Anyone know the best way to animate glass breaking? I've been giving it alot of thought and still can't figure out the best way to do it and there are no tutorials that I know of that explain how to do it.

The way I do it is to use the Newton plugin.
Make a panel, then run the plugin to explode it in the model window (breaks the model into pieces), then use the plugin in the chor to make it go boom.

You will need to switch the fractured plate with the real model at the instant you want it to explode.

Here is a link to one we did a while ago http://www.dustinproductions.com/files/coggins-k.m1v

Save then Test, restore, Test etc till you get it right.

Let us know how its going.

David

That is cool david.

Another thing you can do if you want like a window shattering is to use sprites. I am no expert but I think sprites can do it.

David,

WOW... your final piece is extremely well done.

I'm impressed!

Sprites work OK, particularly because you can make them bounce and can play with the emision speed to get it right. The hardest part is getting it to look like glass. You need to have a few different shapes to use in the emitter.
David



TL,
Thanks for the compliment.
We're working on one now that should be really good too.
It won't be live action, but it should be pretty cool (in a macabre sort of way).

David

Very cool and helpful. Thanks.

Thanks man. I downloaded the Newton plugin but it doesn't work with mny version of AM. I have 9.5 and 10.5 and it doesn't wok with either version

Wow... 9.5 and 10.5... you are over due for an upgrade!

Remember, even if you are that many versions behind, you can get up to the 2006 version with just one upgrade. (All the way to V13 when it's released this year!)

It would be well worth it too... SOOOOoooo many features added since 10.5!

And, newton physics is built into A:M along with a bunch of other plug-ins, rigging, modeling and rendering improvements!

That's just my opinion, but it's well worth the $99 to go from 10.5 to V13 when it's fully released (although the Beta 1 is exremely stable for a Beta build).

I'll second the upgrade recommendation. I upgraded from 10.5 to v12/13 this year and I love it. More stable (and 10.5 was pretty stable) and great features (more than I have figured out how to use so far) and all that for $99!

Since you get v12 and access to v13, it's like getting two versions for the price of one!

Scott

Ya, I been considerring upgrading. Me and a friend are currently in the midst of making a Shadowrun movie and it requires alot of things blowing up and breaking. Guess I'll just have to fork out the money and upgrade. Thanks guys.

done on version 9

http://johnl.inform.net/pages/9test3.htm