Warhawk BattleMech

[robcat2075]

Possibly. It was very hard to just get the bottoms of the feet. Besides an 85-ton machine just might kick up that much dust.

 

If he's that big, then the dust maybe ought to appear to move slower... or maybe it shouldn't travel as far from the feet since we're really viewing from quite a distance?

[bubba]

OK, I will play with those suggestions. Thanks.

[bubba]

All Right, I removed all the patches except for the soles of its feet. But this is what happened in the Choreography Window. I tried closing the window, saving the changes, and re-opening the window. Didn't change a thing. I tried on the Lower Body instance and selecting Cache. Didn't do a thing. Help!

 

 

[mtpeak2]

Do you have any of the geometry hidden in the modeling window? Did you have mirror mode on when selecting patches?

[bubba]

Yes I did hide some the geometry in the modeling window so I could just see the foot pedestals. I did not know that it carried over into the choreography window. Thanks!

 

By the way, what is mirror mode?

[robcat2075]

By the way, what is mirror mode?

 

on symmetrical models, what you move or select on one side happens on the other side also.

 

this button

[bubba]

I got the sprites emitting from just the bottom of the "toes". However I have run into another problem that has me stumped. The "dust" goes straight down. When the ground is turned off it is very noticeable. i tied "reversing" the angle (-180) but no help.

 

Dust_Test_1.mov Dust_Test_2.mov

[robcat2075]

Particles always shoot straight out of the surface they are coming from

 

 

Look at Mark's sample model closely.

 

it doesn't have emitters on the bottom of the feet, they are thin slivers near the bottom of the sides of the feet. The patches that emit particles are facing sideways but they are very near the bottom of the foot.

[bubba]

I have not studied Mark's first example for a while. I have been going back to the modified project he made with my models & choreography. But shouldn't changing the property Angle Method from Align to Motion to Specify Angle overcome this issue?

[robcat2075]

I have not studied Mark's first example for a while. I have been going back to the modified project he made with my models & choreography. But shouldn't changing the property Angle Method from Align to Motion to Specify Angle overcome this issue?

 

that affect how the sprite image aligns itself to where it is flying. The surface direction (the "normal") governs what direction the particles are fired.

[bubba]

I looked at Mark's first example and I finally see the small emitter band that he created at the bottom. But now I am in a quandary. How do I add CPs to an existing Group? I looked in the Tech Manual - didn't see anything. has "Remove from Groups ..." would be nice if there was an "Add to Groups ..." command.

 

And if you look at this project that Mark made you will see that the emitter groups are the entire feet.

 

http://www.hash.com/forums/index.php?act=a...st&id=55023

[HomeSlice]

Just add some CPs and connect them to make a spline, like you did when you were creating the model....

Once the new CPs are there, select the group in the PWS, hold [sHIFT] and select the new CPs. They will be added to your group.

To remove CPs from a group, select the group in the PWS, hold [ALT] and select the CPs to remove from the group.

[bubba]

Thanks, you were right, it was as easy as selecting the new CPs and SHIFT click the group name.

[bubba]

OK, I have done some more work on the Warhawk. I have added what I hope is a good simulation of man-made lightning. I found some sounds to go with it, and I can hear them in the choreography. But they did not translate to the rendered output. Is there some trick? Or a bug? Also what does "linking" do?

 

WarHawk_w_PPC4F.mov

 

[robcat2075]

I found some sounds to go with it, and I can hear them in the choreography. But they did not translate to the rendered output. Is there some trick?

It should be there.

 

Also what does "linking" do?

 

Where do you see that?

[bubba]

I rendered out first as tgas. I did see a file with a .sinfo extension. Is this where the sound? Linking is the past property value under the sound.

[bubba]

Ok, I rendered directly to .mov and the sound is there.

 

WarHawk_w_PPC5.mov

[robcat2075]

If you want something a bit more wild like lightning you might try like on this Jacob's Ladder:

 

http://www.hash.com/forums/index.php?s=&am...st&p=291756

[jakerupert]

Hi Bubba,

 

Great work so far, I like it a lot!

But...

I think your mecha is lacking weight... maybe one way to achieve this , make him move way slower

or let the ground plaine shudder beneath his steps somehow.

 

Maybe an expression could do that or some animated displacement maps?

 

Can we see a textured version already?

[NancyGormezano]

or let the ground plaine shudder beneath his steps somehow.

 

I like !

 

But instead of the ground shudder, or in addition - perhaps some camera shake coordinated with the sound of the explosions would be interesting.

 

Looking good!

[bubba]

If you want something a bit more wild like lightning you might try like on this Jacob's Ladder:

 

http://www.hash.com/forums/index.php?s=&am...st&p=291756

 

 

Robert, I tried this first, and this is what lead to the issue I posted here - http://www.hash.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=39791

[robcat2075]

If you want something a bit more wild like lightning you might try like on this Jacob's Ladder:

 

http://www.hash.com/forums/index.php?s=&am...st&p=291756

 

 

Robert, I tried this first, and this is what lead to the issue I posted here - http://www.hash.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=39791

 

Ah... so that's what needed the line. In that case I'd probably scale everything down so the line can be relatively larger.

 

But if what you've got is doing the job, that's fine too.

[bubba]

or let the ground plaine shudder beneath his steps somehow.

 

I like !

 

But instead of the ground shudder, or in addition - perhaps some camera shake coordinated with the sound of the explosions would be interesting.

 

Looking good!

 

 

The camera shake was something I have been thinking about. Is there a way to relate the camera shake to the foot stomp without having to go through every frame?

[bubba]

Hi Bubba,

 

 

Can we see a textured version already?

 

Sorry, I am not ready to try putting a texture yet? This is my first real attempt at creating and animating something (and being a very slow learner ) I am just not there yet. Thanks for the encouragement.

[NancyGormezano]

The camera shake was something I have been thinking about. Is there a way to relate the camera shake to the foot stomp without having to go through every frame?

 

Ummmm.... animation is about going thru, frame by frame, over and over, till ya wanna puke - however - a trick would be to examine the foot control in graph editing mode (not keyframe mode), note which frames the foot makes contact with ground by looking at the pattern (in my case) in the y -channel, and then coordinate the camera shake with those frames. In my example that would be frames 0, 12, 35 (this was example only)

[robcat2075]

Once you have one camera shake animated that you like, you can copy those keyframes and paste them at later points for other foot stomps.

 

Of course this means each camera shake will be exactly the same, which is not necessarily good, but it's fast.

[bubba]

I have tried to add sound and motion (camera shake) to the animation. The sound is only for the left foot. Camera shake is for both feet but it doesn't seem to match. Don't know why. Also, camera also seems to roll around the z-axis in addition to the x-axis. I have attached the project file if some one wishes to take a look and see.

 

WarHawk_w_PPC6.mov

 

warhawk.zip

[NancyGormezano]

Camera shake is for both feet but it doesn't seem to match. Don't know why.

 

My feeling is that the camera shake would feel/look better if it was coordinated with the explosion or blast sound, rather than foot impact. Then only 2 shakes needed. The explosion sound is a more dominant cue than the foot strike.

[bubba]

Both the shake and sound are supposed to be coordinated with the foot stomp sound. Which 2 shakes would you recommend - two lefts, two rights, or one left and one right?

[Rodney]

That's looking really good!

 

Unrelated:

I can't help but notice the green background.

Are you planning to use that for compositing?

If you are we really need to talk about the power of compositing with Alpha Channels.

That will save you so much time and work so well you'll want to use it all of the time.

[NancyGormezano]

Both the shake and sound are supposed to be coordinated with the foot stomp sound. Which 2 shakes would you recommend - two lefts, two rights, or one left and one right?

 

The sound you have chosen currently does not seem like a foot stomp. It sounds more like an explosion. If you want to have a foot stomp sound, as well as camera shake, then the sound and shake should probably be coordinated with each foot plant (right and left, unless he's a limper). You probably would not want to have such a violent shake, nor such an explosive type sound, maybe more of a loud boom-thud?.

 

Any thud sound should probably be timed to be delayed starting 0-1? frames after the foot has planted (but never before the contact). You'll have to play around and see what works.

 

If you stick with the current explosion sound, and have it come in as to where it comes in now (currently it seems there are only 2 blasts), then IMO, I think it would work better to make the camera shake coordinate with the 2 explosion sounds (thus only 2 shakes).

 

EDIT: AND I forgot the most important thing: I LIKE THE SHAKE (good job!) & the current sound - just feel they would work better coordinated.

Edited April 13, 2011 by NancyGormezano

[bubba]

Unrelated:

I can't help but notice the green background.

Are you planning to use that for compositing?

If you are we really need to talk about the power of compositing with Alpha Channels.

That will save you so much time and work so well you'll want to use it all of the time.

 

I just picked a background color - green. I would like to lean about compositing with Alpha Channels in A:M

[bubba]

I have "fiddled" with the animation some more, does this look any better. I am still trying to understand why the camera looks like it rolls instead of shake. I have rendered from two different camera angles. The "front on" took 35 minutes to render. The "side on " took one hour. I can't believe that adding the shake added 25 minutes of render time.

 

WarHawk_w_PPC7.mov

 

WarHawk_w_PPC7F.mov

[jakerupert]

Hi Bubba,

 

I think this looks wrong.

You need the shudders for each footstep to underline the weight of the mecha and

some kind of recouchet for the gunshots, that will go to the back but not to the ground.

[Rodney]

Hmmm.... something still not syncing right there with the sound.

The first of the two #7 reads better to me.

That one seems like it's happing in the middle of a warzone (which is good) but the explosions seem to be more like mortar fire with thundering echos.

 

Perhaps a high pitched sound for the lasers would differentiate the two elements? Zeeet! Zeeet!Zeeet!

 

It almost seems like there should be three sounds, one for the walking (lighter pounding), one for the lasers (high pitched) and one for any impact/explosion off screen. My gut feel is that the final sound would be the biggest one and effect the camera more than the others.

 

I would like to learn about compositing with Alpha Channels in A:M

 

When you get to the point where it's needed, start a new topic and we'll dig into it.

[bubba]

Hi Bubba,

 

I think this looks wrong.

You need the shudders for each footstep to underline the weight of the mecha and

some kind of recouchet for the gunshots, that will go to the back but not to the ground.

 

I don't quite understand your suggestion. I have been trying to get the camera shake and foot-fall sound to underline the weight of the Warhawk battlemech.

 

 

Hmmm.... something still not syncing right there with the sound.

The first of the two #7 reads better to me.

That one seems like it's happing in the middle of a warzone (which is good) but the explosions seem to be more like mortar fire with thundering echos.

 

Perhaps a high pitched sound for the lasers would differentiate the two elements? Zeeet! Zeeet!Zeeet!

 

It almost seems like there should be three sounds, one for the walking (lighter pounding), one for the lasers (high pitched) and one for any impact/explosion off screen. My gut feel is that the final sound would be the biggest one and effect the camera more than the others.

 

The impact sounds are supposed to be foot-fall sounds, not artillery. I am working on muffling the sound. In the world of the Battlemech, lasers are either red or green, depending on its destructive distance. What I am trying to simulate is a Particle Projection Canon (PPC) that fires a high energy protons or ion bolts. It is also described as man-made lightning.

 

In my next iteration, I removed the early bolts and moved them to the end. To render quicker I stopped the sprite (dust) generation.

 

WarHawk_w_PPC10.mov

[NancyGormezano]

I like! The sounds coordinate very well in timing with the foot impact, and the gun ..er...laser fire. Well done! looks good

 

HOWEVER, to me the sound used for the foot stomp sounds as if it is off in the distance, and not located nearby. I looked around on my hard drive for some thud sounds - but nada - however I did find some door closings, metal crashing that you might? be able to edit in audacity to change into some foot stomps for your critter

FOOTDoorslam.zip

[bubba]

Yes Nancy I did muffle (or tone down the foot stomp sound) because everyone said it sounded like an underground explosion (which it was.) Thanks for your sounds, I will also look for dinosaur walking sounds, maybe a T-Rex?

 

Would the PPC fire look more realistic if there was some bend or fluctuation in it?

[bubba]

I found a short sound clip of a dinosaur foot stomp. I have incorporated it. Does this sound any better?

 

WarHawk_w_PPC10.mov

[NancyGormezano]

Stomp sounds good ! I just replayed it - did you change the file? When I first tryed it, it wasn't coordinated with both feet - but now it seems like it is? I like.

[bubba]

Yes, I found another sound. It is still coordinated with just the left foot. I used three instances of the stomp,not just one long one.