I would suggest though setting up so the beams and the torpedos cast light on the hull as they pass. so far only the phasers seem to cast some light from it's source.
Nice, though I misse the charge-up.
At: 040, when we get the frontal image of the star-formed torpedo-shot, I was actually a bit worried that it might graze the bridge.
killakanz--
Good suggestion. I haven't been troubling myself with such details, as my animations always had bigger problems. But now I have learned enough I should try to add some realistic touches like that. It's an easy matter to put some red lamps in and animate their intensity. The Phaser flashes at the base of the rays are halo effects on single vertices, so they don't cast any "real" light. (Whaterver "real" means in this context.)
VALKYRIE013 --
Yeah, those torpedoes turned out really nice, and the funny thing is they are easy-shmeezy. They are just single vertices turned into a halo effect with a flare effect turned on.
Aresius, Yes, I agree. I miss those charge-up lights too. They are a bit tedious to animate, and I just didn't feel like putting them before all those rays. Maybe I should go back and just put a couple in.
The Torpedoes "scatter" from the bunch well ahead of the saucer, so your concern for my bridge personnel is just a product of perspective. Not a good idea to view that spread from straight on, I guess.
Juvat -- Oh, I will, I assure you. I will....
Freak, Jenny--
Thanks for the comments;they mean a great deal to me. It seems like I more or less pulled this off. Soon I'm going to want to put together a small battle.
Okay, the voices in my head wouldn't let it go, so I added in some of the advice from the boards and uploaded a new, improved clip. I think it's quite a bit better now. The saucer phasers all have the charging lights before the beams are unleashed. I added lamps to the torpedoes so now their glare can be seen reflected on the ships hull. And I dropped some music in the background just for fun.
I think the charging lights are a little too fast. I animated their convergence over 4 or five frames. Should have made them eight or nine frames, I think. Ah well...
(By the way my favorite phaser beam is the third one we see on the saucer's underside, right before the front torpedoes fire for the first time. I nailed that one.)
On one of the early phaser beams, it looks as though the charging lights go through an already established beam. I am of the opinion they should not do that.
On one of the early phaser beams, it looks as though the charging lights go through an already established beam. I am of the opinion they should not do that.
Not sure what you're seeing, Jenny. I made the charging lights so they wouldn't cross an active beam. They start just a few degrees away from where the beam will be established, rather than running the whole length of the strip each time.
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I would suggest though setting up so the beams and the torpedos cast light on the hull as they pass. so far only the phasers seem to cast some light from it's source.
At: 040, when we get the frontal image of the star-formed torpedo-shot, I was actually a bit worried that it might graze the bridge.
Good suggestion. I haven't been troubling myself with such details, as my animations always had bigger problems. But now I have learned enough I should try to add some realistic touches like that. It's an easy matter to put some red lamps in and animate their intensity. The Phaser flashes at the base of the rays are halo effects on single vertices, so they don't cast any "real" light. (Whaterver "real" means in this context.)
VALKYRIE013 --
Yeah, those torpedoes turned out really nice, and the funny thing is they are easy-shmeezy. They are just single vertices turned into a halo effect with a flare effect turned on.
Aresius, Yes, I agree. I miss those charge-up lights too. They are a bit tedious to animate, and I just didn't feel like putting them before all those rays. Maybe I should go back and just put a couple in.
The Torpedoes "scatter" from the bunch well ahead of the saucer, so your concern for my bridge personnel is just a product of perspective. Not a good idea to view that spread from straight on, I guess.
Juvat -- Oh, I will, I assure you. I will....
Freak, Jenny--
Thanks for the comments;they mean a great deal to me. It seems like I more or less pulled this off. Soon I'm going to want to put together a small battle.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qdJvbL_paA
I think the charging lights are a little too fast. I animated their convergence over 4 or five frames. Should have made them eight or nine frames, I think. Ah well...
(By the way my favorite phaser beam is the third one we see on the saucer's underside, right before the front torpedoes fire for the first time. I nailed that one.)
Not sure what you're seeing, Jenny. I made the charging lights so they wouldn't cross an active beam. They start just a few degrees away from where the beam will be established, rather than running the whole length of the strip each time.