This tutorial we will make an asteroid similar to the one used in Star Trek Deep Space 9’s opening credits. Some of the techniques and effects we will be using involve a Super Spray particle system and the Lens Effect Glow through the Video Post.  Download this tutorial in MS Word 97 format and the texture here. 

Creating the Background

• Make sure that you have reset your workspace and are starting fresh.
• Enter the Material Editor by clicking on the icon.
• Click on Rendering\Environment from the text menu to enter the Environment dialog box.
• Click on the Environment Map bar that says None
• Select Stucco from the options listed and click OK
• Drag and drop the Stucco map you just placed into an empty slot in the Material Editor.
• Make sure you select Instance and click OK

• From the Material Editor, select the Stucco material you just dragged over
• Name this material Stucco Nebulae next to the eye dropper
• In the Stucco Parameters section
• Size = 10.0
• Thickness = 1.0
• Threshold = 0.4
• Click on the White color (Should be in Color Slot #2)
• Red = 174
• Green = 0
• Blue = 255
• Click Close
• (Note: This will give you a nice purple nebulae gas cloud effect
• Click on the Maps\None button next to the Black color (Should be in Color Slot #1)
• In the Stucco Parameters section
• Size = 0.7
• Thickness = 0.2
• Threshold = 0.7
• (Note: This will give you small white starts in the background).
• Close the Material Editor

• I use the Stucco Stars versus using a noise background due to the intense "blinking" effect that the stars create. You can experiment using different techniques with blending a noise nebulae and stucco stars.

Creating the Asteroid

• Click on the Materials Editor icon and select an empty slot. Name this material Dirt Blue.
• In the Shader Basic Parameter select Phong from the drop down menu
• In the Phong Basic Parameters Select:
• In the Self-Illumination, uncheck Color and type 20 in the box to the right.
• Make sure Opacity is set to 100
• Specular Level=6
• Glossiness=8
• Soften=0
• In the Maps section:
• Click on the button to the right of Diffuse Color
• Select Bitmap from the menu
• Click on the Show Map In Viewport Button
• In the Bitmap Parameters, click on the Bitmap button
• Select the JPEG file attached to this tutorial called DirtBlue.jpg
• Click on the Go To Parent button
• Click on the button to the right of Bump
• Select Bitmap from the menu
• In the Bitmap Parameters, click on the Bitmap button
• Select the JPEG file attached to this tutorial called DirtBlue.jpg
• Click on the Go To Parent button Blue.
• Click on the Assign Material to Selection button to assign this material to the Asteroid
• Close the Materials Editor.

Creating the Camera

• Make sure that the 3D Toggle Snap at the lower tool bar is selected.
• From the Create tab, select the Camera icon then click on Target.
• Drag the Camera out somewhere in the top viewport
• Right Click to disable the creation cursor.
• Click on the Camera that you just made.
• Make sure that the Select and Move icon is highlighted on your toolbar.
• From the Tools\Transform Type-In menu, type in the following setting in the Absolute World window:
• X= -500 (Negative 500)
• Y= -3000 (Negative 3000)
• Z= 0.0
• Dolly= 4031.29
• Roll = 0.0
• Click on the Camera.Target or select it by using the Select By Name icon.
• Make sure that the Select and Move icon is highlighted on your toolbar.
• From the Tools\Transform Type-In menu (if it isn’t still already open), type in the following setting in the Absolute World window:
• X= 0.0
• Y= 1400.0
• Z= -35.0
• Close the Move Transform Type-In window

Animating the Asteroid and the Camera

• Select a viewport (usually the bottom right or where ever you have your perspective viewport set) and hit your "C" keyboard key to change to the Camera View.
• Click on the Time Configuration button in the lower right side of the screen
• Make sure that the Time Display is set to Frames
• In the Animation\Length box, type 500. Note that the End Time should now also read 400.
• Click OK

• Click on the Animate button and it should now turn red.
• Move your Animation Slider all the way to 500.
• Click on the Select And Move icon from your upper toolbar
• Select the Camera.Target.
  • From the Tools\Transform Type-In menu (if it isn’t still already open), type in the following setting in the Absolute World window:
  • X= 0.0
  • Y= -5600.0 (Negative 5600)
  • Z= -35.0
  • Close the Move Transform Type-In window

• Click the Animate button to turn it off.
• If you move your slider now, you should see the asteroid moving. Set your slider back to zero.

Making the Asteroid Tail

• Make sure that the 3D Toggle Snap at the lower tool bar is selected.
• From the Create tab, select Geometry\Particle Systems\Super Spray.
  • In the Front viewport, drag out a Super Spray Particle System.

• In the Basic Parameters section
• Off Axis=0.0
• Spread=50.0
• Off Plane=0.0
• Spread=90.0
• Icon Size=200
• Select Ticks
• Percentage of Particles=1.0%
• In the Particle Generation section
• Use Rate=400
• Speed=10.0
• Variation=0.0
• Emit Start = -5 (Negative 5)
• Emit Stop=500
• Display Until=500
• Life=375
• Variation=25.0
• Size=2.0
• Variation=25.0
• Grow For=12
• Fade For=75
• Seed=12345
• Particle Type section
• Particle Types = Standard Particles
• Standard Particles = Triangles
• Rotation and Collision Section
• Spin Time=60
• Variation=30.0
• Phase=25.0
• Variation=30.0
• Spin Axis Controls = Random

• In the Front Viewport, Right Click the Super Spray icon and select Properties
• Select G-Buffer Object Channel 3
• Make sure the Motion Blur Enabled box is checked and select Object
• With the Super Spray still selected, click the Select and Link icon in the toolbar and drag it to the Asteroid or by clicking on the Select By Name button then click on the Asteroid.

• Click on the Select And Move icon in your toolbar
• With the Super Spray still selected, click the Tools\Transform Type-In menu, type in the following setting in the Absolute World window:
• X= 0.0
• Y= 913.926
• Z= 0.0
• Close the Transform Type-In window.

• With the Super Spray still selected, enter the Materials Editor by clicking on the icon in your toolbar.
• Select a new material globe
• Name this material Asteroid Tail next to the eye dropper
• Select Blinn from the drop down menu
• Click on the Ambient color
• Drag the vertical slider all the way down to the bottom to create white.
• Click Close
• Drag the white color down to both the Diffuse box and the Specular box and select Copy
• Uncheck the Color box and type 100 to the right of Color
• Specular Level=5
• Glossiness=25
• Soften=0.1
• Click the Assign Material To Selection button to give the Super Spray these properties.
• Close the Material Editor

• You are now almost done. Drag the Animation Slider from right to left to see the asteroid animation with it’s particle tail dragging behind it. Move the Animation Slider back to zero.

Video Post and Rendering the Animation

• If you haven’t done so by now, save your animation.
• Click on Rendering from the menu bar and select Video Post
• The queue should be empty.
• Click on the Add Scene Event button
• Select Camera01 from the drop down menu
• Make sure that the VP Start Time = 0 and the End Time = 500
• Enabled should be checked.
• Click OK
• Click on Add Image Filter Event
• Next to Label type Asteroid Glow
• Select Lens Effects Glow
• Make sure that the VP Start Time = 0 and the End Time = 500
• Enabled should be checked.
• Click on the Setup button
• The Lens Effects Glow window should pop up
• From the properties tab, change Object ID to 1
• From the Preferences tab
• Size = 10.0
• Color = Pixel
• Intensity = 3.0
• Click OK
• Click on Add Image Filter Event
  • Next to Label type Tail Inferno
  • Select Lens Effects Glow
  • Make sure that the VP Start Time = 0 and the End Time = 500
  • Enabled should be checked.
  • Click on the Setup button
    • The Lens Effects Glow window should pop up
    • From the properties tab, change Object ID to 3
    • From the Preferences tab
      • Size = 2.0
      • Color = User
        • Click on the User Color box
        • Red = 54
        • Green=44
        • Blue=255
        • Click Close
    • Intensity = 10.0
  • From the Inferno tab
    • Make sure that Gaseous is selected
    • Motion = 0
    • Direction = 0
    • Check the Red, Green, and Blue checkboxes.
  • Click OK
• Click on Add Image Filter Event
• Next to Label type Tail Glow
• Select Lens Effects Glow
• Make sure that the VP Start Time = 0 and the End Time = 500
• Enabled should be checked.
• Click on the Setup button
• The Lens Effects Glow window should pop up
• From the properties tab, change Object ID to 3
• From the Preferences tab
• Size = 2.0
• Color = User
• Click on the User Color box
• Red = 54
• Green=44
• Blue=255
• Click Close

• Intensity = 10.0
• Click OK

• Click on Add Image Output Event
• Make sure that the VP Start Time = 0 and the End Time = 500
• Enabled should be checked.
• Click on the Files… button
• (Note: I will save this as an AVI, but you can use what ever format you wish)
• Go to the directory where you wish to save this file and name it ds9aster
• Click the Save As Type drop down menu and save it as an AVI File
• A dialog box will come up about compression. I usually choose Microsoft Video 1 Compressor with 80% Quality.
• Click OK
• Click OK again
• You are now ready to render your image. This would also be a good time to save your work. You can do this without closing the Video Post dialog box.
• Click on the Execute Sequence button in your Video Post icon bar
• Make sure that Range is selected and start at frame 1 and end at 500. Personally, I always start at frame 1 to allow motion to kick in so that I do not have any particles just sitting still.
• For this tutorial, I will use a Width of 352 and a height of 240 for use with VCDs later. You can choose this setting or choose one of the default buttons (320x240 or 640x480 for the best results)
• Click the Render button.

• The original asteroid had more particles coming from the top and bottom of it that it did in the middle. See if you can create this effect.
• The particles from the asteroid were more linear and had more of a blurring effect.
• Model and create the entire DS9 Space Station (Just kidding :)  )

If this tutorial was helpful or if anyone displays a modified version of this, please drop me a line as I would ber very interested to hear from you!

Thanks,
Bogie
[email protected]
www.bogiegraphics.com