JavierP Posted February 16, 2004 Posted February 16, 2004 Hi Guys, This is a little test I have been working on for an upcoming project. I decided to post it because it seemed like one of those "can AM do blah blah?" kind of effects. So, I guess what I'm saying is 'AM can do plasma rockets too Oh yeah, and its all procedural as well. Javier Quote
omoanime Posted February 16, 2004 Posted February 16, 2004 Care to share how to do that? That is an amazing effect (plus an excellent model and decals) I am not worthy! Paul Quote
JTalbotski Posted February 16, 2004 Posted February 16, 2004 Very cool, Javier! It's kind of futuristic-spooky! How long to render? Have you rendered an animation? Thanks, Jim Quote
OdinsEye2k Posted February 16, 2004 Posted February 16, 2004 Pretty slick - don't suppose you'd care to share the method with us (although I will admit a vested interest for the space animation contest, so I'm more than understanding if you want to keep your edge if you are entering as well) ? Also, I have to give technical nitpick. That looks like you have a diffuser/fan on the front of your rocket. Plasma rockets usually don't have those - but they do tend to have big magnetic rings to form a magnetic nozzle, which are even cooler IMHO. Not to mention a microwave generator that would do a potato in miliseconds Quote
JavierP Posted February 16, 2004 Author Posted February 16, 2004 Paul: Thanks. There is no real secret to the technique. It's just a simple model with some procedurals applied. I'll post a wireframe shortly, and a little explanation as to how it was done. Jim: Thanks. I think its a few seconds to render at 800x600. I don't have the animation yet, but I'm workin' on it. It was made for animation, so I expect it to respond well. OdinsEye2k: Thanks. Like I said, no secrets, just a little basic splinemanship I'm not entering the animation contest, so I can give you one of my edges, just make sure you keep it sharp Also, thats not a diffuser/fan it's an "ion intake apperature" .......yeah... that's what it is... Javier Quote
nerrazzi Posted February 16, 2004 Posted February 16, 2004 Nice modeling Javier and cool pyro/afterburn FX. I bet that would look sweet coming from an imports exhaust... The whole Fast and Furious NOZ thing. Quote
JohnArtbox Posted February 16, 2004 Posted February 16, 2004 'nother great little example Javier. look forward to the animation and wireframe Are the flames a textured cylinder with sprite smoke? Quote
Admin Rodney Posted February 16, 2004 Admin Posted February 16, 2004 Wow! Now that will look awesome animated! Nice weathering look as well. Rodney (Taking Notes) Quote
shaunf Posted February 17, 2004 Posted February 17, 2004 Nice work. I'm interested to see the animated version, as the effect looks like it will be great. Quote
Guest mrsl13 Posted February 17, 2004 Posted February 17, 2004 Love the effects look on that..keep it up.. Mike Quote
natess44 Posted February 17, 2004 Posted February 17, 2004 Are the flames a textured cylinder with sprite smoke? John I don't think he used sprites because as far as I know v7 doesn't have them. Awsome model! Quote
JavierP Posted February 17, 2004 Author Posted February 17, 2004 Thanks guys, Here is a wire frame shot of the image. I think it pretty much reveals the trick. natess44, you're right, I don't have sprites, but my technique behaves like a sprite emitter. They are flat patches arranged in a row and, with the help of constraints, they face the camera automatically and can travel along a path. The only difference is animation is a bit more difficult. Also, I dont know if you can apply an animated procedural to a sprite emitter; can you? Well that's pretty much it. I will post an animation later, if anyone wants to see it. Javier Quote
zacktaich Posted February 17, 2004 Posted February 17, 2004 can we see what the textures look like? btw you should upgrade asap!!! With the great work you're doing with a version 3 years old (I think ) who knows how you would use all the great new stuff. Quote
Mike Lium Posted February 17, 2004 Posted February 17, 2004 Love the texturing very nice The flare from the engine is very cool Javier. Will you be doing a fuul blown ship to go along with the engine. Quote
Dearmad Posted February 18, 2004 Posted February 18, 2004 That is a beautiful still opening this thread... I would love to see how the animation looks- but could you not just post it from one angle- move the camera and let's see how the planes track. Don't try to look too perdy here- let us see the guts! Quote
natess44 Posted February 18, 2004 Posted February 18, 2004 Really neat idea. I think that this would be more easy to control than using sprites(it's easier to customize). I think you can have animated procedural textures by the way. Quote
JavierP Posted February 18, 2004 Author Posted February 18, 2004 That is a beautiful still opening this thread... I would love to see how the animation looks- but could you not just post it from one angle- move the camera and let's see how the planes track. Don't try to look too perdy here- let us see the guts! I am not a fan of gratuitous camera pan/tracking Besides, the planes don't hold up well to the movements when the camera is exactly perpendicular to them. They interpenetrate for one frame and a popping effect is visible. I think that an exotic rig cold prevent that but that is my weakest skill in AM, so I haven't really made a serious effort to explore that. However, except for the planes everyting holds up well. Maybe I could do a fly-by of the front only...... Javier Quote
Dearmad Posted February 18, 2004 Posted February 18, 2004 Well that was sort of the point- unless the engine is going to remain stable to the camera at all times... when you wrote you designed it to be animated I assumed that meant it could move relative to the camera as well as simply move through it's own animated cycle. Quote
JavierP Posted February 18, 2004 Author Posted February 18, 2004 I designed it to perform well for the intended task in my project. It would be nice to be able to concieve of every single eventuality and make something to please the whims of everyone, but I don't see that happening anytime soon. Javier Quote
JavierP Posted February 19, 2004 Author Posted February 19, 2004 Ok, here's the animation test (with a camera pan ), as well as a pic of what the rocket looks like from the other side. It lacks little finess, but it is only a test after all . and the animation can be found here. Javier Quote
Parlo Posted February 19, 2004 Posted February 19, 2004 awesome... I'd love to see some more detailed info on the techniques used. My only crit would be that the jet omission is a bit too uniform for my liking.. I'd like to see it rapidly varying in volume more. That would help to give the impression of a powerful amount of energy being generated. Quote
JavierP Posted February 19, 2004 Author Posted February 19, 2004 awesome... I'd love to see some more detailed info on the techniques used. My only crit would be that the jet omission is a bit too uniform for my liking.. I'd like to see it rapidly varying in volume more. That would help to give the impression of a powerful amount of energy being generated. That's a good observation,but that's the finess part of the animation that I mentioned. I also plan to add, engine shuddder and some flowing action to the plasma flame. I just didn't have the time to add it to the test anim. Javier Quote
Zaryin Posted February 19, 2004 Posted February 19, 2004 That is awesome! Love the way that plasma looks. Quote
nixie Posted February 19, 2004 Posted February 19, 2004 Nice, Very Nice! Its a very nice choice of colour too Quote
starving4rtist Posted February 19, 2004 Posted February 19, 2004 very well done! I was sceptical of how well it would look in animation, but you pulled it off quite well. I liked the big *WHOOSH* effect too... Quote
OdinsEye2k Posted February 20, 2004 Posted February 20, 2004 My only crit would be that the jet omission is a bit too uniform for my liking.. I'd like to see it rapidly varying in volume more. That would help to give the impression of a powerful amount of energy being generated. Actually, aside from shaking the engine a lot, you probably wouldn't see a whole lot of volume change in the plume (unless, I guess you *really* changed the throttle). You tend to design these things to be as steady as possible - every variation in pressure with time or position in the flow is more efficiency lost to your engine. Not to mention tearing the hell out of your combustor and being even louder than it would be normally. Hotspots would tend to show up as really bright streaks compared to the flame (see the Shuttle Main Engines at like T-2 seconds when they go from 60-100% throttle) A space rocket would be even more placid than a jet engine, I would think, since you don't have so many design points to try and satisfy (take-off in thick air, cruise in thin) or inlet flow distortions. You basically just have a bonfire with a nozzle attached. Or, in the case of a plasma rocket - a microwave with a magnet attached. Even though a fighter jet engine is super-powerful, you actually rarely see the flame change volume. Heck, even the beads that show up in the flame don't move that much IIRC. Quote
Parlo Posted February 20, 2004 Posted February 20, 2004 Actually, aside from shaking the engine a lot, you probably wouldn't see a whole lot of volume change in the plume (unless, I guess you *really* changed the throttle). You tend to design these things to be as steady as possible - every variation in pressure with time or position in the flow is more efficiency lost to your engine. Not to mention tearing the hell out of your combustor and being even louder than it would be normally. Hotspots would tend to show up as really bright streaks compared to the flame (see the Shuttle Main Engines at like T-2 seconds when they go from 60-100% throttle) A space rocket would be even more placid than a jet engine, I would think, since you don't have so many design points to try and satisfy (take-off in thick air, cruise in thin) or inlet flow distortions. You basically just have a bonfire with a nozzle attached. Or, in the case of a plasma rocket - a microwave with a magnet attached. Even though a fighter jet engine is super-powerful, you actually rarely see the flame change volume. Heck, even the beads that show up in the flame don't move that much IIRC. You're right. I suppose the closest example that I can relate it too from personal experience is a bunsen burner flame. However, your post reminded me of the first thing my grandfather said to my brother and I after he'd taken us to see Empire Strikes Back. He was an electrical engineer, a true disciple of science and though he had a great sense of fun and wonder he was an avid dismisser of hookum. My brother and I were speechless as we walked out of the cinema. I felt practically drunk on the magnitude of what I had just seen. My grandfather looked perplexed for a moment, stared at us both, then blurted out, "Of course, you wouldn't have been able to hear any of that in space!" He was more confused than angry. I'd like to think that he was trying to solve a major internal conflict between excitment and logic. Quote
johnl3d Posted February 20, 2004 Posted February 20, 2004 Nice effect...great use of AM 's potential Quote
OdinsEye2k Posted February 21, 2004 Posted February 21, 2004 However, your post reminded me of the first thing my grandfather said to my brother and I after he'd taken us to see Empire Strikes Back. He was an electrical engineer, a true disciple of science and though he had a great sense of fun and wonder he was an avid dismisser of hookum. My brother and I were speechless as we walked out of the cinema. I felt practically drunk on the magnitude of what I had just seen. My grandfather looked perplexed for a moment, stared at us both, then blurted out, "Of course, you wouldn't have been able to hear any of that in space!" He was more confused than angry. I'd like to think that he was trying to solve a major internal conflict between excitment and logic. Funny, Parlo, I feel the same inner conflict when I see NASA-rendered footage for various things. On the one hand, I know that they look a lot different from Hollywood stuff because they are somewhat based on real data. But they just never seem to convey all of the awesome forces going on in some events. They're actually pretty darned sterile, which isn't right either. Back to the thread at hand, a fair amount of camera shake and shudder would be pretty nifty for the rocket, Javier. Most rocket launcher vibrations are a mix of sine waves that occur in the 10-5000 Hz range. Quote
gschumsky Posted April 29, 2004 Posted April 29, 2004 and the animation can be found here. Javier No luck getting there. The page supposedly is missing, so I tried to find in on the site...still no luck. Anywhere else we can catch it (no pun intended)? Quote
JavierP Posted April 30, 2004 Author Posted April 30, 2004 and the animation can be found here. Javier No luck getting there. The page supposedly is missing, so I tried to find in on the site...still no luck. Anywhere else we can catch it (no pun intended)? I took that clip down already. If you reeeally want to see it I can put it back up, but otherwise, I don't think I'll put it back up. Javier Quote
Admin Rodney Posted April 30, 2004 Admin Posted April 30, 2004 Javier, You might check with Ken.... I think your rocket test might be more than elegible for A:M Films! Quote
MATrickz Posted May 27, 2004 Posted May 27, 2004 The video link doesnt work , but that picture of the rocket is AMAZING! I cant believe that was made in A:M...I cant believe that was made anywhere! It looks so cool, keep it up dude! Quote
Bill_Y Posted May 27, 2004 Posted May 27, 2004 Darn I missed the animated showing. The effect in the images looks pretty sweet. I'd love to take a look at the animation. Quote
pdaley Posted May 27, 2004 Posted May 27, 2004 No kidding, Bill. Javier, for your own good, I'm afraid you're going to have to upgrade though. If you can do that without sprites, it's scary what you'll do WITH them. Quote
chris Posted June 16, 2004 Posted June 16, 2004 I just ran across this thread again but I missed seeing the animation while you had it up and would very much like to see it as well. Could you please post it again? Quote
Ross Smith Posted June 16, 2004 Posted June 16, 2004 I'm casting another vote for the posting of the animation. I caught this thread the first time around, but somehow missed the animated clip... Quote
modernhorse Posted June 16, 2004 Posted June 16, 2004 I caught this thread the first time around, but somehow missed the animated clip... me too. Doug Quote
tobinjim Posted June 16, 2004 Posted June 16, 2004 movie!... Movie!!.. MOvie!!!. MOVIE!!!! (er, I missed the animated clip, too!) Want to say WOW! but can't -- yet Quote
dingo Posted June 16, 2004 Posted June 16, 2004 Me too. Remember this thread before, but never got to see the movie, can you post again? pretty please:) Quote
chris Posted June 17, 2004 Posted June 17, 2004 Just bumping this thread to the top of the forum again to give JavierP another opportunity to see it again and please his awaiting audience. Encore my good man, your audience it waiting Quote
zacktaich Posted June 17, 2004 Posted June 17, 2004 Come on, Javier! Where'd you go? We miss you here. Put that animation on A:M Films! Show it's potential! Zack Quote
MATrickz Posted September 17, 2004 Posted September 17, 2004 So I guess this thread died miserably, dissapointing millions of people.. ok exxagerating a little but I'm still curious of where you went . Quote
Neeblesquibb Posted September 17, 2004 Posted September 17, 2004 Actually, that render and model.... the whole image and concept, is amazing. Look, I don't know who you are.... if you work professionally as an animator or not, but you have exactly the knack that I am looking for. I have work for you, if you are interested.... I can't pay a great amount, but I can pay. The model is nearly complete, but I will need you to finish it.. (create some weathering, fix some bones, and add some form of sprite "propulsion" like you did for your model) All I'll need is a short animation, or the complete model I can animate here. Interested? Let's talk. -Jim Quote
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