PDA

View Full Version : Tiling animated lava

cman2k
08-19-2005, 05:36 AM
Alright folks, so here's what I need. I need to create animated, tileable lava.

Now I've tried a few different routes here. I can get some awesome looking lava in after effects, but I can't get it to tile well. Same thing goes for procedurals within max. the problem i seem to be encountering is that if I animate a procedural type of setting (ie; "grow"), i'll end up animating it say, from 5, to 6, then back to 5, giving me an unsightly "reverse" effect.

ever apart from that effect is the whole tiling thing. I know how to make a texture tileable (ie; offset and fix it up), but I'm afraid that if i take a non-tiled sequence, and make each frame tileable, the process of making it tileable will mess up the animation....:shrug:


anyway, I feel like i've exhausted both my brain and my resources here. any fresh ideas on this would be very much appreciated.

edit; to clarify, what i need in the end is something akin to a 30-frame sequence of targa's that i can make into a game-friendly animated texture.
Jaffajuice
08-20-2005, 10:00 AM
(bearing in mind I'm a newbie ) ...

Q: molten lava or solid lava with glowing cracks? Level/rocky or flowing river?

I would seperate into layers of light, dark and crust. Each layer i would make in photoshop starting with a realistic photo of lava. Increase canvas X2 so canvas is 1024x1024 and mirror original hoz+vert, so all the edges meet their opposite. In the middle i would blend, probably with a fifth copy or a different lava image. Work on it some more, And then some more to remove things that may look oviously mirrored. Now increase canvas size to 2048x2048, placing your texture in the middle. Tile the texture around the image to look like attatched

Now in adobe aftereffects set composition to 1024x1024. place your 2048 texture. Now you can move your 2048 texture in any direction in aftereffects and the edges will always match it's opposite as long as it moves fully in a direction.. You will end up with an animated 1024x1024 texture. Use this for glowing lights through a solid crust layer with cracks? or flowing lava? Tried a simpler version of this for a test bump map waterwall effect. Worked okay. Let me know if this was helpful, or even if it works!

Targe sequences? aren't they used on DvDs?
cman2k
08-20-2005, 02:13 PM
wow jaffa...that is a very interesting way to approach it! i would actually like to try this to make the solid lava w/ cracks, even though i was originally going for molten lava. If i could get both made that would be great.

I am going to experiment with this and I will get back to you. thanks for the suggestion though! :)
CGTalk Moderation
08-20-2005, 02:13 PM
This thread has been automatically closed as it remained inactive for 12 months. If you wish to continue the discussion, please create a new thread in the appropriate forum.