Creating the Earth Using Textures

Creating and Animating a Flying Logo

Adding the Text for the Logo

 

Autodesk 3ds Max Tutorials > Special Effects > Creating and Animating a Flying Logo > 

Animating the Rotation of the Globe

You'll only have to set one rotational key to create the illusion of the earth spinning. You build the animation over a hundred frames and rotate the sphere a full 360 degrees using a TCB Rotation controller and the Rotation Windup command. This creates the effect of an endless looping animation.

Setup:

• Continue from the previous lesson, or open \tutorials\worldwide_designs\ tut_wwdesigns_globe.max.

Keyframe the earth rotation:

1. Select the sphere and open the Motion panel. In the Assign Controller rollout, select Rotation : Euler XYZ in the Transform Rotation list.
   NoteEuler XYZ rotation controllers are the default, but here you will switch to a different rotation controller that lets you use the rotation windup command.
2. Click the Assign Controller button to open the Assign Rotation Controller dialog. Select TCB Rotation from the list
3. At the bottom of the Key Info rollout, turn on Rotation windup
   ImportantYou must turn on Rotation Windup or else the animation won't work correctly.
4. Turn on Auto Key.

   The Auto Key button turns red and the active viewport is outlined in red to remind you that now you are in Auto Key animation mode.

5. Move the time slider to frame 100.
6. Press A on the keyboard to turn on Angle Snap.

   This will make it easy to rotation an exact amount.

7. On the toolbar, turn on Select And Rotate.

   The rotate gizmo displays on the sphere in the viewport.

   Tip To increase the size of the transform gizmo, press the + key on the keyboard.

   

   The rotation gizmo displays on the sphere

8. Move your mouse over the blue Z axis ring of the Rotate gizmo in the viewport. Rotate the planet about the Z axis, watching the value change in the coordinate onscreen readout in the viewport. Stop when you see 360.
9. Turn off Auto Key.
10. Play the animation.

    The sphere rotates smoothly in a counterclockwise direction.

    The next step is to rotate the earth's axis to give it a realistic tilt.

11. While Select And Rotate is still active, move your cursor over the rotate gizmo in the viewport. When the Y axis turns yellow, rotate the earth approximately –15 degrees about the Y axis so the earth is tilted.

    Because Auto Key is off, this rotation affects the entire animation.

12. Save your work as mywwdesigns02.max.

You'll notice the square selection brackets are tilted along with the texture, but the transform gizmo remains the same. That is because it is displaying the View Coordinate system.