1<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01//EN" 2 "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/strict.dtd"> 3<html> 4<head> 5<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"> 6<link href="../css/manpage.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"> 7<title>Creating a Flame Effect</title> 8</head> 9<body> 10<!-- =================================================== --> 11<h1 id="TUTORIAL_MAKE_EFFECT">Creating a Flame Effect</h1> 12<p>In this tutorial, we describe how to create effects using EffectMaker using a flame effect as an example. </p> 13<p>The basic procedure is given below.</p> 14<ul class="sub_page"> 15 <li><a href="#EQUIPMENT">Preparing to Create the Effect</a></li> 16 <li><a href="#SET_EMITTER">Setting the Emitter</a></li> 17 <li><a href="#SET_PARTICLE">Setting Particles</a></li> 18 <li><a href="#TEXTURE_ANIMATION">Setting and Animating Textures</a></li> 19 <li><a href="#SCALE_ANIMATION">Setting and Animating Scale</a></li> 20 <li><a href="#ROTATE_ANIMATION">Setting and Animating Rotation</a></li> 21 <li><a href="#ALPHA_ANIMATION">Setting and Animating Alpha</a></li> 22</ul> 23<!-- =================================================== --> <a name="EQUIPMENT"></a> 24<h2>Preparing to Create the Effect</h2> 25<h3>Loading Provided Files</h3> 26<p>Effect files created for this tutorial are located in the following location.</p> 27<p>" SampleData/Effect/Intermediate/ManualResource/Fire_Effect/Fire_Effect.cptl "</p> 28<p>You can load the files as follows.</p> 29<ul> 30 <li>On the main menu, select File > Open and then select files to load, or</li> 31 <li>Drag and drop files to load on the main window.</li 32> 33</ul> 34<h3>Creating a new project</h3> 35<p>On the main menu, select File > New > Project to open a dialog box for creating new projects. </p> 36<p>Without changing the project name, just press OK.</p> 37<h3>Creating a new effect</h3> 38<p>Press <B>Add a new effect</B> on the Project window tool bar to open a dialog for creating a new effect. </p> 39<p>Enter <I>Fire_Effect</I> for <B>Effect Name</B> and press OK.</p> 40<h3>Loading textures</h3> 41<p>Load the File_Anim.ctex texture file in the Fire_Effect sample folder into the project</p> 42<p>The project window should appear as follows at this point. 43<p class="img"> <img src="images/tutorial_03_01.gif" alt="Preparation"> </p> 44<p>Select the Fire_Effect effect and press F5 to transfer data to the Viewer. </p> 45<p> You can now create the effect while observing changes on the Viewer. </p> 46<a name="SET_EMITTER"></a> 47<h2>Setting the Emitter</h2> 48<p>Sets the shape of the emitter that will emit flame particles.</p> 49<p>Double click on Particle00 located under the Fire_Effect effect to open a Property window.</p> 50<p>Open <B>Emission</B> under <B>Emitter</B> and select <B>Sphere</B> from <B>Emitter Shapes</B>.</p> 51<a name="SET_PARTICLE"></a> 52<h2>Setting Particles</h2> 53<p>Now, we configure the flame particles.</p> 54<h3>Lifespan setting</h3> 55<p>This setting specifies the particle life time from emission until expiration.</p> 56<p>Select <B>Lifespan</B> under <B>Particle</B> and enter the following values. </p> 57<ul> 58 <li>Maximum lifespan 30 </li> 59 <li>Minimum lifespan 20</li> 60</ul> 61<p>This setting causes the lifespan of particles to randomly vary in the range of 20 to 30 frames. </p> 62<h3>Initial velocity setting</h3> 63<p>The initial velocity when a particle is emitted from an emitter is set to zero. </p> 64<p>Select <B>Initial velocity</B> under <B>Particle</B>, and press <B>Delete</B> to disable <B>Random direction</B> (the default setting).</p> 65<h3>Setting fields</h3> 66<p>The flame can be made to appear to rise by applying gravity to particles in the upward direction. </p> 67<p>Select <B>Field</B> under <B>Particle</B>, then select <B>Gravity</B> from the pull-down menu, press <B>Add</B> and settings used to specify the gravity will be added.</p> 68<p>Enter the following values for <B>Gravity</B> parameters.</p> 69<ul> 70 <li>X 0.0</li> 71 <li>Y 1.0</li> 72 <li>Z 0.0</li> 73 <li>Initial speed 0.02</li> 74</ul> 75<h3>Color Settings</h3> 76<p>Sets the color of the particle.</p> 77<p>Select <B>Color</B> under <B>Particle</B> and enter the following RGB values. </p> 78<ul> 79 <li>R 1.0</li> 80 <li>G 0.17</li> 81 <li>B 0.05</li> 82</ul> 83<a name="TEXTURE_ANIMATION"></a> 84<h2>Setting and Animating Textures</h2> 85<p>Textures can be set and then animated using texture patterns.</p> 86<h3>Texture Settings</h3> 87<p>Change the texture beginning from its default state.</p> 88<p>Select <B>Texture mappers</B> under <B>Material</B>, select fire_anim from the pull-down menu, and change the texture. </p> 89<h3>Texture pattern animation settings</h3> 90<p>Four flame patterns have been drawn and placed in the Fire_Anim.ctex texture file. These can be animated one pattern at a time.</p> 91<p>Select <B>Vertex UV translation</B> for <B>Texture 0</B>, then select <B>Texture pattern</B> from the animation pull-down window to enable settings used to specify texture patterns. </p> 92<p>The following table lists texture pattern input values and descriptions.</p> 93<table> 94 <caption> 95 Texture Pattern Settings 96 </caption> 97 <thead> 98 <tr> 99 <td>Item</td> 100 <td>Value</td> 101 <td>Description</td> 102 </tr> 103 </thead> 104 <tbody> 105 <tr> 106 <td>U</td> 107 <td>4</td> 108 <td>The number of patterns in the horizontal direction.</td> 109 </tr> 110 <tr> 111 <td>V</td> 112 <td>1</td> 113 <td>The number of patterns in the vertical direction.</td> 114 </tr> 115 <tr> 116 <td>Playback Order</td> 117 <td>0 - 3</td> 118 <td>Specifies the order in which to send patterns.<BR> Pattern 1 through Pattern 4 are played in order by specifying a value from 0 to 3.</td> 119 </tr> 120 </tbody> 121</table> 122<p class="hint">You can make a texture pattern animation automatically fit inside the lifespan of a particle by setting <B>Playback options</B> to <B>Fit to lifespan</B>. </p> 123<a name="SCALE_ANIMATION"></a> 124<h2>Setting and Animating Scale</h2> 125<p>Now, we use additive animation to further animate the scene by adding variation to the size of flame particles at the time of particle emission. </p> 126<h3>Scale settings</h3> 127<p>Apply variation to the size of particles when they are emitted from the emitter. </p> 128<p>Select <B>Scale</B> under <B>Particle</B> and enter the following values. </p> 129<ul> 130 <li>X 2 </li> 131 <li>Y 2 </li> 132 <li>Amplitude 25%</li> 133</ul> 134<p>These settings will cause the size of the particle at time of emission to vary in the range from 1.5 to 2.5. </p> 135<h3>Scale animation settings</h3> 136<p>Here, we animate so that particles gradually appear to grow smaller. </p> 137<p>Select <B>Additive animation</B> from the animation pull-down menu to display animation settings. Enter the following values. </p> 138<ul> 139 <li>X -0.02 </li> 140 <li>Y -0.02 </li> 141</ul> 142<p>These settings cause the particles to appear to gradually grow smaller over time by subtracting a given value each frame. </p> 143<a name="ROTATE_ANIMATION"></a> 144<h2>Setting and Animating Rotation</h2> 145<p>The effect can be animated further by varying the angle at which particles are emitted.</p> 146<h3>Rotation settings</h3> 147<p>Apply variation to angle particles are emitted from the emitter.</p> 148<p>Select <B>Rotation</B> under <B>Particle</B> and enter the following values. </p> 149<ul> 150 <li>Z 360.0 degrees</li> 151 <li>Amplitude Z 100 ％</li> 152</ul> 153<p>These settings will cause the angle at which particles are emitted to vary in the range from 0 to 720 degrees. </p> 154<h3>Rotation animation settings</h3> 155<p>Now, we animate by emitting particles at different angles each time the emitter emits one.</p> 156<p>Select <B>Additive animation</B> from the animation pull-down menu to enable animation settings. </p> 157<p>Press the button shown below for opening Curve Editor. Curve Editor will appear. Animations can now be configured by creating curves.</p> 158<p class="img"> <img src="images/tutorial_03_02.gif" alt="Curve Editor button"> </p> 159<p>Create a curve like the following on Curve Editor for Rotate z.</p> 160<p>For information on editing using Curve Editor, see here. →Under construction</p> 161<p class="img"> <img src="images/tutorial_03_03.gif" alt="Rotation animation curve"> </p> 162<table> 163 <caption> 164 Curve Editor Settings 165 </caption> 166 <tr> 167 <th>Frames (Horizontal)</th> 168 <td>0</td> 169 <td>1</td> 170 <td>2</td> 171 <td>3</td> 172 <td>4</td> 173 </tr> 174 <tr> 175 <th>Value (Vertical)</th> 176 <td>-5.5</td> 177 <td>-2.5</td> 178 <td>5.5</td> 179 <td>2.5</td> 180 <td>0</td> 181 </tr> 182</table> 183<p class="hint">A different rotation animation results by setting <B>Playback options</B> to <B>Random table</B>. This is due to randomly adding a value from the curve just created each time the emitter emits a particle.</p> 184<a name="ALPHA_ANIMATION"></a> 185<h2>Setting and Animating Alpha</h2> 186<p>Particle alpha is animated using <B>In/out animation</B>.</p> 187<h3>Alpha animation</h3> 188<p>Particles can be animated so they appear to gradually appear and then gradually disappear over their lifespan. </p> 189<p>Open <B>Alpha</B> under <B>Particle</B> and select <B>In/out animation</B> from the animation pull-down menu. Settings used for in/out animation will be shown. Make the following settings.</p> 190<p class="img"> <img src="images/tutorial_03_04.gif" alt="Alpha in/out animation"> </p> 191<table> 192 <caption> 193 Content of four key frame settings during in/out animation 194 </caption> 195 <tr> 196 <th>Frames (Horizontal)</th> 197 <td>0.0</td> 198 <td>0.0</td> 199 <td>0.65</td> 200 <td>1.0</td> 201 </tr> 202 <tr> 203 <th>Value (Vertical)</th> 204 <td>1</td> 205 <td>1</td> 206 <td>1</td> 207 <td>0.25</td> 208 </tr> 209</table> 210<p>The following is an image of the finished flame effect. </p> 211<p class="img"> <img src="images/tutorial_03_05.gif" alt="Result of alpha animation"> </p> 212<hr><p>CONFIDENTIAL</p></body> 213</html> 214
