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Warp Doppler Light Effect In 3DS Max
Warp Doppler Light Effect In 3DS Max
In this tutorial, I shall be explaining how to create the warp light trail effect seen in ST: II - VI. It is not a difficult effect to create, however many people still seem to be having problems with it. At a later time, I will write another tutorial, explaining the method behind creating the ST: I warp effect. You will not need any software other than 3DS Max (any revision) and, of course, the mesh you wish to use.
The basic principal behind what you will be achieving today is simple: Create a scene in which a star ship passes by the camera, slows down, and abruptly leaps forward. If done correctly, as the ship begins to accelerate in it’s predefined direction, light trails will form for any major light-emitting source on the mesh. For these trails, we will be using several boxes (yes, just ordinary Max Box objects) with modified visibility settings and a tweaked glow effect. Assuming you have decent knowledge of 3DS Max and understand the majority of terminology, lets begin.
Reset your 3DS Max scene, and load the mesh you want to use. Examine it’s appearance, taking in and remembering the primary light sources. Align the mesh so that by moving it forward, you are moving it in the direction which it will be going to warp. Next, pick one light source, and drag out a box. Align the dimensions of the Box to fit the light source. This single Box object will be the basis for the entire trail effect. Convert the Box to an “Editable Poly” by right clicking it, and finding the “Convert To” submenu.
Now that you have your first trail, it’s time to duplicate it. Make sure you are not in Vertex or Polygon selection mode when you do this. Right-click the Box, and choose “Clone”. Then select “Instance”, and “OK”. Another Box will be deposited on top of the current one. Drag it away and match it’s dimensions to that of the other light source (I am only using two, but you can use as many light sources as you wish. Bear in mind that each light source used will increase the render-time in video post). That Box clone you have just created is a mirror of the original, and provided you do not convert it into another form of mesh, will also mirror any changes made to the original. This why I am choosing this method, and is extremely useful for this type of effect. On the original Box object, enter Vertex selection mode, and highlight the four points on the opposite end of the Box to the ship. If you drag these points along the X axis (or whichever axis you are using as forward/backward), you will notice that the clone mirrors the action so that there is no need to deal with large numbers of Box objects. One Box will control them all. But all is not yet ready. Drag those vertexes until they are inside the mesh and no part of the boxes are visible any longer. Leave Vertex mode and select both Box objects. Click the “Select And Link” button beside the “Undo/Redo” controls and link both Boxes to the mesh. When the mesh moves now, both Boxes will follow.
So, create your animation now. Have the ship pass by the camera, and around frames 75 - 90, allow it to accelerate ahead rapidly. At the point where the ship stops, grab the four points on the end of that Box again, and create a “Position” key frame on the same frame where the ship first began it’s warp jump. Progress the animation forward to the frame where the ship has reached it’s final stationary position, enable “Auto-key” and drag those Box points back to the same position they were at when you created the first key frame. Play the animation back, and you will see the mesh pass by the camera, accelerate into warp, leaving light trails behind it.
To finish this effect off, disable “Auto-Key” and select one of the Box objects. Set it’s color to that of the light source emitting it, and then do the same for the others. Now, select all of the boxes at once, right-click, choose “Object Properties”, and you will get a new window. In this window, set the “Object ID” to 95 (it can actually be anything you like), click “OK”, and head into the “Video Post” window. Create a new event for your perspective view, then create a “Video Post Glow” under that. Open the “Setup” window for your glow, and set the “Object ID” to 95. Click the “Properties” tab, and tweak the settings for a nice-looking glow effect for the warp trails. Once finished, click “OK”, close the “Video Post” window, and select all of the boxes once again. Head back to “Object Properties” and set “Visibility” to 0.4.
Render that scene, and enjoy an quick, easy way to create the movie-era warp transition effect.
Example:
In this tutorial, I shall be explaining how to create the warp light trail effect seen in ST: II - VI. It is not a difficult effect to create, however many people still seem to be having problems with it. At a later time, I will write another tutorial, explaining the method behind creating the ST: I warp effect. You will not need any software other than 3DS Max (any revision) and, of course, the mesh you wish to use.
The basic principal behind what you will be achieving today is simple: Create a scene in which a star ship passes by the camera, slows down, and abruptly leaps forward. If done correctly, as the ship begins to accelerate in it’s predefined direction, light trails will form for any major light-emitting source on the mesh. For these trails, we will be using several boxes (yes, just ordinary Max Box objects) with modified visibility settings and a tweaked glow effect. Assuming you have decent knowledge of 3DS Max and understand the majority of terminology, lets begin.
Reset your 3DS Max scene, and load the mesh you want to use. Examine it’s appearance, taking in and remembering the primary light sources. Align the mesh so that by moving it forward, you are moving it in the direction which it will be going to warp. Next, pick one light source, and drag out a box. Align the dimensions of the Box to fit the light source. This single Box object will be the basis for the entire trail effect. Convert the Box to an “Editable Poly” by right clicking it, and finding the “Convert To” submenu.
Now that you have your first trail, it’s time to duplicate it. Make sure you are not in Vertex or Polygon selection mode when you do this. Right-click the Box, and choose “Clone”. Then select “Instance”, and “OK”. Another Box will be deposited on top of the current one. Drag it away and match it’s dimensions to that of the other light source (I am only using two, but you can use as many light sources as you wish. Bear in mind that each light source used will increase the render-time in video post). That Box clone you have just created is a mirror of the original, and provided you do not convert it into another form of mesh, will also mirror any changes made to the original. This why I am choosing this method, and is extremely useful for this type of effect. On the original Box object, enter Vertex selection mode, and highlight the four points on the opposite end of the Box to the ship. If you drag these points along the X axis (or whichever axis you are using as forward/backward), you will notice that the clone mirrors the action so that there is no need to deal with large numbers of Box objects. One Box will control them all. But all is not yet ready. Drag those vertexes until they are inside the mesh and no part of the boxes are visible any longer. Leave Vertex mode and select both Box objects. Click the “Select And Link” button beside the “Undo/Redo” controls and link both Boxes to the mesh. When the mesh moves now, both Boxes will follow.
So, create your animation now. Have the ship pass by the camera, and around frames 75 - 90, allow it to accelerate ahead rapidly. At the point where the ship stops, grab the four points on the end of that Box again, and create a “Position” key frame on the same frame where the ship first began it’s warp jump. Progress the animation forward to the frame where the ship has reached it’s final stationary position, enable “Auto-key” and drag those Box points back to the same position they were at when you created the first key frame. Play the animation back, and you will see the mesh pass by the camera, accelerate into warp, leaving light trails behind it.
To finish this effect off, disable “Auto-Key” and select one of the Box objects. Set it’s color to that of the light source emitting it, and then do the same for the others. Now, select all of the boxes at once, right-click, choose “Object Properties”, and you will get a new window. In this window, set the “Object ID” to 95 (it can actually be anything you like), click “OK”, and head into the “Video Post” window. Create a new event for your perspective view, then create a “Video Post Glow” under that. Open the “Setup” window for your glow, and set the “Object ID” to 95. Click the “Properties” tab, and tweak the settings for a nice-looking glow effect for the warp trails. Once finished, click “OK”, close the “Video Post” window, and select all of the boxes once again. Head back to “Object Properties” and set “Visibility” to 0.4.
Render that scene, and enjoy an quick, easy way to create the movie-era warp transition effect.
Example:
Post edited by animator on
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This is a 3DS Max 2009 file by the way (That is the only revision I work in). It uses the same mesh as seen in the still image, which is available in the "Downloads" section.