Cineversity

Hi Dr. Sassi, how are you? I have a field of clones, and I want to control the visibility, ie, gradually have them become visible. I know I can achieve this with the Plain effector, but if I use the Shader effector ,then in the shading tab, I can load a noise shader, and keyframe the black to white, etc , thus having the clones gradually fade into the scene-Does this sound correct to you? if you have an alternative method, or a better one, I’m ready to learn. Thank you in advance, Craig

Hi Craig,

Thanks for asking, I hope you are doing fine as well! :o)

There are many ways to change visibility. Any information given to them that can be read by the MoGraph Color shader, while sitting in the Transparence (perhaps even the Alpha channel will do), can create this trick.

If you use Noise or the Falloff (e.g., with Particles) is not important, what is important is your target. What exactly do you would like to have, and secondly, how do you like to “rule” that system.

I’m happy to check out options for you. Sometimes a mix out of two Effectors might be an option (1.weight, 2. transparency)

All the best

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Hi DR. Sassi, given my checkered past with Dropbox, thought I’d try again-here is what I came up with, it does seem to work-since you suggest that you have alternatives, would you mind please providing a sample, or two ; )?

Thanks for the file, Craig.

I typically take the part from the link that seems useable. I have no idea what happens while you paste the link into the post, The < a > stuff is presumably not your doing. Anyway, I know what to do, so we can continue in that way, no problem here.

I was not certain why the Noise shader is the key. If a random appearance is needed, then this would be a way to go. No Concerns here!

I have added a Plain Effector with color only and one which uses the “Visibility” option—“Plain.Vis” is the suffix I gave it, to make it clear. These internal visibilities work only digital, on or off (<50% or >51%)

As long as you use Color and the MoGraph Color Shader, have an eye on the Cloner Effector, it is most of the time best practice to set the Paramaeter> Color to black. In this way the Cloner Effector has no influence on itself.

Another method, not in the file, is given with WEIGHT. The first Effector defines what can be visible and what not, and everything in between, but this Effector is not responsible for the final effect.

The second (below in the list) Effector is using this Weight information (his is set to zero) and in that way this Effector cares only about visibility. Where is that preferred? Think of the first one as noise that moves over a field of clones, but the second one makes only a group visible, inside of that visibility field, the noise shows results. So you can move and change the value of each based on the noise independent from the area of visibility.

If there is an interest in this, I’m happy to set up a scene file.

The scene file below has three way, I changed a lot in it.

Let me know if there is a question. :o) I’m happy to explore this.

All the best

Hi Dr. Sassi, thanks as always/ I am confused, each Plain Effector seems the same, except, in plain-vis, color is off, visibilty is checked, weight is 100%=in the “plain” the oppossite-when I made the “plain” like the Plain-vis, with plain-vis off, I didn’t get the same result as with just plain-vis-what am I forgetting? I am just trying to get my invisible clones to travel on a spline, and gradually appear-givien that, what do you think my options are?, although your recent solution is nice, and sorry about my bobbling of dropbox, I need a refresher ; )-Best, CZ

Craig,

Yes, my target was here to show the same option in several way, and yes again, the Plain.Vis is different.

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Sorry, if the Weight option confused the idea of the scene file.

The Weight idea/combination is not part of the scene file.

I notice that my sphere that I had in file_01 will show through the transparency. I have taken it out in _02—please replace it, it will be more clear now.

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“I am just trying to get my invisible clones to travel on a spline, and gradually appear-given that, what do you think my options are?”

This is a clear target and I have attached a single solution scene file for this.

Let me know if I duplicated this correctly. Visible in the Falloff area. If the other way around, use the Invert Checkbox in the Falloff.

My best wishes for the project

P.S.:

I mentioned as well the option to use other objects as Falloff.
In this example I have set up the same Spline, but with more points.
This spline goes then into the Falloff> Source.
The distance to the clones (at that moment) will change the influence of the Effector.

Perhaps this is worth a try for Spline based projects.

Enjoy!