I need help. Please.

[Misdreavus]

Hi. This is my first year in the FIRST Robotics thing. It's also the first time I've ever worked with 3dsmax, and I'm the only animator, so our animation is going to look remarkably n00obish. >.>;;

But, anyway, I have a few questions that I need help with:

-Question 1: The FIRSTbase site says that we need a storyboard. Does this storyboard have to be made in 3dsmax? Can I just scan in the hastily scribbled storyboard we made during a meeting?

-Question 2: Does anyone know how to make flapping wings on 3dsmax? Our animation involves a bunch of flying robot-bugs and I can't figure out how to make the wings flap, other than rotating them a little every 3 or 4 frames.

-Question 3: How would you go about making a bouncing beam of light? I know this is a weird question, but my utter lack of expertise makes it a necessary one.

Thank you very much. ^_^

[Mazin]

1. There are no specific requirements. Your hastily drawn storyboards will count, but remember that storyboards are judged too.
2. Animate one wing flap (one up and down), go into the Track Editor for the wings, and set the wings' Out-of-range types to loop so the animation loops over and over.
3. I dunno. My guess would be to fib it. I'm pretty sure volumetric lights can't bounce, but particles will.

[Kevin Thorp]

1. A scanned storyboard is fine. Rough sketches are fine. But they should show all the scenes & movements.

2. You can create one basic flapping motion, then copy the keyframes to new positions on the timeline (shift & move) to get repeated flapping.

3. Do you just need to see the disc of light? That's a spotlight. If you need to see the beam you can create a cone & give it a semi-transparent material, & self-illuminated.

[Mazin]

Originally Posted by Kevin342

1. A scanned storyboard is fine. Rough sketches are fine. But they should show all the scenes & movements.

In the previous years we actually made them in PowerPoint. This year we had hastily drawn sketches that I resketched and put on a web page.

Originally Posted by Kevin342

2. You can create one basic flapping motion, then copy the keyframes to new positions on the timeline (shift & move) to get repeated flapping.

I think my way is easier.

Originally Posted by Kevin342

3. Do you just need to see the disc of light? That's a spotlight. If you need to see the beam you can create a cone & give it a semi-transparent material, & self-illuminated.

Bouncing light, as in a laser bouncing off a mirror in a foggy room?

Be aware that this is the best I got with volumetric lights:

and it probably won't suit your purpose.
I managed to make this little particle thing, but it doesn't look the greatest:

[3dfernando]

There is the "glow effect" that you can apply to particles (which will bounce)
And you can also use the lightmesh plug-in (but it doesn't work with 3dsmax v9) that makes each vertex of the mesh work like a "omni light"...

Note that real light don't appear bouncing unless it's a super laser =p

[Mazin]

Originally Posted by 3dfernando

There is the "glow effect" that you can apply to particles (which will bounce)
And you can also use the lightmesh plug-in (but it doesn't work with 3dsmax v9) that makes each vertex of the mesh work like a "omni light"...

Note that real light don't appear bouncing unless it's a super laser =p

Oooh, I forgot about glow. But having lots and lots of lights is a good way to melt your renderer.

[Misdreavus]

Thank you very much, all of you. I really appreciate the help. I'll scan our storyboards in and I'll get the wings flapping. Thanks for the tips on the light. The "little particle thing" that Mazin made is close to the way I want it, so I'll fool around with the program a bit until it looks vaugely decent.

Thanks again! ^.^