MV-AC Heracles

[Meph]

Right now I'm rendering a little launch sequence experiment of 100 frames with a render time between 5 and 45 minutes per frame depending on the brightness of the flashing lights. So it's going to be a while... :boondoggle:

Oh, and do any of you guys have a quick and easy way in 3D Max to set up flashing lights in sequence? Right now my lights are going on and off all at the same time but a 'running light' would be cooler I think. I feel kinda like my only option is to simply drag and offset the key frame sequence of every light in the sheet editor but for a row of about 20+ lights that's a lot of manual tedious labour. Any shortcuts or alternatives on this?

[StangCody]

I'm not the best at animation techniques, but I do know that you could probably link all of your lights to a dummy object and set it up so that their illumination levels are linked. Check out the rigging made easy thread. it might help.

I remember doing something similar back in my animation classes where we linked fingers to open and close by sliders, and again when we needed to move a texture across a surface. Not sure if it will work but it's worth a shot.

[Meph]

Cheers mate, I took a look at it and it does seem a handy way to animate constrained objects. I usually connect the sliders directly to the object or group that need contrained movement but the dummy setup seems handy too.
For the lights Guerilla here at SFM was kind enought to provide me with a script which I'll be trying out tomorrow.

In the meantime, here's a rough little movie for the launch sequence

Launch Sequence Test avi

[Freak]

Dam can't see it here.
Guess I'll have to watch it when I get home!!

[Berkut]

The security question on that website is a joke, "only enter symbols attached to a cat" I had to actually guess 2 of them because they didn't look like cats.

Anyways, the launch sequence is pretty cool, but I think it accelerates to max speed way too fast, should start off a bit slower. Also are you planning to make a catapult of some sort?

[Ice-Dragon]

That looks fun, can I be a fighter pilot on your ship

[Freak]

wired for some reason it won't let me see it.
Could you send me a copy?

[Meph]

@Freak: In the mail!

@I-D: Dang! Now I'll have to make a fighter badge!

@Berkut: Mmmm yeah... it do with a little gentle start. Right now it moves about 200 meters in 3 seconds.
And about the catapult, the tunners is the catapult. It is a magnetic rail system. The idea being that the fighter is lifted in position with the engine idling and then is catapulted using electromagnetic rail launcing system and the fighter only engages its engines when clear of the ship. Saves a lot of fuel for in-mission. (in the little movie the engines are obviously on, I didn't have time or desire to setup the ignition of the engine at this time)

[Freak]

Thanks mate. Just saw it over on 3dSF. Doh!

Looks great mate.

[Meph]

Meanwhile...

I've been palying around with the main gun a bit. I'm not sure which way to go. A smaller turret with dual linked Rail guns or a large turret with a larger single rail Gun. I'm kinda thinking... longer rail gun means more magnetic coils, means more range, more power, no?

Anyways, which one would you guys go for? The dual, smaller calibre you-mock-me-I-put-your-ship-full-of-holes turret or the large calibre you-mock-me-I-take-out-your-reactor-with-one-shot gun?