Subject: Re: International Race of Champions
From: [email-masked]
To: [email-masked]
Date: Fri, 21 Jul 95 01:07:54 PDT

>-=> On 15 Jul 95  19:42, [email-masked] wrote: <=-
>
> je> I haven't seen the video, but I think I know what you mean: make a cool
> je> curved path, and as the camera moves, the path kind "grows", sort of
> je> like it is being drawn as the camera moves along.  This is pretty easy
> je> -- just do a modification of the Saturn's Rings tutorial...
>

	Hmmmm, I've used the "Warp and reveal" technique before and frankly,
	it's a pain in the ass.

	I just flashed on a _possibly_ better, easier way to do this very
	simply.  It doesn't require any warping, but does require two passes.
	(Like I said, it's a "flash", so if there's any obvious problems, mea
	culpa.  Hey, it's free, waddaya want?)

	As described, the path is appearing only in front of the camera.

	Make a null object, and parent both the camera and a spotlight to the
	null.  Rename it CAMERA_DOLLY.  All camera motion will be accomplished
	thru this null, so you might as well turn off the camera XYZ options
	so you don't get confused (speaking from experience here!  :^( ).

	OK, place your camera above the "track", and set up all your dolly
	moves.  Using the null point actually is more flexible, since if you
	ever get in a gimble lock situation with the camera, you can cheat 
	using the null's rotation.

	Place the light so it is above the path and the camera, illuminating
	path.  Since the light and the camera are parented together, obviously
	they will move together.

	Eliminate all objects, drop the ambient light to ZERO, and render your
	frames.  

	OK, I'm sure everyone sees where this is going.  You would then either
	composite this animation as a foreground, or lay in the rest of the
	animation behind this one as a background.

	Biggest problem:  The light on the path may not match well enough to
	the rest of the animation.  Could be ok, but maybe not.  Using multiple
	nulls parented together, you would be able to isolate the rotation of
	the light so it appears always from the same direction.

	Somebody tell me if they use this idea!

>>>>>>>>>>>

	(later)  Maybe a better way to isolate the light's rotation is to
	target it at something very far away.

	I'm feeling pretty clever now.....

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