the
Message section, Infor and INformation saying what's been uploaded.
Just a note to let you and others know that releasing a file can take up to 24
hours – more if there is something wrong with it.
Anne
Robert,
Thanks VERY much for the Globe project. Very nice!
Alec Jason
Robert,
I DL'd your globe. Very nice work, but…..uh…….isn't it spinning the wrong
way? <g> BTW, I also noticed this in the Siggraph tape (Mr. Gunhead), the
cylinder in the pistol rolls the wrong way. Is there some kind of
anitrotational plot amongst the animators out there? <g>
Terry
Terry,
You might be right about the earth's rotation but remember that the cylinder
rotation in revolvers varies. Colt's rotate clockwise while Smith & Wesson's
rotate counter-clockwise.
I remember watching an R1 demo tape Gary showed a long time ago in which
someone had made a beautiful mesh of a Colt Python — but in the animation, the
cylinder rotated counter-clockwise and it bugged me.
Alec Jason
Alec,
>> …while Smith & Wesson's rotate counter-clockwise. <<
I do believe you are right. I forgot, the last time I saw someone cock a Smith,
I was looking at it from the wrong end. <g> It is though, a double action
revolver, making "free spinning" the cylinder difficult. It can be done, but
the trigger and hammer must be held in just the right position (if memory
serves). So I'll spot em that one. <g>
Terry
> some kind of anitrotational plot <
Rumor has it that the orginal Universal Pictures tag screen had the model globe
spinning the wrong way. Universal caught so much flak from the techies of the
time that they re-made the clip to corret it.
It's a good thing that stuff doesn't fall _up_.
— James — Choreo Motion —
James,
>> Universal caught so much flak from the techies of the time that they re-made
the clip to correct it. <<
Details, details, got to pay attention to the little details. <g>
Terry
Terry –
You're absolutely right – the globe is spinning the wrong way. I just refuse to
accept reality as its presented to me <BG>. Besides, what better way to "sign"
it so I could follow how its used?
(Actually, I had no idea – shows you how geologically challenged I am!)
Bob
Robert,
>> Shows you how geoloically challenged I am! <<
LOL!
BTW, your cloud bank gave me a good idea. I'm only about 6 weeks into 3DS and
wanted some whispy fog over a lake I have in a scene. I wasn't at the point yet
where I'd spent any time trying to get the effect. When I saw how you did your
clouds in the ME, well, there it was. I mapped a similar one onto 5 different
2D planes and layered them over the lake. With the right camera angle it has a
good "depth" to it.
Thanks, Terry
Terry –
GTBOSTANU ;-]. (Good To Be Of Service to a New User).
Bob
>> You're absolutely right – the globe is spinning the wrong way.
No! No! It is correct, and you knew it and did it that way deliberately!
Right!!!
I haven't seen what you are talking about, but…….
I just downloaded a "flic" (fli file) off the Internet that consists of actual
photo's from a NASA craft, of the earth and the moon moving/spinning in space.
This thread made me think of the rotation. It also APPEARS to be spinning the
wrong direction, but consists of actual time lapse photographs. How could this
be?
This made me think about this some more. If the image was flipped 180 degrees
(ie the camera was upside down) the earth would appear to spin the wrong
direction? And in space, there is no up and down, so the camera would not be
upside down. Hence the view could be correct. You did it that way on purpose
I'm sure. It was a subconsciously deliberate choice. It's wonderful.
Consistent with reality when viewed from a larger perspecive. 😉
Think about standing on the north pole and moving away from the earth. The
earth would appear to spin left to right as leaving the north pole.
Then consider being on the south pole and moving away from the earth. The earth
would appear to spin right to left as leaving the south pole.
FWIW,
Dennis
Dennis –
How absolutely prescient of you. Of course I intended the effect all along –
knowing that the perception would differ from the reality ;->.
BTW – where on the Internet did you find this flic? Was it up on the NOAA site?
Or?
Bob
Bob;
>> How absolutely prescient of you.
Oh, yeah, uh right! What does prescient mean? 🙂
OK, I looked it up. Not really, just couldn't figure NASA would be wrong, and
wondered how it could be that way.
I found the flic at
http://seds.lpl.arizona.edu/nineplanets/nineplanets/earth.html","Earth"
It is black and white, but very interesting.
There are some really awesome images of God's creation there.
Just bring a screen grabber with you when you go.
BTW, how do I access the 3DS screen grabber?
Anyone remember?
Thanks,
Dennis
Dennis –
You need a line in your autoexec.bat file that reads:
set screengrab=yes
But I forgot the hot key within Studio . . . :-<. I think the "print screen"
key, which brings up an option box with save formats. . .
Bob
Dennis,
>> And in space, there is no up and down. <<
That is the first thing I thought of when I viewed the flc. But If the
continental order from top to bottom is Canada, US, Mexico then woops. <g> The
time lapse photo's you were talking about spinning backwards *could* have
something to do with the timing of the sequence. If the pictures were taken
say, every 23 hours, that could give the appearance of spinning backwards when
viewed. Kind of like the wagon wheels appear in film sometimes. I know you are
just joking about all this, but I couldn't help myself. <g>
Terry
Terry;
>> continental order from top to bottom is Canada, US, Mexico then woops.
>> <g>
You are correct.
As I mentioned, I haven't seen the animation in question.
I looked at the NASA flic, and "I" cannot determine where the continents are.
There are a lot of clouds on it.
Dennis