CompuServe Thread

#Electricity??

6 messages in this thread
#44167From: John BunnellNov 2, 1994 5:44 PM
Anyone have a few tips about making an animation to look like electricity going between two points? LW please. thx jmb
#44174From: Kent S. LidkeNov 2, 1994 11:36 PM
>electricity< Sounded like an interesting idea, so I tried it. I modeled a thin tube with a high polygon count. Gave it a bluish color and a fractal transparency map with high contrast, and fractal displacement map. Depending on how high you set the displacement value, you can get it to look pretty spiky. Giving the diplacement texture a velocity can give the impression of flow from one electrode to another. Velocity on the transparency throws in some extra noise for detail. I'm still messing around with the precise values, but the initial setup is a snap. Hope this helps. Good luck. Kent Lidke Helo Pilot on AutoPilot
#44192From: Wayne ColeNov 4, 1994 3:06 AM
Kent, Just for a goog you might want to try a larger tub with transparent edges to get some "glow" around the actual sparc as if it was in a gas rather than a vacuum…. wmc – via Autopilot!
#44198From: Kent S. LidkeNov 4, 1994 1:18 PM
Wayne, A second tube for glow would definitely help in atmosphere or under water. I'm not sure what John has in mind for this. Have you animated an electric arc before? Kent Lidke Helo Pilot on AutoPilot
#44215From: Wayne ColeNov 5, 1994 4:23 AM
Only as a non-keeper experiment before the advent of displacement maps and all that wonderful stuff. wmc – via Autopilot!
#44194From: Kermit WoodallNov 4, 1994 7:45 AM
If you can wait a little, our new release of ImageFX 2.0 comes with a module that can create realistic lightning and electric arc effects! I'll be posting a complete features list very soon with more information. Kermit Woodall Nova Design, Inc.