timelapse construction

[Dave Buckley]

i wasn't sure which forum to post this in but what i am after is a plugin or method that will allow me to animate the construction of a building from start to finish. I believe digimation grow is one possibility but is this available for max 9? if not, are there any other plugins etc that may help me do the job

[Crazy Homeless Guy]

imo, keyframing still provides the sexiest results.

[Dave Buckley]

surely not the best option though when using a 244m tall skyscraper built in revit that imports into max with around 440,000 different objects

[Nic H]

We are working on some timeplase 'construction' unfolding stuff at teh moment of a 30 storey tower and have opted for keyframing like travis said for all elements, more control with timing and trackview curves.

 

We were given 3d dwg but ended up pretty much remodelling everything for simplicitys sake further down the track. I reckon its worth rebuilding the tower in some respect, it really will be easier and allows you to concentrate on the main elements

 

Something else that you might want to think about is doing it in reverse ie. deconstructing the building then just reversing the frames in aftereffects. Its alot easier to deconstruct than construct as you don't need to worry about things sitting together exactly.

[Matt Sugden]

This is an interesting topic, as I posted a couple of days ago about a demolition sequence, I shall also be doing the construction sequence afterwards. Once I've trashed the old building. I'd would be really interesting to compare work afterwards. Though mine is a shopping precinct not a tower block, but I guess the principles are largely the same.

 

Personally I was going to approach it the key frame way also. I can agree with the approach of reversing the the construction phase as I've done that before, but even so I think i may tackle it forwards this time, as last time a couple of anims looked a little unatural when reviersed.

 

Something I have not played with yet, but will definitely be looking into with this sequence will be the 'invisibility track' in max, as before I was having to move and 'store' the geometry completely off camera, which created some undesirable shadows, I'm now thinking more along the lines of just off setting the visibility keys, and adding a few craned in objects for good measure.

[Nic H]

What software are you using matt?

I heard form somewhere?someone that visibility track doesn't play well with vray for some reason? is this true?

 

im just 'storing' stuff off screen as well, and using some animated opacity where needed.

[Matt Sugden]

Yep using max and vray, not tried to the visibility yet with vray, but I can't think why it would be a problem with vray specifically, as it just hides and unhides the objects as far as I know rather than effecting the opacity as such, assuming it is just some kind of script to change the properties of an object?

 

I'll let you know if i hit any problems. I seem to remember reading a good tutorial about using visibility in max.

 

this one i think...

 

http://www.video-tutes.com/player/player.php?id=1478&T_id=6