The scene files in this folder demonstrate a variety of Infini-D’s features as well as some basic modeling techniques. As you examine these scenes, you'll observe how to create surfaces, set physical restraints, and define object hierarchies to make models that behave like real objects.
• Animated Book
Since this is an animation, be sure to open the Sequencer (command-4) while examining this model. Notice how many more event marks were needed to animate the curling pages than were needed to animate of the stiff covers. The curl of the pages is a subtle form of object morphing (the shape of an object changing over time.)
• Camera w/ Lights
This is a simple camera with two lights linked to it. It is powerful for doing fly-throughs of intricate, dimly lighted areas since the lights will illuminate whatever area the camera is seeing.
• Chair
Every object in the chair is hierarchically linked. For example, if you pull up on the back-rest, the entire seat rises. This model also demonstrates how to set minimum and maximum boundaries for the parameters of objects in the model. The seat moves up and down and spins in a circle, but it cannot be pulled off of the base of the chair. Open the Object Floater (command-2) and click on the arrow button to see the Object Parameters Panel. Then try rotating and dragging various parts of the chair and notice how the parameters have been constrained to make the model mimic an actual chair.
• Depth Cue Shading
This is a simple file demonstrating the use of Infini-D's fog feature. In this instance, the fog is colored black (by setting the Background color) thereby giving the appearance that the objects are fading out as they get farther away.
• Desk & Drawers
This model also demonstrates parameter boundaries. Try pulling the drawers out. Notice how far they can be pulled out, and that they cannot be pushed through the back of the desk.
• Infini-D Sample Images
This JPEG compressed PICT shows some examples of professional work completed with Infini-D. See the "Get Info…" box for artist's credits. NOTE: This file requires the QuickTime extension in order to be viewed.
• Invisible Parent Objects
This file demonstrates the power of using hierarchies of invisible objects to control motion. You will notice that the parent object, named "Movement Parent" has only two eventmarks. It is responsible for moving from the left of the view to the right. The child of this object, "Rotation Parent", does not change it's position, only it's orientation. This object is solely responsible for the rotation effect. Note that it rotates in four equal sections of 90° each, and then back to 0° to complete the loop. The child of the "Rotation Parent", called "My Object", has no motion of it's own. It moves across the screen and rotates due to the motion of it's parent and grandparent.
• Obstacle Course
This file is referred to in the Infini-D 2.5 addendum manual. It is designed as a starting ground for experimentation with the Animation Assistants feature.
• Rotating Camera
You will notice that the camera object has it's centerpoint offset, so when it is rotated it revolves around the cone it is facing rather than it's usual center point.
• Rotating Camera 2
The camera is, again, revolving around an object at which it is pointing, but this time it employs the "Invisible Parent Object" technique described above. When you rotate the camera, you will see that the camera itself does not rotate at all. Rather, the invisible sphere to which it is linked is doing all the rotation.
• Spiral Staircase
This staircase was created with the DUPLICATE AS CHILD (command-F) command in the MODEL menu. The staircase's first step, an extruded object, as well as its railing and railing pole were positioned and locked together using the LOCK tool. The step was then duplicated by option-dragging it with a rotation tool. Once this new step was rotated and lifted far enough away from the first, the two steps were locked together. (Since objects rotate around their center points, the center point of the step’s silhouette in the Extrusion Workshop was repositioned, causing the step to rotate in a spiral. You can also change the center point by control-dragging an object.) The second step was selected and DUPLICATED AS CHILD. This created another step, the same distance (in both position and orientation) from the second step as the second is from the first. By repeating the DUPLICATE AS CHILD command, the steps were created in a matter of seconds.
Models and explanations by Chris Johnston, Adam Lavine, and Daniel Sroka.
Some surfaces created by Kelly Ryer.
All models Copyright 1993, Specular International.
