Project 1 – Planet Animation
Project 1 – Planet Animation
Embedded Files
February 17, 2022
This project consisted of completing and modifying a tutorial for planet modeling and animation in Maya. The goal for the project was to navigate Maya's user interface, create and manipulate objects by moving, scaling, and rotating, apply shaders, adjust pivot points and hierarchies, and output the animation through playblasting.
This project consisted of completing and modifying a tutorial for planet modeling and animation in Maya. The goal for the project was to navigate Maya's user interface, create and manipulate objects by moving, scaling, and rotating, apply shaders, adjust pivot points and hierarchies, and output the animation through playblasting.
Tutorial Animation
Tutorial Animation
The initial solar system tutorial consisted of simple objects orbiting each other and the Sun. The planets were colored using simple shaders and moved in straightforward orbits around the Sun. The animation was playblasted in perspective view with a stationary camera and default background.
The initial solar system tutorial consisted of simple objects orbiting each other and the Sun. The planets were colored using simple shaders and moved in straightforward orbits around the Sun. The animation was playblasted in perspective view with a stationary camera and default background.
tutorial modifications
tutorial modifications
I started by changing out the default plain background for a visually appealing starry background.
I started by changing out the default plain background for a visually appealing starry background.
I then found textures for the Sun and each of the planets and moons at https://www.solarsystemscope.com/textures/. I applied these images to each of the objects to give realistic patterns to the animation.
I then found textures for the Sun and each of the planets and moons at https://www.solarsystemscope.com/textures/. I applied these images to each of the objects to give realistic patterns to the animation.
My next change for the planets themselves was on their orbits. I staggered the orbits so they were no longer traveling in a line around the Sun. I also adjusted the speed of orbit for each of the planets to reflect their real revolution time. I calculated the degrees of orbit each planet would go over the course of two Earth-years so they revolve around the Sun with their real relative orbital speed. The images below show the planet alignments on the initial frame for the tutorial and modified animations.
My next change for the planets themselves was on their orbits. I staggered the orbits so they were no longer traveling in a line around the Sun. I also adjusted the speed of orbit for each of the planets to reflect their real revolution time. I calculated the degrees of orbit each planet would go over the course of two Earth-years so they revolve around the Sun with their real relative orbital speed. The images below show the planet alignments on the initial frame for the tutorial and modified animations.
My last adjustment was introducing a new camera to zoom and pan around the Sun for a bit more movement in the animation as well as a better view of the texture on the Sun. This change can be seen in the final animation below. Further adjustments I would make would be making the animation a bit longer (I had already mapped out the orbits when I realized how short it was with 240 frames) and playing with the Sun as a light source.
My last adjustment was introducing a new camera to zoom and pan around the Sun for a bit more movement in the animation as well as a better view of the texture on the Sun. This change can be seen in the final animation below. Further adjustments I would make would be making the animation a bit longer (I had already mapped out the orbits when I realized how short it was with 240 frames) and playing with the Sun as a light source.
Final animation
Final animation
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