Adobe Director Basics

ADOBE DIRECTOR BASICS
3D basics
Collision
The #collision modifier manages the detection and resolution of collisions. It is easy to detect collisions between
models with simple geometry, such as spheres and cubes. Calculating collisions between models with more complex
geometry (bananas or teapots, for instance) requires much more processing time.
The #collision modifier was introduced in Director 8.5. It can handle simple collisions. However Director 11.5
features a much more powerful collision detection system, provided by the Dynamiks xtra extension. See “Physics” on
page 293 for more details.
Bones Player
The #bonesPlayer modifier manages the use of motions by models. The motions managed by the #bonesPlayer
modifier animate segments, called bones, of the model. Bones animations modify the model’s geometry over time.
Motions and the models that use them must be created in a 3D modeling program, exported as W3D files, and then
imported into a movie. Motions cannot be applied to model primitives created within Director. Creating bones
animation in a 3D modeling application can be complex, but it results in more natural-looking movements.
The #bonesPlayer modifier lets you launch one motion at a time on any given model, but you can blend the end of
one motion into the beginning of the next motion in a couple of different ways. To explore this blending feature,
download the movie BonesPlayer.dir, and launch it.
In BonesPlayer.dir, you can experiment with the autoBlend, blendTime and blendFactor settings.
You can queue, play, and pause bone animations, and you can vary the rate at which they are played. You can use
motion mapping to create new motions out of a combination of existing motions, and play these new motions back
using the #bonesPlayer modifier.
Keyframe Player
Keyframe animations modify a model’s transform properties over time. Like all the other modifiers, the
#keyframePlayer modifier can only be attached to a model. Perhaps you want to apply a keyframe motion to a
camera, a light or a group. To do this, you can use a placeholder model with its resource property set to VOID, and
add the camera, light or group is a child of the placeholder model.
You can combine a keyframe animation with a bones animation on the same model. For example, for an animated
character, you can combine a “run in place” bones animation with a “move around the room” keyframe animation.
Last updated 8/26/2011
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