Setting Everything Up

Topics covered:

• What software you need
• What to install where
• How to set up the Plasma Plugin
• How to write an .age file
• information about sequence prefixes

Speeding up your Workflow

Topics covered:

• Starting up Uru faster
• Assigning keyboard shortcuts in 3D Max

Creating your First Age

Topics covered:

• Workflow from 3D Max to Drizzle to Uru
• Using the PageInfo component (Misc > PageInfo)
• Setting up a Starting Point component (Type > Starting Point)
• Hiding objects in the engine (Ignore > NoShow)
• Creating a box object with physics applied (Physics > Simple)
• Setting up basic lighting

Creating Banisters with the Spacing Tool

Topics covered:

• Extracting edges from a 3D object
• Distributing objects along a path using the Spacing Tool

Creating a Path on a Terrain

Topics covered:

• Using the Loft object to extrude a shape along a path
• Using the Conform object to project the path onto the terrain
• Giving the path a thickness using the Face Extrude modifier
• Dynamically updating the layout of the path

Modeling with Shapes

Topics covered:

• Using modifiers to create 3D objects from splines (Extrude, Bevel, Bevel Profile)
• Using compound objects to create 3D objects from splines (Loft Compound)
• Using the text shape feature with special fonts to create 3D geometry quickly

Using Proxy Terrains

Topics covered:

• Using an alternate object for collision checking (Physics > Terrain)
• Using 3D Max's Optimize Modifier to reduce face-count
• Create a proxy object for some stairs (Physics > Proxy Terrain)

Setting up Cameras

Topics covered:

• Creating cameras in 3D Max and assigning them different behaviors (Camera > Fixed Camera, Auto Camera, Circle Camera)
• Setting up regions to trigger these cameras (Camera > Camera Region)
• Setting up points of attention for the camera (Camera > Avatar POA, Object POA)
• Allowing the player to pan a fixed camera (Camera > Allow Camera Panning)
• Setting up a default camera for your age (Camera > Make Default Camera)
• Creating transitions between cameras (Camera > Override Transition)
• Forcing the player into first or third person mode (Camera > First Person Camera)

Creating an Object with 3 Individual Animations

Topics covered:

• Animating an object in 3D Max
• Using the "Notes Track" to add markers to the animation
• Use the animation component (Misc > Animation) to set up the different animations
• Set up a detector (Detector > Clickable) to trigger the animations individually

Creating Complex Animations with Motion Controllers

Topics covered:

• What is procedural animation?
• How to assign motion controllers to an object
• How to "bake" a procedural animation into keyframes using the MaxScript "Animation Baker" by Piranha Bites
• How to omptimize your workflow using a dummy object for the procedural animation
• How to completely exclude an object from the export process (Ignore > Ignore)