I have to admit to being confused by the animation system in Vue, and with Vue 5 Infinite the situation hasn't changed any. I just can't seem to get a handle on it, the plane preset seems to work reasonably well straight from the wizard but changing anything results in wierd movements & angles. The helicopter preset seems particularly problematic, even straight from the wizard it has odd jerky movements and is impossible to correct. I see how Phillipe Bouyer has some fantastic movements in his promotional videos but I can't seem to get anything like that in mine. I'm certainly no stranger to animation either, I usually export Vue scenes into Lightwave because I know I can control the camera there perfectly, then import it back in. However I feel I'm losing some potential creativity here, the movements in Phillipe's animations are wonderfully fluid and natural, I'd like some of that :D Anyone else feel like this? Anyone have any tips etc?

Hello. I am Philippe Bouyer (Philippe with one L and 1+2 P). Thank you for the nice words about my work for the last e-on software video show reel.

Do you use filters? If no: try them!!! Lot of thing (secrets) to discover. ;-)))
Start with...
v5i : manual page 435 for instance.
v5esprit : manual page 309.
DO NOT READ the tutorial! DO IT, MAKE IT ! That is important to feel!
I discovered all animation secrets with Vue line with manuals tutorials. I DID them! All of them! Step by step!
Now I can say have my own cook. Its big secret is: timeline's filters!
Have fun!

Book mark Let's see, read the manual, do the tutorials and use timeline filters and you will get your own cook. I like that! Philippe, I hope your cook makes you French food as good as your demos! Like Bisque de Homard and Coquille St. Jacques with Dacquoise for dessert. ::::: Opera ::::

:-)

Thanks for the reply Philippe :) sorry for the spelling, I checked the animation credits for your last name but got your first name wrong :D

My main problem seems to be the waypoints, in particular the "helicopter" movements seem to be jerky around these points. The filters as far as I can tell affect the entire timeline and can not be applied between animation points.

However, I will play, play, play :D the Lightwave synchronisation method is good, but I'm sure its unnecessary.

Message edited on: 03/25/2005 14:50

Let me show you that capture added. It is from the logo sequence in the v5i video show reel. Did you remember the complexed pans of the 'smoothed' camera?... See capture now. 2 keys in time line! Filter is checked... And orientation along Z is checked too. 2 keys and 2 filters. ;-)))
Sorry to tell that again: I learned with the manual's tutorials. Everything can be animated. For instance there is a tutorial with light... change the light to a zoom camera (2 keys). Etc.
Hope you'll understand my poor english. Regards.

Message edited on: 03/25/2005 15:34

Thanks for that Philippe, that has really helped me out a lot. I hadn't considered mixing both the animation toolbox filters and the orientation filters. I guess this takes up most of your time in a job? It took me a long time to get the effect I've been hunting for. Toward the end of your V5I showreel, there is a very complex scene with some vehicles flying between buildings, how on earth do you manage all the filters for something like that? There must be many keyframes and very complex filters there.

Yep. Can be not easy :-) But it is...the past training which help the more I suppose. And many PREVIEWS done for each shots! ;-)

OK I think I have a much better understanding now. It seems that my best advice is "don't use the wizard" :D

Nope, sorry. I use the wizard! It is so powerful with (for instance) airplane. And sometimes I can improve with my tablet, my trackball, with some additionnal ideas... :o)

The airplane one isn't so bad, but the helicopter one introduces strange jerky movements around the keypoints. I wish animation curves were editable so I could manually eliminate them.