Animated giological illustrations (or smth like that)

[Judicator]

Hey, guys.
I have a project comming and I'll have to create and animate (!!!) something like this, this or this. Only prettier.
Mountains will have to grow, lava to flow, cunamies to appear and stuff like that. Everything will be showed in a "sliced cube" style, like in a last image, only more complex.
The problem is - I don't even know where to start. First of all, I just can't figure it out: is it 2D or 3D? It looks 2D, but everything is in perspective, as well as animations, which would be very hard to do in 2D. Unfortunatelly at the moment I cannot show you better examples.
Maybe you have any pointers? It would help me a lot. How would you approach this task?

[Bullit]

That is a very interesting project you have there.

It depends what they want.

Modeling/animation of water terrain - terrain deform can be made by texture displacement or weightmap. There are some compounds for speedy sea animation. For example http://www.amaanakram.com/?page_id=131


Particles - this can be made 3d or in composition program, but they seem to be simple so no issues there.

You'll need learn if you don't know about using weightmaps, texturemap and also how you can affect render color in ICE.


Some more stuff might help you:

http://www.si-community.com/community/v ... hp?p=36463

http://www.si-community.com/community/v ... &view=next

[Judicator]

Thanks, it does help.
I guess I just have to wait for a project itself to know more. I won't be able to use "made-up" terrain though.
It will have to be Hawaiian islands, if I remember correctly.
Ok, question.
For example, I make a cube with different layers (magma, crust, water, mountains etc). One tectonic plate has to move under the other. That's pretty basic.
But since the cube cannot change it's shape (it sill has to remain a cube), one edge (starting point) of a moving tectonic plate has to be masked somehow.
(left side, see the image). How would you do that?

[Bullit]

You should have find lots of DEM or black white files in geographic websites about Hawai. Hypercube and MicroDEM are some programs that might help convert files to help make the relief in Softimage. Hypercube and MicroDEM converts geographic data to a black and white image that you can later use to displace.
Must be others since i worked with that stuff a couple yrs ago.

I would make the cube just an enclosure. If it is really needed at all.
I would model both plaques cutaway with curves, extrude etc... then will animate one going below the other.

[SpookyMunky]

For example, I make a cube with different layers (magma, crust, water, mountains etc). One tectonic plate has to move under the other. That's pretty basic.
But since the cube cannot change it's shape (it sill has to remain a cube), one edge (starting point) of a moving tectonic plate has to be masked somehow.
(left side, see the image). How would you do that?

The easiest way I can think on would be to move the uv guide for the cubes; make sure textures are repeating and keyframe the planar guide moving left to right hehe. Start with all the layers modelled and textured in a cube first though probably ?, uv map one part (if its multiple meshes) and make the others use the same guide. Then deform to upper / lower earth by squashing frome one way or the other hehe, as long as the textures are just moving from one side to the other it will look like its flowing maybe ? .. with additional shape animation it might look passable, though pinched / stretched in parts.

Another way I guess would be to use the kinda ancient and not 100% functional (but still useable for the most part) render time boolean addon booltrace, there's still a backup save on rray.de , manual is a pain to find tho ;). With booltrace I'd prolly try setting up an exclusion object that is basically a giant cube with a hollow cube center, animate the objects moving within the center space. If you think its a valid option but cant find the booltrace manual I dont mind making a tutorial hehe, had to use it on a job last year, and I'm perpetually bored ;P.

Third option could be to mix both of the above.. deformed cubes that dont actually move(just the texture) but cut off by booltrace so you can minimize the amount of distortion.... the texture itself I think prolly best to create it in after effects if that is an available option ?. that way you could create an animated version with just the fractals etc in ae cycling, could look decent(ish) as a cross texture ?.. to create a sense of movement for the sides that aren't side on planar mapped.