Friday 16 September 2011

Pageflip Animation

Pageflip AnimationOnce upon a time .... This phrase has been used in storytelling of childrenbook, movies and animated film. Often, opening shot of this movie shows an self opened book. Piece by piece of paper flipped revealing more pages. In this tutorial, you will create this kind of animation. If you think to create this animation is hard, think again.I will show you how to create this kind of animation easily.

Pageflip Animation Using 3ds Max

1. First, you need 3D book model.You can download 3D book model here (3DS format, zipped). After you download this file, extract, and import into 3dsmax (File>Import). This model will be converted in 3dsmax into Editable Mesh. In Perspective viewport, activate Edged Faces display (press F4 in keyboard).

You also need to download bitmap file used later as material. Download required file here. This file contains sample of finished pageflip animation and material files. There are several bitmap files, but in this lesson you need only 3 JPGs files. The others are used in Multiple Pages Flip Animation tutorial

2. First step is texturing the book. I will use Multi/Sub-Object Material. Using this material type, single object can have several map applied altogether. For example, I will apply 3 different material for cover, book side, and inside pages. Before you can apply Multi/Sub-Object Material, you need to set different Material ID in each area to be mapped.

Select book model. Go to Modify tab. Activate Polygon selection. Select all polygons in book side (look at image below). In Selection rollouts you should read about "132 faces selected". Use Ctrl+click to select multiple polygons. You also need to zoom and rotate your view to select polygons in 4 directions. When finished, go to Surface Properties rollout.By default, every polygons has Material ID=1. Now, change Set ID=2. Press Enter after you fill in.

3. Next, select all polygons creating book cover. You should read "754 faces selected" in Selection rollout.. Change Material ID=3.

4.At this point you should have 3 Material IDs. (look at image below for reference). Next step is to apply different material into each Material ID.

5. Open Material Editor (press M in keyboard). Select one empty material slot, name this material "book". Apply this material into book model (by clicking Assign Material to Selection button). Then change material type, click Standard button. In Material/Map Browser click Multi/Sub-Object twice. Just click OK in opened dialog box.

In Multi/Sub-Object Basic Parameters rollout, click Set Number button. Fill 3, because you only need to make 3 material.

Click button right next to Mat ID=1 (Under Sub-Material). Name this material "page base". In Blinn Basic Parameters, click small button right next to Diffuse. Click Bitmap in Material/Map Browser window. Then choose "page_base.jpg". Click Go to Parent button twice to go back to Multi/Sub-Object Basic Parameters rollout.

Click button right next to Mat ID=2 (Under Sub-Material). Name this material "page side". In Blinn Basic Parameters, click color box right next to Diffuse. Change color into light brown (R=244, G=231, B=208). Click Go to Parent button twice to go back to Multi/Sub-Object Basic Parameters rollout

Use similar process like above for cover book material (Material ID=3). This time use red brown color (R=175, G=97, B=34). Click Go to Parent button twice to go back to Multi/Sub-Object Basic Parameters rollout

Now, you have created Multi/Sub-Object Material for book model.

6. Before you can render, you need to apply UVW Mapping to book model. For Alignment, use Y axis. Click Bitmap Fit and choose "page_base.jpg" as reference. UVW Mapping Gizmo will be scaled proportionally with bitmap file.

7. In Modifier Stack, click minus (-) sign on the left of UVW Mapping. Select Gizmo row. UVW Mapping Gizmo will turn yellow, and now you can move it. Position and scale to fit opened pages in 3D book model. When finished click Gizmo row again to turn off.

8. Render Perspective viewport. You should have something like image below.

In Page 1 tutorial, you have textured a book model using Multi/Sub-Object Material. Now, it's time to make page flipping animation. Before you can create animation, you need to create single page from book model.

9. Continue your previous exercise. Activate Polygon selection in 3D book model. Select all polygons creating one side of page (right side). Zoom in for easy selection. Don't forget, you can use Ctrl+click for multiple selection. You should see "16 Faces Selected" in Selection rollout.

10. Activate Select And Move Tool. In Front viewport, hold Shift and move selected polygon up. A dialog box will be opened. Choose Clone To Object. Fill in new object name and click OK. Now, you have separate page object. Turn off all sub-object selection.

11. Zoom in in Front viewport. Select your newly created page object. In Command Panel, click Hierarchy tab. Turn on Affect Pivot Only button. You can move pivot point now. Move pivot point in the most bottom part of page object. When finished, turn off Affect Pivot Only button.

12.Next, move page object close to book object. Page object should positioned a little bit above book object.

13. We need more polygons in page object in order to have nice flipping animation. Right click page object and choose Convert to>Convert to Editable Poly. Now, activate Edge selection. Select 2 edges in page object (look at image below for reference). In Edit Edges rollout, click Settings button right next to Connect. In Connect Edges dialog box, fill Segments=10 and click OK. Now your page object has enough polygons.

14. Before we begin to animate, let's add more frame. Click Time Configuration button in bottom right of the screen. A new window will appear. In Animation group, fill End Time=150. Click OK to finish. Your scene now has 150 frame.

15. Let's animate. Turn on Auto Key. Move slider to frame 125. Rotate page object into position like image below. You will have two keyrame in frame 0 and 125. Select keyframe in frame 0 and move to frame 25. We move this keyframe because we want animation to start at frame 25.

16. Activate Vertex selection. In Front viewport, move up vertices one by one. All vertices should be slightly above book object. When finished, turn off Auto Key and play your animation. Turn off sub-object selection. You now have simple flipping animation.

In Page 1 tutorial, you have created a book complete with its mapping. Then, in Page 2 tutorial you managed to create a simple flipping page animation. Not quite good animation. That's why we will fix the animation to make it more smooth and realistic. In this tutorial, we will also texture the flipping page.

17. Continue your previous exercise. Now, we will begin to texture the page. Open Material Editor. Choose one of unused sample slot. Name this material "pageflip". Apply this material to page object.

Because a book page need to be textured in both 2 side (facing and back), we will use Double Sided material type. Click Standard button. In Material/Map Browser window, choose Double Sided. A small dialog box will appear. Just click OK.

In Double Sided Basic Click button right next to Facing Material. Name this material "pageflip A". This will be front map. In Blinn Basic Parameters, click small button right next to Diffuse, and then in Material/Map Browser choose Bitmap. Next, use file "pageflip_a.jpg". When finished, click Go To Parent button twice to go back to Double Sided Basic Parameters.

For back material, use the same process like above. This time, use file "pageflip_b.jpg".

18. Before you can render, you need to apply UVW Mapping modifier into page object. In Alignment group, use Y axis and click Fit button.This option will automatically fit UVW Mapping gizmo into page object. Do a test render. Your page is now well textured.

19. Move slider to frame 150. Do a test render, you will notice that bitmap texture is not right (flipped). To fix this, go to Material Editor. Select "pageflip" material. In Double Sided Basic Parameters click button right next to Back Material. In Blinn Basic Parameters, click small button (M) right next to Diffuse. Then, in Coordinates rollout, change U Tiling = -1. Render again, Back Material should have fixed now.

20. Page texturing is now finished. Now, we will begin to create more realistic page flipping animation. Select page object. Add Bend modifier to this object. In Parameter rollout, set Direction=90, Bend Axis=X.

Then, turn on Auto Key. Move slider to frame 50, decrease Angle value to -75. Next, move slider to frame 100, Angle value=75, and in frame 125 set Angle value=0. Turn off Auto Key. Then, select keyframe in frame 0 and move it to frame 25. Now, you have nice page flipping animation in frame 25-125. Play your animation.

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