1st Animation with Blender and stock video

[Destructavator]

http://www.destructavator.com/public/SaracenVid1.avi

This took about 3 hours of learning the new version of blender that just came out with tutorials, and 3 minutes of the computer actually rendering, to produce 3 seconds of part of something that could be used for the UFOPedia.

I'm sure there's glitches that some might say makes it look unprofessional, but considering it's my first I'm still proud of it.

I grabbed the .blend file and the .jpg texture from the SVN, and combined it with part of the stock video of the sky I put up.

Now if I could get some more that are like these and combine them, it might begin to make a good roq for the UFOPedia.

Yes, I picked the Saracen fighter for this one.

Since it isn't complete, I didn't "roq it," it's an Xvid at a tiny 180kb.  Attached to the post is a still-shot.

[attachment deleted by admin]

[Winter]

http://www.destructavator.com/public/SaracenVid1.avi

This took about 3 hours of learning the new version of blender that just came out with tutorials, and 3 minutes of the computer actually rendering, to produce 3 seconds of part of something that could be used for the UFOPedia.

I'm sure there's glitches that some might say makes it look unprofessional, but considering it's my first I'm still proud of it.

I grabbed the .blend file and the .jpg texture from the SVN, and combined it with part of the stock video of the sky I put up.

Now if I could get some more that are like these and combine them, it might begin to make a good roq for the UFOPedia.

Yes, I picked the Saracen fighter for this one.

Since it isn't complete, I didn't "roq it," it's an Xvid at a tiny 180kb.  Attached to the post is a still-shot.

My first thought is, it's very very shiny for a plane modelled after the SR-71 Blackbird, which reflects very little light (which is how it should be 'cause lots of reflected light gives you away).

Regards,
Winter

[Destructavator]

Yeah, the first time I tried it I thought it looked a bit dark, almost all black, so I found the control for the light source and cranked it.

Oh well, at least I have some idea of how to do this, and like I said, I know it isn't world-class professional or anything, but I'm still proud of it as it is my first.

I guess it's a bit like writing a book or story, very few writers get their very first works published and making money.  Then again, there are a few exceptions - You'd probably know more about this than I would, but wasn't Heinlein one of those exceptions?  Someone told me that his very first novel was published at some point.  Myself, I'm not an English major, I don't know much about writing.  (And by the way, congrats on your own book, I see someone rated it well on Amazon.)

Songwriting is the same way, no one makes it big with their very first original tune.  Then again, there are musicians who make it big and can't write an original tune.  (But that's a whole other rant I won't dive into.)

[Destructavator]

If anyone knows how I could add engine thrust or a glow of some kind to the back of the model, please let me know.

[Mattn]

all i can tell you is that you have to do such an effect with the particle editor build into blender

[Psawhn]

You don't have to use particles, actually. Depending on what you want, you might get away with simple meshes with some neat shaders applied, or even some post-processing in Blender's compositor. (For example: Make a simple afterburner cone, but blur it in the compositor.)

If you want, look at the renders I made of the Saracen:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v388/Psawhn/UFO-AI/saracen_missiles_3.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v388/Psawhn/UFO-AI/saracen_cloudscape.jpg

The actual glow on the Saracen's afterburners is just a series of partially transparent shadeless planes inside the nozzles. Sure, I use a bunch of other particle effects, but you don't have to.

[Psawhn]

Of course, then I go and make my own jet engine effect using particles...

Blend file, if you want to take a look: (needs Blender 2.46)
https://webdisk.ucalgary.ca/~djetowns/public_html/misc_files/afterburner_4.blend

I use three particle systems on three different meshes - those planes. Also I animate the material properties of the particles, which causes a lot of the effects you need. (Particles tapering off, plus those shock diamonds)
It's not perfectly accurate, but I like the effect.

The way I have it set up, it won't work well for animations of indefinite length. Also, I want to figure out a way to make it start and stop better, as well as have the tail end flicker.


On a mostly unrelated note, here are some other methods for jet engine effects: http://blenderartists.org/forum/showthread.php?t=124826

[Destructavator]

Thanks, I'll play around with these at some point when I have time.