Page de Jean-Paul Molina

Rotary Cube

 

The purpose is to having a rotary cube with a different text on every face.
( As a matter of fact, we could widespread to infinite )

This example, not so easy at it could appear, enhances 3D Spin without using Sprite.
The different stages gonna be described right now.
- first we'll create all objects.
- then we 'll take care of effects.

⇒ see final animation ⇐

Have also a look to some examples only built using a SwishMax script.
⇒ Dynamic Cube ⇐
⇒ Diamond ⇐

Creating Objects

1 - Set up width, height, and background color #66CC00. Get a Frame Rate equal to 30

2 - Click button in graphic zone. Enter width, height as well as position of center of rectangle.

Name it 'rectangle1'.

3 - Click button . Enter 'Texte1', set up Arial font, size 20px. Keep the default color. Move text at the mentioned position.

4 - You gonna create right now 4 other objects ( rectangle and text ) having same size, but with a different look and which center coordinates X,Y are different from the 1st rectangle. The features are summed up hereafter :

Name	Color	X	Y
Rectangle2	#FF0000	150	100
Texte2	#000000	150	100
Rectangle3	#FF33FF	150	100
Texte3	#000000	150	100
Rectangle4	#6699FF	150	100
Texte4	#000000	150	100
Rectangle1	#FFFF00	150	100
Texte1	#000000	150	100

Remark :
Note that the last 2 objects have gotten the name Texte1 and Rectangle1. I'll show you why later.

5 - 'Outline' d look like to :

Setting Effects

We start from bottom of 'Timeline' upwards, for each object.
1- Click Frame 0 in row Rectangle1, then Add Effect, 3D Spin
Enter the values mentioned in the following images : (other tabs are unchanged)

2- Click Frame 0 in row Texte1, then Add Effect, 3D Spin
Enter the same values as for Rectangle1 except

3 - Click Frame 60 in row Rectangle1, then Add Effect, Remove
Repeat for Texte1.

4- Click Frame 0 in row Rectangle2, then Add Effect, 3D Spin.
Enter the values mentioned in the following images : (other tabs are the same as for Rectangle 1)

5 - Copy 3D Spin effect from Rectangle1, click Frame 60 in row Rectangle2, paste effect.
click Frame 120 in row Rectangle2, then Add Effect, Remove

6- Click Frame 0 in row Texte2, then Add Effect, 3D Spin.
Enter the values mentioned in the following images : (other tabs are the same as for Texte1)

7 - Copy 3D Spin effect from Texte1, click Frame 60 in row Texte2, paste effect.
click Frame 120 in row Texte2, then Add Effect, Remove. You 'd yield :

8 - You gonna reproduce right now the effects from Rectangle2 and Texte2, but at Frame 60 in row Rectangle3 and Texte3. You 'd yield :

In other words, the 2 effects 3D Spin and Remove, from Rectangle3 and Texte3, are the same than Rectangle2 and Texte2, but start 60 frames later.

9 - If you got it, proceed the same way for Rectangle4 and Texte4 beginning at Frame 120

10 - For the 2 last ones, named Rectangle1 and Texte1, copy only the fisrt 3D Spin effect beginning at Frame 180.

Since we don't put any stop at the end of the scene, animation 'll loop. You can see the continuity operating with the first 2 effects. It becomes obvious we could carry on with Rectangle(i) and Texte(i) knowing that we 'd be limited with loading time, the filesize increasing.