Animations

[Whilyam]

Okay, I'm interested in whether you can do things like fade one texture out for another with the current plugin. Like how you would change the texture of a skydome (or perhaps just fade a day-sky dome out with a night sky-dome behind it).

Also, I remember reading when texture animations came out that you could use animations to determine the RGB values of lights. What's the process for that, and also what's the process for fading a light out?

[D'Lanor]

Also, I remember reading when texture animations came out that you could use animations to determine the RGB values of lights. What's the process for that, and also what's the process for fading a light out?

The same way you create regular animations. Adjust the RGB values for your lamp and then hit the i key inside the Buttons Window instead of the 3D Window (yes, it took me ages to figure that out). Then you get the option to insert RGB keyframes.

[Nadnerb]

The plugin also technically supports opacity animations. (which can be created by animating the "Col" layer slider) However, I haven't had much luck in getting this to work properly. Usually what happens is the affected objects shows up entirely black... and opaque... and then blink out of existence at about the halfway point of the animation.

[Whilyam]

Is there a way for the object to hold two uv mapped textures and have one fade out? I'm specifically thinking about having a skydome with two textures. One for day, one for night.

[Nadnerb]

That would be the way that I just mentioned. The one I haven't gotten to work quite right. At the moment, the best I can get is a "pop" between textures at about the halfway mark in the animation.

[GPNMilano]

Actually, what you really want is three layers. a Sky layer, a Stencil Layer (with a blue, vertical gradient, rather than a black and white horizontal gradient for alpha blending) and your night sky. at which point, you'd animate your layers, so that they move and change color using your blue gradient. This is how it is done in Gira anyway, and how SDL animations for skys work in Uru (or at least how Cyan made them work) a Layer SDL Animation is the same thing, just controlled by a time of day variable in the SDL. I was able to implement one for Eder Licinius, using libPlasma and Blender.

[GPNMilano]

That would be the way that I just mentioned. The one I haven't gotten to work quite right. At the moment, the best I can get is a "pop" between textures at about the halfway mark in the animation.

Thats because you need to set the DUN DUN DUN. Ambient Color.

[Whilyam]

So it is possible to make something fade off in an animation? If so, how? This definitely needs a wiki entry.

[GPNMilano]

So it is possible to make something fade off in an animation? If so, how? This definitely needs a wiki entry.

Its the same as making a normal layer animation. You change the color accordingly in the Materials. (with changing the Color of the material over time) Then you set the emit slider to appropriate position. This slider controls the ambient color. The problem is trying to get it to match up, as theirs no color picking option for it. (its just trial and error at this point). Once you get your settings right, it should work.

Its not the greatest way to make this type of animation, because of the problems with the ambient color of the material.