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With the test render complete and the scene looking good, we can move to the animation phase. This phase relies on the MassFX tools to create a dynamic animation.

Tutorial: Running a simulation

The first step in creating a dynamic animation with MassFX is to select and define all the pieces that will be included in the simulation; then we can run the simulation and see how it looks.

To set up the simulation using MassFX, follow these steps:

1. We still need a projectile, so create a simple sphere object and position it about mid-wall height and set its color to black to look like a cannonball.

2. Open the MassFX toolbar by right-clicking the main toolbar and selecting MassFX from the pop-up menu.

3. Use the Select by Name button on the main toolbar to select all the blocks and the sphere object, and then click the Set Selected as Dynamic Rigid Body button in the MassFX toolbar.

4. Select and zoom in on the cannonball in the Left viewport. In the Modify panel, expand the MassFX Rigid Body modifier and select the Initial Velocity option. In the Advanced rollout, set the Speed value to 5000 and X value of Initial Velocity to -180. Also in the Physical Material rollout, set the Density of the cannonball to 5.5.

Tip

If you find that the cannonball moves parallel to or away from the wall, adjust the Initial Velocity for another axis and try again. •

5. Press the Start Simulation button on the MassFX toolbar, and the cannonball crashes into the wall causing the blocks to fall.

6. Click the Time Configuration button below the Play button, and set the End Time value to 350. This gives the scene more frames for the simulation.

7. Select all the blocks and the sphere, and in the MassFX Tools dialog box, click the Bake Selected button to create animation keys for the most recent simulation.

Figure QS.7 shows the castle wall after the cannonball has crashed through.

FIGURE QS.7

The broken wall after the cannonball has crashed through

Tutorial: Rendering the final animation

After the simulation looks good in the viewport, you are ready to render the final animation. This is a process that you can start by specifying the animation format. Once started, Max automatically proceeds through all the frames of the animation and notifies you when it is completed.

To render the final animation, follow these steps:

1. Select the Rendering⇒Render Setup menu command to open the Render Setup dialog box.

2. At the top of the dialog box, enable the Active Time Segment so that all 350 frames of the animation will be rendered. Then set the Output Size to 640x480.

3. In the Render Output section, click the Files button to open a File dialog box. Set the format as AVI, give the file a name such as Crashing Wall, and click the Save button. In the AVI Compression Setup dialog box that appears, simply select the default and click OK.

4. At the very bottom of the Render Setup dialog box, make sure the Perspective view is selected and click the Render button.

Max then renders each frame of the animation and shows its progress in a dialog box. When completed, the final animation file is saved with the filename you entered. You then can locate and play it. Figure QS.8 shows a frame of the final animation.

FIGURE QS.8

The final animation includes rendered results of each frame.

Summary

I hope you're happy with your first footsteps into Max. This chapter exposed you to a number of important aspects of Max, including the following:

• Setting up a scene

• Using the Array dialog box

• Applying materials to scene objects

• Enabling mental ray

• Using the Sun & Sky system, and enabling lights and shadows in the viewport

• Running dynamic simulations using MassFX

• Rendering the final animation

But hold onto your seats, because so much of the software lies ahead. In Chapter 1, you start easily with an in-depth look at the Max interface. If you feel ready for more advanced challenges, review the Table of Contents and dive into any topic that looks good.