This is a beginners tutorial on how to:
* model a tank tread so it will be easy to decal
* flatten the tread
* decal the tread
* animate the tread in a basic way so it appears to move when the vehicle moves
This technique has obvious limitations, but it is acceptable in most cases where the camera is not too close to the treads and all you want to do is give the impression that the treads are moving. For a more complex solution, which yields better close-up results, you must learn how to use Animated Distortion Boxes, which is a feature for advanced users.
Full Version: Making an Animated Tank Tread
Hash, Inc. Forums > Technical Direction and Development (Learning Animation:Master) > A:M Tutorials and Demonstrations > Featured Tutorials > Holmes Bryant's Tutorials/Manuals
QUOTE(HomeSlice @ Apr 11 2008, 12:23 AM) 
This is a beginners tutorial on how to:
* model a tank tread so it will be easy to decal
* flatten the tread
* decal the tread
* animate the tread in a basic way so it appears to move when the vehicle moves
This technique has obvious limitations, but it is acceptable in most cases where the camera is not too close to the treads and all you want to do is give the impression that the treads are moving. For a more complex solution, which yields better close-up results, you must learn how to use Animated Distortion Boxes, which is a feature for advanced users.
* model a tank tread so it will be easy to decal
* flatten the tread
* decal the tread
* animate the tread in a basic way so it appears to move when the vehicle moves
This technique has obvious limitations, but it is acceptable in most cases where the camera is not too close to the treads and all you want to do is give the impression that the treads are moving. For a more complex solution, which yields better close-up results, you must learn how to use Animated Distortion Boxes, which is a feature for advanced users.
I am working on a tutorial-series for the more complex solution. You can find a whole video-tutorial-series on my website under "what&how -> tutorial -> The Tank" here:
Tank-Tutorial-Series
*Fuchur*
Hey that's great Fuchur!
The "advanced" option I use for animating treads and conveyor belts requires me to model the tread as a perfect circle, then distort it to the desired shape in an Action. But I see you are modeling your tread in the desired shape from the start. How do you animate a tread like that?
I plan to download your movie on modeling the tread, but it is pretty big so I will have to wait until I'm not doing any internet related work for a couple hours.
The "advanced" option I use for animating treads and conveyor belts requires me to model the tread as a perfect circle, then distort it to the desired shape in an Action. But I see you are modeling your tread in the desired shape from the start. How do you animate a tread like that?
I plan to download your movie on modeling the tread, but it is pretty big so I will have to wait until I'm not doing any internet related work for a couple hours.
QUOTE(HomeSlice @ May 13 2008, 02:25 PM)
How do you animate a tread like that?
I do it in a rather complex way with path-constraints, expressions and a null-object, so that you only have to move the null-object and the thread will follow.
Each of the tread-element got a bone from me, than each got a path-constraint to the path I already used to model the tread with sweeper.
After that I made an expression for the Ease-Value of the constraints with different settings (so that the position of the tread-element would be correct.
After that you only have to move the "leader"-thread-element by its ease-value and the rest will follow.
It is working great, but I am searching for a faster way to do it. I asked for a feature for the expression-editor lately which could shorten the time to set
this rig up in a few seconds instead of quite many minutes... but till now no ETA.
My request can be seen here: Multiple Selection Commands & A small Expression-Function
I am not totally sure if or when this will be implemented, but for such tasks, it will be very very usefull, because it can eleminate many repeative steps in the process.
*Fuchur*
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