Page Last Updated: 23/11/99
	'Gadgets And Odd Devices'
	Time to trace: About 31 days! Download the animation - 3193K Animation Description A Newton's Cradle. Unfortunately, I didn't start on this round until the beginning of March, so I was a little constrained in what I could submit. I decided to do a simple looping animation and concentrate on image quality rather than frame quantity. Each image is rendered with area lights, focal blur and radiosity. If I had more time... Well, I would try and make the disk a little more cluttered, I would produce a more accurate motion for the cradle and add an extra 120 or so frames to push the aminamtion up to the 5M mark. Animation Notes All the basic shapes were created for the 'First Encounter' Stills round. Needed to reposition all objects and create movement routines for the Newton’s cradle and camera. The text file supplied with that entry provides more info about the objects. I had to rebuild the cradle to add movement to it. All movement is based on sin curves. This gives a nice smooth camera movement, but I think it causes the cradle movements to be a bit too uniformed. As usual, I didn't have the time to implement proper physical pendulum movement to the balls. The movement sequences on the camera and cradle are based on 1 clock unit. I left this alone for the camera, but multiplied the clock by 14 and then lowered it so it was <= 1 for the cradle. For each clock unit, this gave one sweep of the camera to 14 sweeps of the cradle. Once again, there were some very useful comments submitted for the image: From agage@csee.usf.edu: And the "Gratuitous Use of a Julia Fractal" award goes to.... A bit simple, also reminiscent of an entry to the "Toys" round. The detail of the desk and other assorted objects is good, as is the texturing, but the motion of the entire thing seems either too fast or too perfect (those middle balls would start swinging eventually due to imperfections in the cradle). The Julia fractal was included in the animation as it was present in the 'First Encounter' still image. Each object in that image was moved and used in this animation. I know that other people have done this kind of animation before, but it is the first time I have given it a go. As a result, the motion of the balls is wrong. Next time, I'll get that bit right! From vansickl@erols.com: I'm afraid this idea has been done to death. The movement of the spheres was unnatural as well. The background objects did make it a bit more interesting. As I've mentioned, this is the first time I've tried to animate a Newton's Cradle and I know the movement is crap. From Martin.Magnusson.7121@student.uu.se: It looks good, but as you said, the movement of the balls doesn't look quite right. The light and models are good, though. Ta! From clem@dhol.com: The "use it just to use it" mentality is a mistake. The things added by focal blur, radiosity and area lights are just the kind of thing that mpeg is most likely to lose completely. I can't see where any of those things added more than an artifact or two to this animation. No story, very little happening. Even something simple like a little bug jumping from ball to ball and narrowly avoiding disaster would have helped this immensely. The comment you made about adding frames to bring it up to 5 megs is unwise, also. If more frames will tell the story better, fine. Two extra megs of more of the same would just add boredom. The varnished wood texture of the table is the main bright spot here. The modelling in general is ok. I have to disagree with the first point here - I think that the focal blur, etc., add to the image. I agree that the animation isn't that interesting, but I'm pleased with it as a first attempt. Also, on reflection, I agree that more frames would have added nothing to the final animation. From gregj56590@aol.com: High artistic merit: nice realistic view of a desk. Not much else there. Thanks... and I know...