Polygon Animation

[tfihs]

Hi,

I'm working on a very simple logo animation and I'm stuck. The concept is kind of like the evolution of a society; I'm going to show very simple blocks (primitives representing buildings) turn into taller buildings with skyscrapers, then those turning into futuristic (stylized) buildings, and finally a meteor is going to destroy it all. Just very simple polygon morphing (this is what I call it, not sure what the tech. term is).

The problem is that I can't figure out how to do the morphing (how to animate the modeling). I've included 3 of my very simple storyboard images that show the direction i want to head into, from img2 to img3 to img4. I'd like to make it seem as if the primitives were growing/morphing into the next one.

http://rcb212.aisites.com/2.jpg
http://rcb212.aisites.com/3.jpg
http://rcb212.aisites.com/4.jpg

Thank you

[fortner_mike]

To transform into skyscrapers simple animation with scaling and some cubes moving out of the inside of others (for the roofs with "steps") would do. The futuristic buildings are more complicated. In some cases (the buildings on both sides) you could simply put some cubes inside and keep them inside until the time when you need futuristic buildings, then just key them to scale so much that they would move out of the house-cube and reveal themselves. For the tower (in the middle) scale down the top face of the cube and for the cone do the same as you did with previous buildings but instead pf a cube use a flat sphere. The two columns (from the sides of the tower) are the most difficult and i cant figure anything else then just have them pre-made and hidden behind the buildings and later while the rest of the skyscrapers disappear, scale it up.

[tfihs]

QUOTE(thirt33n @ 04/22/07, 09:54 AM) [snapback]264596[/snapback]
To transform into skyscrapers simple animation with scaling and some cubes moving out of the inside of others (for the roofs with "steps") would do. The futuristic buildings are more complicated. In some cases (the buildings on both sides) you could simply put some cubes inside and keep them inside until the time when you need futuristic buildings, then just key them to scale so much that they would move out of the house-cube and reveal themselves. For the tower (in the middle) scale down the top face of the cube and for the cone do the same as you did with previous buildings but instead pf a cube use a flat sphere. The two columns (from the sides of the tower) are the most difficult and i cant figure anything else then just have them pre-made and hidden behind the buildings and later while the rest of the skyscrapers disappear, scale it up.

So, really, it would be some clever scaling and hiding of the objects? I understand what you are saying and I'll take that approach (since its something that I can definitely do ). thank you.

Then, I'm assuming there is no way to actually morph the original polygons themselves over time into different objects? What about 'blendshapes' -- i've been reading on but not sure how to accomplish it. Do you think that would be another way to do (albeit, more difficult route)?

[joojaa]

problem is that your doing topological change. However you can hook up something like this:

http://www.renderman.org/RMR/Examples/srt2006/index.html

se the mixing ribs. But not as involved offcourse since you can do basically the same inside maya,

[tfihs]

QUOTE(Joojaa @ 04/22/07, 01:15 PM) [snapback]264601[/snapback]
problem is that your doing topological change. However you can hook up something like this:

http://www.renderman.org/RMR/Examples/srt2006/index.html

se the mixing ribs. But not as involved offcourse since you can do basically the same inside maya,

I took a look at it, but i'm not really understanding what 'ribs' are or how that pdf helps me -- you see, the reason i wanted to keep it simple is because im new to 3d. I'll do a search on 'ribs' / go through the documentation... thanks

[joojaa]

Well new is not a limiting factor to proper answers off course. No read the idea.