Fade background to black

[TurboTed]

I'm new to A:M so naturally I jumped in over my head and started a big project. My WIP is a music video. I have a 2d model of a stage with some scenery in the background. I'm trying to fade the background to black (as the sun sets) and leave the stage lit up. I thought I could just make a black background behind the scenery then slowly make the scenery transparent with a pose slider, but it didn't work. I searched the forum and my manuals I have but haven't found anything to help. Any ideas?

[Kamikaze]

Ted,

 

Others would do better at helping you than I but until then,

I would do about the same without the pose slider, in the choreogrophy Id keyframe the background transparency, (is your background a layer?)

You will have to have "show more than drivers" checked to get to the surface properties/transparency adjustment for the background, also if you set the camera background color to black the black background Im assuming is a layer should not be needed.

 

Someday I might learn my lesson about posting after working all night long, but not today I guess

 

Michael

[TurboTed]

Where do I check "show more than drivers?"

 

Setting the background lighting to black should work. I may try that.

 

Thanks

 

Ted

 

BTW I saw your sisters link on your post so I downloaded her song, "Kansas Sky" and I'm listening to it as I type. Nice song!

[johnl3d]

look here

 

http://www.hash.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=19276&hl=fade

[Gene]

I am not sure if this is what you mean, but in the example below I changed the keylight and camera background color.

 

So, at 1 second I keyed the keylight to be a 0 intensity value and the camera background was black. The Rim light stays constant.

 

Cheers,

 

Eugene

Stage.mov

[Kamikaze]

Ted,

 

Show more than drivers in under your optiond panel at the top of the screen,in the general section I think......

 

My sister would be happy to know you like the song,

 

Take care,

Michael

[TurboTed]

OKAY!! We're on to something here! John, the link you mentioned had a video clip of some pine trees. Here is the link: Pine tree fade

 

That is just what I need, except I can't get it to work!! I tried adding a pose slider to change from 100% transparent to 0% (black), but the transparency won't work on a pose slider. I tried adjusting transparency during choreography, but when I changed the transparency percentage, it kept the same level during the entire time. How can I change transparency and show the actual changing? Is this a keyframe issue? I feel like I'm soooo close, but just can't quite seem to figure it out. Any ideas?

 

Thanks to everyone who has posted.

 

Ted

 

ps. it's still fun, though a little frustrating at times, trying to solve the little things that stand between me and my vision of the project!

[Kamikaze]

Ted,

 

Would it be possiable to post your project if it's not to big?

Im no good at explaining in detail, others may though?

 

Michael

[TurboTed]

Here is a simplified version of the scene I'm working with. The sun will set behind the mountain and after it does I want the mountains, the sky, and the foreground to fade to black, leaving only the stage (the semi-circle thing) illuminated.

 

[attachmentid=15094]

 

Michael, I still can't see the option to "show more than drivers"... is it my version of A:M? (v 11.0)

[TurboTed]

Okay, I figured out choreographing the transparency. You were right, Michael, I just had to "show more than drivers". In v 11.0 the option is in the project workspace by the shortcut to models. It seems to work in my test. Hopefully it will work good for my video. I'm excited to work with it now!

 

Thanks for everyone's input!

 

It does bring up another question, though: Why isn't that kind of thing easier to find? I would think a GOOD help program with index, content, and search would easily address many of the questions I see on this forum. The help included in the program doesn't quite cut it. What's the problem?

[Kamikaze]

Good to see you found the snag,

You should have the Technical referance abouts somewhere, and its downloadable from the hash main site also.....

Looking forward to more of your art.

 

Michael