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Fade · 17-11-2003, 01:50 AM

Ok, I'm working on an animation of a couple of cars racing around a track, and I have the car models constrained to paths. The animation is simple when the cars on straights, but when I keyframe them to go round corners I just can't get it to look beleivable, the cars either slide around the track, or theres sharp movements as they move around the track.

At one point I have to get them to go round a roundabout which is particularly tricky. I've made some progress but I keep going back and changing things as I just can't get it right. Can anyone recommend a good tutorial for this kind of thing or has anyone else done a similar animation and could advise?

Thanks for any help offered.

Mark · 17-11-2003, 08:13 AM

The book 'Lightwave Applied Version 6.5 and 7' contains a chapter (Chapter 7) on automotive effects (covers basic animation and full surfacing) - although most of the chapter seems to be on surfacing a vehicle rather than animating it - it does cover some of the ease in/ease out techniques you need to cover to get realistic car animation.

Fade · 17-11-2003, 12:55 PM

Hmm, sounds good but I'll have to save a little first, skint student i'm afraid.

Mark · 17-11-2003, 06:35 PM

It is a pretty good book. Amazon currently have it in at just over twenty five quid:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/...132438-5075866

Fade · 17-11-2003, 07:59 PM

I might invest in it soon if I can afford it, I'd like to buy a couple more tutorials first though. Incidentally does anyone know anything about the motion designer? I'd like to show a car going over a ramp then hitting the ground later etc, but i think my own keyframing of it would probably be pretty unrealistic so I'd like to use MD. I've seen some tutorials showing objects falling and hitting other objects etc, but not a car going over a ramp. Is this possible and any suggestions?

Mark · 18-11-2003, 02:55 AM

Could be tricky to get right in MD.

MD was really designed as a soft body dynamics system (ie: for cloth, flesh, that sort of thing). Whilst you can do rigid body dynamics with it I don't believe that the material setups would be that easy.

I'd be tempted to look on flay.com to see if there are any alternatives.

CMP 2003 · 22-11-2003, 06:31 PM

mabye changing your pivot point would change the appearance of how the car moves,
Such as to the back or front.

Fade · 22-11-2003, 11:04 PM

Yep I did that, I moved the pivot point to the back of the cars. I figured as cars turn wheels at the front they actually rotate at the back. That did help a bit to make it look a bit more real. Thanks.

voices3d · 09-12-2003, 08:17 PM

trye the www.reelmotion.com

you drive the car yourself and then insert in into LightWave. Very fun to play with.

K Dawg · 10-12-2003, 01:51 PM

Is that Plugin for free or does it cost something? I can´t find anything about that on the page.

EDIT:
All right, found it. It does cost, toooooo expensive 4 me

17-11-2003, 01:50 AM	#1
Fade Full Access Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Scotland Posts: 113	Animating Cars Ok, I'm working on an animation of a couple of cars racing around a track, and I have the car models constrained to paths. The animation is simple when the cars on straights, but when I keyframe them to go round corners I just can't get it to look beleivable, the cars either slide around the track, or theres sharp movements as they move around the track. At one point I have to get them to go round a roundabout which is particularly tricky. I've made some progress but I keep going back and changing things as I just can't get it right. Can anyone recommend a good tutorial for this kind of thing or has anyone else done a similar animation and could advise? Thanks for any help offered.

22-11-2003, 06:31 PM	#7
CMP 2003 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: South Florida Posts: 40	mabye changing your pivot point would change the appearance of how the car moves, Such as to the back or front. __________________ www.CMProductions.cjb.net You might be a NERD if: Your toilet seat is web-enabled.

09-12-2003, 08:17 PM	#9
voices3d Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Sweden Posts: 598	trye the www.reelmotion.com you drive the car yourself and then insert in into LightWave. Very fun to play with. __________________ ...Earth is a model and life is a render...

10-12-2003, 01:51 PM	#10
K Dawg Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 33	Is that Plugin for free or does it cost something? I can´t find anything about that on the page. EDIT: All right, found it. It does cost, toooooo expensive 4 me Last edited by K Dawg; 10-12-2003 at 01:53 PM.

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17-11-2003, 08:13 AM	#2
Mark Super Moderator Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Sunbury, UK Posts: 2,339	The book 'Lightwave Applied Version 6.5 and 7' contains a chapter (Chapter 7) on automotive effects (covers basic animation and full surfacing) - although most of the chapter seems to be on surfacing a vehicle rather than animating it - it does cover some of the ease in/ease out techniques you need to cover to get realistic car animation.

17-11-2003, 12:55 PM	#3
Fade Full Access Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Scotland Posts: 113	Hmm, sounds good but I'll have to save a little first, skint student i'm afraid.

17-11-2003, 06:35 PM	#4
Mark Super Moderator Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Sunbury, UK Posts: 2,339	It is a pretty good book. Amazon currently have it in at just over twenty five quid: http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/...132438-5075866

17-11-2003, 07:59 PM	#5
Fade Full Access Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Scotland Posts: 113	I might invest in it soon if I can afford it, I'd like to buy a couple more tutorials first though. Incidentally does anyone know anything about the motion designer? I'd like to show a car going over a ramp then hitting the ground later etc, but i think my own keyframing of it would probably be pretty unrealistic so I'd like to use MD. I've seen some tutorials showing objects falling and hitting other objects etc, but not a car going over a ramp. Is this possible and any suggestions?

18-11-2003, 02:55 AM	#6
Mark Super Moderator Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Sunbury, UK Posts: 2,339	Could be tricky to get right in MD. MD was really designed as a soft body dynamics system (ie: for cloth, flesh, that sort of thing). Whilst you can do rigid body dynamics with it I don't believe that the material setups would be that easy. I'd be tempted to look on flay.com to see if there are any alternatives.

22-11-2003, 11:04 PM	#8
Fade Full Access Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Scotland Posts: 113	Yep I did that, I moved the pivot point to the back of the cars. I figured as cars turn wheels at the front they actually rotate at the back. That did help a bit to make it look a bit more real. Thanks.