ct0005 - Creating animation using MoGraph and Softbody Dynamics

The Dynamics Body tag consists the object-relevant properties of both the Rigid and Soft Bodies and is the most important control element for Dynamics.  In this tutorial, you will create motion graphics animation, shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1

1. Choose Create > Object from the main menu; a cascading menu is displayed. Now, choose Sphere from it; a Sphere is added to the Object Manager.

2. Make sure the Sphere is selected in the Object Manager. In the Attribute Manager, choose the Object button; the Object Properties area is displayed. In the Object Properties area, enter 10 in the Radius spinner.

3.  Choose Create > Spline from the main menu; a cascading menu is displayed. Now, choose Circle from it; a Circle is added to the Object Manager. In the Object Properties area, select XZ from the Plane drop-down list.

4. Choose MoGraph > Cloner from the main menu; a Cloner is added to the Object Manager.

5. Create a cloner using the Cloner tool. In the Attribute Manager, select Object from the Mode drop-down list.

6. Make sure that Cloner is selected in the Object Manager. In the Attribute Manager, choose the arrow button next to the Object text box and select Circle in the Object Manager. The Circle object is added to Object text box.

7. Make sure that Cloner is selected in the Object Manager. In the Attribute Manager, enter 450 in the Count spinner.

8.  In the Object Manager, select Sphere and then drag it to Cloner; the Sphere is connected to Cloner. Also, clones of Sphere are created in the Perspective viewport, as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2

9. Make sure that Cloner is selected in the Object Manager. Right-click on it; a shortcut menu is displayed. Choose Simulation Tag > Rigid Body from the shortcut menu; the Dynamics Body tag is added to Object Manager, as shown in Figure 3.

Figure 3

10. Select the Dynamics Body tag in the Object Manager. In the Attribute Manager, choose the Collision button; the Collision area is displayed. In the Collision area, select Apply Tag to Children from the Inherit Tag drop-down list. Next, select Top Level from the Individual Elements drop-down list. 

11. In the Collision area, select Ellipsoid from the Shape drop-down list and enter 8 in the Size Increment spinner. Next, set the parameters as follows:

Bounce: 5                          Friction: 5                               Collision Noise: 5

12. In the Attribute Manager, choose the Force button; the Force area is displayed. In the Force area, set the parameters as follows: 

Follow Position: 5             Follow Rotation: 5                   Drag: 1.7

13. Choose the Play Forwards button; the simulation begins.

14. Select Cloner in the Object Manager and create a duplicate of it. The Cloner.1 is added to the Object Manager. 

15.  In the Object Manager, select Cloner and Cloner.1. Next, choose MoGraph > Effector > Formula from the main menu. Make sure Formula is selected in the Object Manager. In Object Manager, choose the Falloff button; the Falloff area is displayed. In this area, select Cylinder from the Shape drop-down list. 

16. In the Falloff area, set the parameters as follows:

Size: 268, 100, 338

17.  Choose the Play Forwards button; the simulation begins, as shown in Figure 4.

Figure 4

18. Double-click in the Material Manager,a new material with the name Mat is created. Double-click on Mat; the Material Editor is displayed. 

19. In the Material Editor, set the color to black. Next, choose the arrow button corresponding to Texture; a flyout is displayed. Choose Layer from the flyout.

20. Choose the Layer button corresponding to Texture; the Shader Properties area is displayed. In this area, choose the Shader button; a flyout is displayed. Choose Fresnel from the flyout, as shown in Figure 5.

Figure 5

21. Choose the color swatch corresponding to Fresnel in the Shader properties area. In the Shader Properties area, set the Gradient as shown in Figure 6.

Figure 6

22. In the Material Editor, choose the up arrow button on the extreme top right of the Material Editor. In the Shader Properties area, choose the Normal button corresponding to color swatch; a flyout is displayed. Choose Hard Light from the flyout.

23. In the Shader Properties area, choose the Shader button; a flyout is displayed. Choose Effects > Ambient Occlusion from the flyout, as shown in Figure 7.

Figure 7

24.  In the Shader Properties area, choose the Normal button corresponding to color swatch; a flyout is displayed. Choose Overlay from the flyout; the blending mode of Ambient Occlusion is set to overlay.

25. Again, choose the Shader button; a flyout is displayed. Choose Color from the flyout; the Color layer is added to the  Shader Properties area. Set the blending mode of this layer to Multiply as done earlier. Also, change the color to red; the shader is created, as shown in Figure 8.

Figure 8

26. In the Material Editor, select the Glow check box; the glow is added to the shader. Next, select the Reflection check box; the Reflection area is displayed. In this area, enter 5 in the Brightness spinner. Also, clear the Specular check box. Close the Material Editor.

27. In the Material Manager, create a copy of Mat shader; Mat.1 shaded is created in the Material Manager.

28. Double-click on Mat.1; the Material Editor is displayed.  In the Material Editor, choose the Layer button corresponding to Texture; the Shader Properties area is displayed. Click on the color swatch corresponding to Color layer; the Shader Properties area is displayed.  In this area, set the parameters as follows:

R: 89                G: 0                      B: 255

29. Apply Mat shader to Cloner and Mat.1 shader to Cloner.1; the shaders are added to cloners, as shown in Figure 9.

FIgure 9

30. Create a light in the viewport. Select Light in the Object Manager. Choose the Coord button in the Attribute Manager; the Coordinates area is displayed. In this area, enter 73.4 in the P . Y spinner. Next, choose the Lens button; the Lens Effects area is displayed. In this area, select Blue 2 from the Glow drop-down list. 

31. Choose the Edit Render Settings tool from the Command Palette; the Render Settings window is displayed. In the Output area, select All Frames from the Frame Range drop-down list.

32. Choose Render to Picture Viewer tool from Command Palette; the rendering begins in the Picture Viewer window.