Candles

[Aldaryn]

Quite a long list there! :D

So, I'll try to go over them, as you've written them down...

So first, the translucient effect: Well, using falloff maps is a good place to start with. I usually do fake transluciency with more than one falloff maps composited together to gain speed. So IMO with falloff maps it can be done. However, you may want to experiment with MAX 5.x's new translucient shader, I don't know exactly if they've finally put a normal translucient shader into the scanline, but I think it's woth the try, so you'll only need to animate the light, the shader does the translucient calculations. If you want to create the effect with falloffs, you can alwas animate the color of the falloff map, or get the free Solid Color plugin from Blur, and use it as an animated mask for the composited falloffs...
Faking transluciency with falloffs needs some experimenting, and light a canle first, and examine it really carefully....

And that is true bout the flame. I think with a Gradient ramp, and some UVW editting a really cooool flame can be created. Well, not with one gradient ramp, but with 5. One to create the reds, a transition between bright yellow (or white) orange, and a little , but really little red (was listed from inside to outside). Another gradient ramp for the blues: A deep blue to a lighter blue. Another 2 gradient ramps for the opacity. One to do the opacity of the hotspotted area, the reds and yellows, and another to create the opacity of the root, for the blues. You know, at the root the flame is almost totally transparent in the center. The last rap is used to mask theese two sets together. To blend the reds into the blues... Project this map onto a plane, and add some noise to it. (Noise modifier) Experiment with the noise,until you get a right effect...
Apply the same noise to the omni light. It wont affect the light's scale, but it will transfor it, creating the shimmering effect...
Also, the usage of a glow Lens Effect is strongly suggested. Just look at you're everyday candle...

To create a more drastic and direct blow, use animated bend modifiers ant the noise modifier also animated together. IMO this should do the trick. (Maybe group the flame geometry, and the omni light, and than apply both the noise and bend)

After the candle is blown out, use a particle system with some drag action (Drag force) to create the illusion of smoke. There is a great tutorial on doing this, only with the smoke of a cigar along with the standard MAX tutorials. I think you should read that.

To create dripping wax: Well, just use some particle systems. Animate, and set them up correctly. Thats all. :D Metaball particles will do best in this kinda situation.

And remember: In MAX, a variable described by numbers is always animateable.

Sorry for spelling mistakes, I've written thin in quite a rush!

Good Luck!

- A.

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