Animation : Loop Procedural mapping animation

[Is-boset]

did you try use ping-pong loops, but this problem few people ask for solve it but still unsolved.

[Reality3D]

A loop approach with a nasty blend trick 8). Maybe it works for you

[AXE]

hey Reality3D...your nasty trick worked for me! :thumbsup:

off course, I could not use that in more complex animations...but for what I need NOW it's a great solution. Thanks man! :buttrock:

Axe

[EricChadwick]

Here's an old tutorial that might help. Basically a similar idea to Reality3D's setup.

I added an Output setting to the Mix, I didn't like how the contrast dips in the middle. I make sure the start Phase for one matches the end Phase of the other, and the Phase speed matches, which helps keeps the speed even, hiding the loop transition.

http://www.ericchadwick.com/examples/looping_a_procedural_texture.html

Reality3D's method also works for the Noise modifier. Pretty cool.

[AXE]

tnx for the trick! It also works good.

AXE

[Stroker]

This is something that I've been thinking about for sometime. I was messing around with it and getting some good results. But, like and idiot, I messed something up and lost keyframes.

What I did:
Ping ponged Phase.
Ping ponged UVW angles just a tad, but probably not necessary as all they do it rotate the map.
Ping ponged Offset, especially the last one (Z or W, whichever it's called). Two of the Offsets just shift the texture in a 2d manner, while the third one offsets in the 3rd. It's the one that offsets in the 3rd that you really want to ping pong.

Know what I mean?

Probably just ping pong Phase and Offset Z/W, but I'm a little too miffed with my ineptitude to try it right now.

If anybody tries this, I'ld like to hear about the results.

edit:
Did the above with Noise in the Diffuse slot.
Also, I'm not sure if "ping pong" is an actual Max thing. I take it to mean that the key at the beginning matches the key at the end, while the rest of the keys go willy-nilly. Know what I mean?

[Stroker]

I'm feeling a bit better now and gave it another try.

Frames 0 - 29 using 12 FPS.
Noise in Diffuse on a plane primitive.
Ping ponged Phase between -2 to 2.
Ping ponged Offset Z between -2 to 2.
The curves for Phase and Offset Z are roughly at 90 degrees to each other.

Near as I can tell, it loops.
Getting a bit of funky motion, though, because my curves aren't the greatest. Kind of speeds up and slows down at certain points.

[EricChadwick]

Hey Stroker.

Can you describe what you mean by ping-pong?

Phase animation -2 to 2 to -2 , on frames 0 to 14 to 29 ?
Z Offset animation -2 to 2 to -2 , on frames 0 to 14 to 29 ?

When I tried animating just one Noise map to go from a start value, to another value, then back to the start, I always got a "bounce" kind of motion, where it bounced in the middle, and at the loop point. Adding an ease curve in Track View just slowed down the motion, which interrupted the loop. For most of my loops, the motion needs to be steady, like ocean waves or ripples.

Here's a basic loop using Mix and 2 Cellular maps:
http://www.ericchadwick.com/examples/movies/looped.mov
Nothing pretty, but it loops well.

Another one, using Noise, mid-point contrast, and tiling.
http://www.ericchadwick.com/examples/movies/watertile.mov

Used in a simple scene...
http://www.ericchadwick.com/examples/movies/watertest.mov

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