1 Tutorials LightWave 3D The Seven Secrets of Logo Animation 1 Qua Jan 26, 2011 2:54 am
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Part 1: Constructing the Logo (cont.)
Now that you have seen
a few ways to build a 3D logo, let's take a look
at adding detail to your logo.
>>Adding
Detail to Your Logo
Step 1: Load one
of the Logo files that you have created. And select
the Polygon that you see selected below:
Step 2: Select
the Bevel tool (b) or (Multiply/Extend: Bevel) and
bring up the numeric window (n).
Step 3: Bevel the
Polygon. Shift is what is taking place in
the Right View, and Inset is shown in the
Back View in the image below.
Below is a close up of
the result:
Step 4: Repeat
these steps on the rest of the logo.
Step 5: Save your
work. Adding detail to your object like a
bevel is a breeze, and your client will really appreciate
the extra effort. Let's take a look at surfacing
your 3D logo. Click below to continue.
Part 2: Surfacing the Logo
Now that you have seen
a few ways to build a 3D logo, let's take a look
at adding detail to your logo.
>>Basic
Surfacing
Step 1: Load the
Beveled Logo that you just created if it is not already
loaded. Choose Surface (q), (Detail/Polygons:
Surface).
Hint
A good way to remember the keyboard shortcut for Surface
is "q" for "Quality Surfaces".
Step 2: Change
the Name to "Sides", pick a Color using
the color picker, and Select Smoothing. The
Change Surface Window should look like the image
below.
Step 3: Click OK.
Step 4: Lasso select
(Right Click and Drag) the Bevel and Front polygons
on the entire 3D Logo.
Step 5: Surface
these Polygons with the following settings:
Step 6: With the
polygons still selected, unselect the Front faces
by clicking on them. Be careful not to deselect any
of the Bevel polygons. Surface the Bevel polygons
with the following settings.
The logo should look something
like this:
Step 6: Save your
work. This is as far as we will take the surfacing
for this tutorial. Feel free to play with the Surface
settings in the Surface Editor or use the Presets
from the Preset window.
Surface and Preset Windows
I'm sure your ready to
see this baby in action. So what are you waiting
for? Click below to continue.
Part 3: Animating the Logo
Now the moment you've all been waiting for. Let's
see this baby in action!
>>Bringing
the 3D Logo to Life
Step 1: Load the
Surfaced Logo from the previous page into Layout.
(Items/Add; Load Object...)
Your scene should look
something like the image below:
Step 2: We want
our animation to last for 6 seconds, so we need to
change the Last frame on the Timeline. For NTSC animators
that would be 180 frames, and for PAL animators,
that is 150 frames. (180 frames/30 frames a second
= 6 seconds).
Step 3: Change
the Workspace viewport to Camera.
Step 4: Move the
Frame Slider to frame 180.
Step 5: With the
Logo still selected Move (Items/Tools: Move)
the Logo closer to the Camera and then select the Rotate (Items/Tools:
Rotate) tool and Rotate it so that it has a
dramatic look at the end of the animation. Here is
what I came up with:
Step 6: Create
a Key Frame (Enter key) or (Create Key located
at the bottom of the screen). This tell LightWave® that
it needs to remember the Logo's location and orientation
at frame 180.
Step 7: Go back
to Frame "0" and move the Logo off screen
in the upper-left hand corner.
Logo is just above where
the arrow is pointing.
Step 8: Create
a Key Frame.
Step 9: Use the
play button to see an OpenGL preview of the animation
you just created.
Pretty bland motion, isn't it? Let's spice things
up a bit with some additional keyframes. Here's how:
Step 10: Move the
Frame slider to the mid-point (either 75 or 90 frames). Move and Rotate
the to the center of the screen. I went with some
wacky rotation on mine below. Create a Key
Frame and Play an OpenGL preview of the animation.
Looks much better doesn't
it?
Step 11: We really
need to have the logo hold at the end for a short
amount of time. So move the Frame slider back to
frame 180 and Create a Key Frame at Frame 160.
Play an OpenGL preview.
When you watch the playback after setting the Key
Frame at 160 the Logo seems to move a little.
What we really want is for it to stay in place for
the last 20 Frames. Let's fix that shall we.
Step 12: Open the Graph
Editor (ctrl or command + F2) and select frame
180.
Step 13: Shift
Select all the Channels.
Step 14: Change
the Incoming Curve to Linear. That will fix the problem!
Step 15: Play
an OpenGL preview of your animation and enjoy the
results.
Click Below to Continue. ]
Now that you have seen
a few ways to build a 3D logo, let's take a look
at adding detail to your logo.
>>Adding
Detail to Your Logo
Step 1: Load one
of the Logo files that you have created. And select
the Polygon that you see selected below:
Step 2: Select
the Bevel tool (b) or (Multiply/Extend: Bevel) and
bring up the numeric window (n).
Step 3: Bevel the
Polygon. Shift is what is taking place in
the Right View, and Inset is shown in the
Back View in the image below.
Below is a close up of
the result:
Step 4: Repeat
these steps on the rest of the logo.
Step 5: Save your
work. Adding detail to your object like a
bevel is a breeze, and your client will really appreciate
the extra effort. Let's take a look at surfacing
your 3D logo. Click below to continue.
Part 2: Surfacing the Logo
Now that you have seen
a few ways to build a 3D logo, let's take a look
at adding detail to your logo.
>>Basic
Surfacing
Step 1: Load the
Beveled Logo that you just created if it is not already
loaded. Choose Surface (q), (Detail/Polygons:
Surface).
Hint
A good way to remember the keyboard shortcut for Surface
is "q" for "Quality Surfaces".
Step 2: Change
the Name to "Sides", pick a Color using
the color picker, and Select Smoothing. The
Change Surface Window should look like the image
below.
Step 3: Click OK.
Step 4: Lasso select
(Right Click and Drag) the Bevel and Front polygons
on the entire 3D Logo.
Step 5: Surface
these Polygons with the following settings:
Step 6: With the
polygons still selected, unselect the Front faces
by clicking on them. Be careful not to deselect any
of the Bevel polygons. Surface the Bevel polygons
with the following settings.
The logo should look something
like this:
Step 6: Save your
work. This is as far as we will take the surfacing
for this tutorial. Feel free to play with the Surface
settings in the Surface Editor or use the Presets
from the Preset window.
Surface and Preset Windows
I'm sure your ready to
see this baby in action. So what are you waiting
for? Click below to continue.
Part 3: Animating the Logo
Now the moment you've all been waiting for. Let's
see this baby in action!
>>Bringing
the 3D Logo to Life
Step 1: Load the
Surfaced Logo from the previous page into Layout.
(Items/Add; Load Object...)
Your scene should look
something like the image below:
Step 2: We want
our animation to last for 6 seconds, so we need to
change the Last frame on the Timeline. For NTSC animators
that would be 180 frames, and for PAL animators,
that is 150 frames. (180 frames/30 frames a second
= 6 seconds).
Step 3: Change
the Workspace viewport to Camera.
Step 4: Move the
Frame Slider to frame 180.
Step 5: With the
Logo still selected Move (Items/Tools: Move)
the Logo closer to the Camera and then select the Rotate (Items/Tools:
Rotate) tool and Rotate it so that it has a
dramatic look at the end of the animation. Here is
what I came up with:
Step 6: Create
a Key Frame (Enter key) or (Create Key located
at the bottom of the screen). This tell LightWave® that
it needs to remember the Logo's location and orientation
at frame 180.
Step 7: Go back
to Frame "0" and move the Logo off screen
in the upper-left hand corner.
Logo is just above where
the arrow is pointing.
Step 8: Create
a Key Frame.
Step 9: Use the
play button to see an OpenGL preview of the animation
you just created.
Pretty bland motion, isn't it? Let's spice things
up a bit with some additional keyframes. Here's how:
Step 10: Move the
Frame slider to the mid-point (either 75 or 90 frames). Move and Rotate
the to the center of the screen. I went with some
wacky rotation on mine below. Create a Key
Frame and Play an OpenGL preview of the animation.
Looks much better doesn't
it?
Step 11: We really
need to have the logo hold at the end for a short
amount of time. So move the Frame slider back to
frame 180 and Create a Key Frame at Frame 160.
Play an OpenGL preview.
When you watch the playback after setting the Key
Frame at 160 the Logo seems to move a little.
What we really want is for it to stay in place for
the last 20 Frames. Let's fix that shall we.
Step 12: Open the Graph
Editor (ctrl or command + F2) and select frame
180.
Step 13: Shift
Select all the Channels.
Step 14: Change
the Incoming Curve to Linear. That will fix the problem!
Step 15: Play
an OpenGL preview of your animation and enjoy the
results.
Click Below to Continue. ]