|
This tutorial makes use of Digital Fusion's new text tool and
the new 'Follower' option available with 3.02
Quicktimes: Original
Version (663 Kb) or Trails
Enhanced Version (2.4 Mb)
|
|
| |
Step
1
Start a new flow with 210 frames. Click the 'High Quality' checkbox
next to the start render button.
|
| |
|
 |
Step
2
Place a Text+ tool in the flow. Click on the text tab and type
in some text. I've left the text at the default of 0.08 Arial.
For my example, I've used the following dramatic passage: Oh my
god! The bees! They've come back again. Why won't anybody help? |
| Step 2 Click
for larger view |
|
| |
Step
3
Right click within the text box and select 'Follower' from the
menu. A blue box appears in the 'Modifiers' tab of the text tool. |
| |
|
| |
Step
4
Click on this tab, then click on the 'Timing' tab. Change the
'Order' to completely random, and change the delay between each
character to a value of 0.72
By doing this, you've said that the animation we're about to create
will apply itself to a random character, and then another random
character 0.72 frames later. |
| |
|
Step 5 Click for larger view
|
Step
5
Click on the 'Shading' tab. You'll be looking at the variables
for 'Element 1'. Click on the 'Transform' button. Go to frame
zero. Set a key for the 'Offset Z' parameter by right clicking
on the slider and selecting 'Set key'. Set 5 more key frames as
follows:Frame 20 Value = 2
Frame 60 Value = -2
Frame 100 Value = 2
Frame 140 Value = -2
Frame 160 Value = 0
What you've done here is moved a character back and forth on the
Z axis. Thanks to the new 'Follower' modifier, you only have to
animate these parameters once, then the effect takes care of the
animation for the rest of the characters. |
| |
|
| |
Step
6
Go to the 'Spline' view and select 'Follower 1: Offset Z' from
the pulldown menu. If you can't see any splines, right click in
the window and select 'Show all splines.' |
| |
|
 |
Step
7
Select all 6 points, then hit Shift+s. This smooths out the back
and forth motion. |
| Step 7 Click
for larger view |
|
 |
Step
8
Go to the 'Alignment' tab. Go to frame zero. Pull down the 'Select'
menu and choose 'Character'. Set keys for each of Character Angle
X, Character Angle Y and Character Z with values of 0. |
| Step 8 Click
for larger view |
|
| |
Step
9
Go to frame 160 and change the values of each of these angles
to 1440. |
| |
|
|
Step
10
Finally, go back to the text tool's main menu. Click on the 'Layout'
tab. Go to frame zero, and set a key on the 'Angle Y' parameter
with a value of 0. Go to frame 210 and change the value to 720.
Now all your buzzing characters will swing around twice in unison. |
| Step 10 Click
for larger view |
|
| |
Step
11
Right click on the text tool in the flow and preview your animation. |
| |
|
 |
 Step
12
For those interested in blowing their minds, add a trails tool
to the flow, and connect the text tool to it. Change the 'Gain'
value to 0.9, and the 'Scale' value to 1.2 |
| Step 12 Click
for larger view |
|
|
|
| |
