What You’ll Create
Creating Circle Bursts
Step 1
In a new file, press A to select all default objects.
Press 1
in numpad to get into front view. Press Del
to delete them.
Press Shift-A and add a Circle (Mesh > Circle)
In the Tool Options panel, which located at the bottom of the tool shelf—press
T to toggle on if it is not there—
select Nothing for Fill Type.
Check Align to View so that the circle is not facing upwards.
Step 2
With the object selected, press Tab on the keyboard to get into edit mode.
- Press
A to select
all vertices. - Press E to extrude them and then secondary-click or
press Esc or so that
the extruded vertices stays in their place of origin.
Step 3
Press Tab to exit edit mode. With the object selected, click on the
modifiers button in the properties window. Click on Add Modifier button.
Step 4
Select Solidify from the modifier list.
Step 5
Drag and increase the Thickness slider value until the circle is filled.
If the
normals appear inverted, for instance the mesh appear darker, then check the Flip
Normals tick box.
Step 6
Click on the materials button in the properties window, and then press the
New button.
Step 7
Rename the material to anything you want. I named it burst-white.
In the diffuse panel, click in the colour bar and select a colour.
In the shading panel, tick the
Shadeless checkbox.
By doing so the materials will
be rendered as flat colour.
Step 8
Press Shift-Left Arrow to go to first frame. You can also use the playback
controls.
Step 9
With the object selected and in the modifier panel, move the mouse over the
Thickness slider. Press I
to insert a keyframe for that value.
Step 10
Go to frame 21. You can either drag the green marker in the timeline or directly
click and type 21 in the frame counter.
Step 11
Click the Thickness slider, type 0 (zero) and press Enter.
With the mouse over the Thickness slider and press I to create another keyframe.
- Press Shift-Left Arrow to go to first frame.
- Press Alt-A to play the animation.
- Press Esc to stop.
Step 12
Go to frame 21 again. Left click on the frame counter and type
21.
With the circle selected, press I on the keyboard to bring the Insert Keyframe
Menu. Select Scaling. This will create a keyframe for the current
scale and size of the object.
Step 13
Press Shift-Left Arrow to go back to frame one.
Step 14
Select the object and press S to scale and then 0 to scale it down to the
full.
Step 15
Press I in the keyboard to bring out the Insert Keyframe Menu, and select
Scaling.
Press Alt-A to play the animation. The circle will now grow from point to full and then disappear.
Step 16
On the top bar, click on the layout button and select Animation.
Step 17
Change the Dope Sheet mode to Action Editor. Rename the Action to
burst or anything suitable.
Step 18
Secondary-click on the first keyframe of the Thickness value of the Solidify
modifier.
Press Shift-D to make a duplicate and offset it a little bit to the
right. This will delay the start of the animation of the thickness value.
Go to first frame and press Alt-A to play the animation. The animation
will look much better now.
Step 19
Change the bottom part to NLA Editor. Click on the editor type button
and select NLA Editor.
Step 20
Press the button with two down arrows, to convert the action to NLA strip.
The action is now converted to a strip which can be moved in the timeline as
when and where the animation is needed.
Secondary-click on the strip to select it. Press G to move it where ever you want
the animation to start and end.
Adding Variations
Step 1
You can add some variety by duplicating the original object and then tweaking
it. Secondary-click on the object to select it and then press Shift-D to make
a duplicate.
Secondary-click or press Esc so that it stays at the
origin. The
new object will also have the modifier and the action strip. It will
share the same material data with the original object.
Step 2
Press 3 in the numpad to get into sideview. Press G and move it away a little bit away from the first object.
Step 3
Since it shares the same material, click on the + button to make a new copy of the material settings,
which is needed for the new object.
Step 4
Rename the material to burst-red. In the Diffuse panel, click on the color bar and choose a colour. Make sure the
Shadeless tickbox is checked.
Step 5
In the NLA editor, secondary-click on the action strip associated with the new object—which was automatically duplicated—
and select it. Press G and move it just a little bit to the right of
the timeline.
Press Shift-Left Arrow to go to first frame. Press Alt-A to play the animation.
Step 6
This whole setup can be applied to objects of different shapes. You
can also tweak the mesh anytime in the edit mode, which is difficult to do if you are using shapekeys.
Creating Circle Swipes
Step 1
In a new file, press A to select all default objects and press Del
to delete them. Press 1 in the numpad to get into front view. Press Shift-A to add a plane (Mesh > Plane).
In the Tool Options panel, which is located at the bottom of the tool shelf—press T to toggle on if it is not there—check Align to View.
This will rotate the plane.
Step 2
- Secondary-click on the cube to select it.
- Press Tab to enter edit mode.
- Hold Shift key and secondary-click on the bottom two vertices one by one to
select them both. - Press Alt-M to bring out the Merge menu and select At Center to
merge them.
The two vertices will merge at the center of the distance between them
Step 3
Similarly select the top two vertices and press Alt-M to Merge them
At Center.
Step 4
Press A to select all vertices. Press G to move them and Z to move them along the Z axis. Move the mouse
until the bottom vertex is at the centre point (orange dot) of the object.
Step 5
Press Tab to exit edit mode. With the object selected, click on the modifiers button in the
properties window.
Click on the Add Modifier button.
Step 6
Select the Screw modifier.
You’ll notice that the object has been transformed into a circle.
Step 7
Reduce the angle to 0 degree. This will return the object into its original
form. Increase the Steps and Render Steps to 24. This gives a smooth edge.
Step 8
Press Shift-Left Arrow to amke sure you are in the first frame. Move the
mouse over the Angle settings of the modifier and press I. This will insert a
key frame for the angle value which will then be animated.
Step 9
Go to frame 21. Click on the frame counter and type 21 or drag the marker to
frame 21 in the timeline.
Step 10
Click on the Angle slider and type -360. Move the mouse
over it and press I and this will insert a keyframe.
This
means that the value will change from 0 to -360 in the first 21 frames.
Go to first frame and press the Play button.
You’ll see the angle value being animated and thus giving a nice effect.
Step 11
With the object selected, click on the materials button in the properties
window. Click on the New button to add a material.
Step 12
Rename the material. I have named wit swipe-red.
In the Diffuse panel, click
on the colour bar and choose a colour. In the shading panel, tick Shadeless.
This will render the material with flat colour.
Step 13
In the top menu bar, change the layout mode to Animation.
Step 14
By default the top left window is the Dope Sheet Editor. Change it to
Action
Editor so that we can see only the action associated with the selected object.
Step 15
Left click and rename the action to Swipe or anything else you want.
You can move the keyframe across the timeline to adjust the speed. Right
click to select the keyframe marker and G to move. Click to confirm.
Step 16
Change the bottom window to NLA Editor.
Step 17
In the NLA editor, click on the button with two arrows facing down. The action is converted
into a strip.
Step 18
The action now appear as a single strip.
You can now move this strip in the timeline as when and where you need the animation to start.
Secondary-click to select it and G to move.
Duplicating and Adding Variations
Step 1
You can add more circle swipes for variety by duplicating the original object.
The duplicate will also have the same material and animation properties, so you
done need to animate it again.
Secondary-click on the object and press Shift-D to make a copy. Secondary-click again so that the object is placed back to its origin.
Step 2
With the new object selected, click on the material button in the properties window,
Press the + button to make a copy of the material for the new object.
Rename the material. I have renamed it swipe-white as the second object will be white in this example.
Step 3
In the Diffuse panel, left click on the color bar and set the new colour. Ensure the
material is Shadeless.
Step 4
- With the new object selected, press Tab in the keyboard to enter edit mode
- Press A to select all vertices and then pres
G to move - Move the mouse and the vertices upward
- Click to confirm.
- Secondary-click on the top vertex and move it down to make a thin strip
Step 5
Press Tab to exit edit mode. Press Shift-Left Arrow to go to first frame and then press
Alt-A to play the animation.
Step 6
You can delay and offset the animation of the second object. Secondary-click on the action strip of
the second object in the NLA editor.
Press G and move the mouse a little bit. Click to confirm.
Go to first frame and press Alt-A to see the animation.
Step 7
Next step is to close the circle back and make them disappear.
- Select the strip
by secondary-clicking on it - Press Shift-D to
duplicate it - Move it towards the right of the timeline
- Left click to confirm
Again do the same for the other object.
Step 8
With the mouse on the NLA editor, press N to bring out the properties panel.
Select the second action strip of any one object.
In the Active Strip panel, check Reversed. This will play the animation backward.
Do the same for the
second action strip of the other object.
Press Shift-Left Arrow to go to first frame. Press Alt-A to see the animation. Press
Esc to stop.
