Animating Textures
Animating Textures
i read the tut on animation, but I was wondering if it is possible to animate textures? I have several billboards and neon signs in a downtown area like times square that i would like to do this to.
Yes, it is very possible. Notice if you look at a teleporter shield in-game the texture is scrolling? You do this by creating a shader, then going down the tag, and if you're using a plain "shader_environment" tag, then it'll be in a section called "texture scrolling animation". I would leave the U and V functions to the default "one" option to start, but later you can experiment with them for different effects. Changing the U or V animation period affect how long the texture takes to scroll along the object in that direction, and I am not quite sure what the U and V animation scales are...try starting at one and then later messing with it to see it's effect. That is how you can make a single texture scroll across a surface.
However, if what you meant by animate is to make it fade in and out to different textures, I have an idea of how to do it, but I have never tested it personally. You would have to make the object into scenery to do this since you cannot animate the BSP at this point in time. But once you have the billboard as a separate scenery object in MAX, texture it as normal with the first of the textures you wish to use. Have on hand the rest of the textures you wish to include in the rotation and one completely black one (you'll see why later). So, now you should have the completely textured billboard with the first face showing the first texture or "sign". Now, to get this to fade out, then fade back to another texture, you will have to animate the object. Start at frame 0 with the plain object. Skip several frames forward and create a new keyframe, then change the texture on the board to the all black one (if you want it to fade out then fade back; after applying the black one skip another few frames forward and apply the next main texture) or to the next one of the rotation (to simply fade right into the next sign). Click on the "play" button somewhere on your lower toolbar in max to see what the animation looks like, to see if it's too fast, too slow, etc. If it's too fast, add frames b/w the keyframes, if it's too slow take out frames b/w them. Then just find the tut on animated scenery to export this animation and make it all work.
Remember, the above is just an idea by me and I am not sure if it will actually work. It seems like it would logically work though, and I might try a simple test later on today that I want to use in my map anyway.
However, if what you meant by animate is to make it fade in and out to different textures, I have an idea of how to do it, but I have never tested it personally. You would have to make the object into scenery to do this since you cannot animate the BSP at this point in time. But once you have the billboard as a separate scenery object in MAX, texture it as normal with the first of the textures you wish to use. Have on hand the rest of the textures you wish to include in the rotation and one completely black one (you'll see why later). So, now you should have the completely textured billboard with the first face showing the first texture or "sign". Now, to get this to fade out, then fade back to another texture, you will have to animate the object. Start at frame 0 with the plain object. Skip several frames forward and create a new keyframe, then change the texture on the board to the all black one (if you want it to fade out then fade back; after applying the black one skip another few frames forward and apply the next main texture) or to the next one of the rotation (to simply fade right into the next sign). Click on the "play" button somewhere on your lower toolbar in max to see what the animation looks like, to see if it's too fast, too slow, etc. If it's too fast, add frames b/w the keyframes, if it's too slow take out frames b/w them. Then just find the tut on animated scenery to export this animation and make it all work.
Remember, the above is just an idea by me and I am not sure if it will actually work. It seems like it would logically work though, and I might try a simple test later on today that I want to use in my map anyway.
thank you very much!
I was a little bit lost allong the way (UV animation?) but I'll do some trial and error to see what comes up. Tell me if you figure it out on your test. This could be a great resource to others, so I suggest you copy and paste this and submit it as a tut. Thanks again very much!
PS if you want to see the general area of where the billboards will be in my map, check out the post "the 3 Mapeteers" and scroll down to Cote D'Azur. The brownish-triangle shaped building (News Network) is the beggining of the Times-Square-ish street, which will be filled with buildings down those two streets. Thanks Again!
I was a little bit lost allong the way (UV animation?) but I'll do some trial and error to see what comes up. Tell me if you figure it out on your test. This could be a great resource to others, so I suggest you copy and paste this and submit it as a tut. Thanks again very much!
PS if you want to see the general area of where the billboards will be in my map, check out the post "the 3 Mapeteers" and scroll down to Cote D'Azur. The brownish-triangle shaped building (News Network) is the beggining of the Times-Square-ish street, which will be filled with buildings down those two streets. Thanks Again!