Blender Rotation Track
Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 5:23 pm
Click to download Blender Rotation Track
This is a Blender environment that allows you to import a ship model and have 40 frames of it rendered. To do this, first create the model, then follow these steps:
NOTE: Before you use this, you should arrange the ship model so that its facing DOWN when viewed from the top view.
IMPORT THE MODEL:
1. Use Shift+F1 to import the model. The model must be ONE object, and make sure that it is centered in the middle of the circle and aligned vertically at the center of the grid. You'll want to make sure that the mesh's reference point is at the center of the model as well.
POSITION THE MODEL:
2. Scale the ship model (right-click to select the ship and click S) so that it fits just inside the circle. Leave a little room on all sides just in case things stick out at abnormal angles. Note that you may want to edit the mesh (Tab) and adjust the positioning to get the best fit inside the circle.
FOCUS ON THE 'SHIP TARGET'
2. Right-click to select the ship model, then holding shift, right-click to select the 'ship target' empty (looks like a little XYZ object at the bottom of the circle), then press Ctrl+T to have the ship model target the 'ship target' empty. NOTE: if the ship model doesn't appear to be facing UP from the top view, then it has its rotation settings wrong. Select the ship model and press N and make sure its RotX, RotY and RotZ values are all 0. You may need to rotate the ship in the mesh editor (Tab).
RENDER SETTINGS:
3. Click F10 or select the Scene button to change the render settings. Look under 'Game Frame Settings' to change the size of the rendered image - I use 200x200 for < 100 pixel ships, and 400x400 for anything larger. Make sure you change the name, under Output, that the files will be exported as and where.
ANIMATE:
4. Click the big ANIM button and it will attempt to render 40 frames of the ship to the specified location. They'll be exported as [shipname]xxxx where xxxx is the frame number. I use a program called PhotoScape to merge the multiple frames into one using the Combine function.
IMAGE EDITOR: (these instructions depend on what you're using)
5. Load the combined image into an image editor, create two copies of the merged image and close the original. Replace the background of one of the images with black, and resize it to the size you want. Then resize the other image, copy it using the pink background as the transparent color, and position it over itself. Then, while the selection is still highlighted, invert it and fill/delete the selection to a black background, then invert it again and fill/delete the selection with a white background. Reduce to 2 colors and save as BMP, while saving the full-color black background version as JPG.
This is a Blender environment that allows you to import a ship model and have 40 frames of it rendered. To do this, first create the model, then follow these steps:
NOTE: Before you use this, you should arrange the ship model so that its facing DOWN when viewed from the top view.
IMPORT THE MODEL:
1. Use Shift+F1 to import the model. The model must be ONE object, and make sure that it is centered in the middle of the circle and aligned vertically at the center of the grid. You'll want to make sure that the mesh's reference point is at the center of the model as well.
POSITION THE MODEL:
2. Scale the ship model (right-click to select the ship and click S) so that it fits just inside the circle. Leave a little room on all sides just in case things stick out at abnormal angles. Note that you may want to edit the mesh (Tab) and adjust the positioning to get the best fit inside the circle.
FOCUS ON THE 'SHIP TARGET'
2. Right-click to select the ship model, then holding shift, right-click to select the 'ship target' empty (looks like a little XYZ object at the bottom of the circle), then press Ctrl+T to have the ship model target the 'ship target' empty. NOTE: if the ship model doesn't appear to be facing UP from the top view, then it has its rotation settings wrong. Select the ship model and press N and make sure its RotX, RotY and RotZ values are all 0. You may need to rotate the ship in the mesh editor (Tab).
RENDER SETTINGS:
3. Click F10 or select the Scene button to change the render settings. Look under 'Game Frame Settings' to change the size of the rendered image - I use 200x200 for < 100 pixel ships, and 400x400 for anything larger. Make sure you change the name, under Output, that the files will be exported as and where.
ANIMATE:
4. Click the big ANIM button and it will attempt to render 40 frames of the ship to the specified location. They'll be exported as [shipname]xxxx where xxxx is the frame number. I use a program called PhotoScape to merge the multiple frames into one using the Combine function.
IMAGE EDITOR: (these instructions depend on what you're using)
5. Load the combined image into an image editor, create two copies of the merged image and close the original. Replace the background of one of the images with black, and resize it to the size you want. Then resize the other image, copy it using the pink background as the transparent color, and position it over itself. Then, while the selection is still highlighted, invert it and fill/delete the selection to a black background, then invert it again and fill/delete the selection with a white background. Reduce to 2 colors and save as BMP, while saving the full-color black background version as JPG.