Folding (or unfolding) character?

[Netvudu]

hi,

I have to start with a word which has to progressively unfold (more or less upwards) until it reveals a character made of letters. The letters have no thickness, so the unfolding can be just the rotation of those letters appearing. I would like to choose the new letters that show up, but until they unfold into their position they can be invisible or whatever I decide that is easier to me...

any ideas?

[Macha]

If the camera is static and frontal, perhaps you could stack lots of flat polys on top of each other and then let them move into the unfolded positions while rotating?

Is it like a paper unfold (one piece) or is it allowed to have gaps between individual elements?

Edited June 17, 2010 by Macha

[Netvudu]

it is allowed to have gaps but not random gaps

[Macha]

Well, in that case, I don't know how complicated your object is and how much time you got but have you thought of using an RBD sim with rbd constraints? You could let the whole thing unfold automatically according to a force.

If you have many objects you could even use the apply relationship DOP but it's a really tough nut to set up and the whole thing may oscillate wildly.

There is a thread here:

http://www.sidefx.com/index.php?option=com_forum&Itemid=172&page=viewtopic&t=18935&highlight=chandelier

Edited June 17, 2010 by Macha

[pencha]

Some random ideas to avoid simulations:

-you could do some "space-blending" in a VOP SOP, something like a couple of clever ramps used to modify the position of the points according to the distance to a line/point/point cloud.

-Another one, VOPSOPsy too, would be a custom blendshape to drive the folds, with a folded and a non-folded model.

-last one, record the fold trajectories in CHOPS and then drive the folds with attributes.

Of course, combine these three techniques and you´ve got a lot of to play with