Part 3: Animate the Rocket

In Part 3, you'll create an animation to make the rocket land on the planet.

Part 3 contains the following sections:


Setting Up

  1. If Cosmo Worlds is not open, open it now.

  2. Choose File > New.

  3. Import shipLands.wrl, a file provided for this tutorial. Choose File > Import. Clear the Selection field, then type in this pathname and press Enter: /usr/share/Insight/library/SGI_bookshelves/Help/books/CosmoWorlds_UG/Models/shipLands.wrl

Using the Keyframe Animator

  1. Click on the rocket ship to select it.

  2. Open the Keyframe Animator by pressing its button on the Actions palette:


  3. From the Keyframe Animator's menu, choose Animation > New Animation. This creates a new, empty animation.

  4. Now choose Animation > Add Member to add the rocket to the members of the animation cast.

  5. Drag the large, right-pointed triangle (the time arrow) from the "0" mark to the "10" mark.

  6. Move the rocket ship in your scene toward the planet.



  7. Notice that next to Master is a button that turned red:



    Click on this red button to record a keyframe at that time for all changed items in the animation. You have now set up a trajectory for the rocket ship to travel from time "0" to time "10."

  8. Move the time arrow further to the right to the "15" mark.

  9. Move the rocket ship closer to the planet.



  10. Click on the red button next to Master.

  11. Slide the timing arrow to the right from "15" to "20."

  12. Click with the middle mouse button on the planet to select a landing spot. A yellow arrow appears. This is the Snap Target. To move the Snap Target, drag it across the planet's surface by holding down the middle mouse button. If you press Shift while dragging, the Snap Target will stick to the sphere's surface and turn purple when it is positioned on edges and other surface features.

  13. Make sure the rocket is still selected. Move your mouse over one of the green knobs on the rocket's manipulator; it will turn orange. Hold down the left mouse button and drag to rotate the rocket so you can see its tail. Ctrl-click the middle mouse button in the middle of the rocket's tail to place the Snap Source. A green arrow appears.



  14. From the main menu (not that of the Keyframe Animator), choose Layout > Move Selection to Snapping Target. Or use the shortcut Ctrl-m instead. The rocket turns and moves to the Snap Target. This will be the final movement for your animation.

  15. Set the duration to "20" for the animation. Choose Animation > Set Duration and specify 20.

  16. Press the play button on the Keyframe Animator to see your animation. Drag the time arrow back to "0" before saving or previewing; starting the animation at its end could be confusing when you open the file again.

Jump to: Keyframe Animator for more information on this tool.

Next, you'll preview the animation in a VRML browser.

Part 4: Previewing the World