Scale model animation: Adding life to a layout
forced path by track, trough, or other means); guided movement (intelligent- ly steered without obvious con- straints); and random movement (arbi- trary, chaotic, or non-repeating). Lighting concerns are pretty obvi-
ous:
background; point sources vs. large scene lighting; color; brightness; dimming and changes (turning on and off); lighting to scale (like a lantern, chandelier, or table lamp); coverage (like a point, line, circle, streak, etc.); placement for view (direct, indirect, sil- houette, etc.); and power routing (as in a hanging lamp over a pool table). My concern for sound usually in-
cludes considerations for background sound (the unseen sounds obvious and appropriate for the scene, like birds, traffic, etc.); foreground sound (a collec- tion of sounds appropriate for a near view not attributed to a single point source, like machinery,
fans, water
flowing, conversations, etc.); ambiance (in this case, using sound to create a feeling for a scene, like rainfall, fog horns, wind, etc., even though the cause may not be modeled or seen in any way); spot sound (a specific sound easily matched to a specific source, as in a hammer, saw, crane, etc.); and mo- bile sound (sound generated by a spe- cific source moving in a scene, like a lo- comotive, car, etc.). These categories are a simple way for me to consider how I will put the scene’s animation to- gether. Synchronization simply refers to se- quencing the lighting, sounds and movements so they appear plausible and realistic, not like a cartoon. Consider an animation scene as a se- quence of actions, for example, the ac- tivity at a railroad crossing: 1. Wait for train approaching. 2. Start crossing flashers. 3. Turn on bell. 4. Wait two seconds. 5. Move gates down. 6. Wait for train to pass. 7. Move gates up. 8. Turn off crossing flashers. 9. Turn off bell. 10. Go back to Step 1.
In animation sequencing, we also need to ask, “How do actions start? What are the delay times between two actions? How are the actions coordinat- ed? How does an action end?” My biggest personal objection to most animated features on many mod- el layouts is that they are entirely pre- dictable. They repeat in a very short time; they go around and around, or they are totally or largely manually controlled. I want activity that is un- predictable and frankly, not boring. Further, I want animations to be inte-
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LEDs are available in a variety of small sizes and colors, making them a versatile tool in the modeler’s arsenal. They can be used to light anything from structures to lanterns.
gral with the normal operation of my layout. Perhaps this is a tall order. Let’s see just how far we can go! Somewhere along the way an anima- tion needs a reason to start. We can use triggers like a crossing signal, which uses a track occupancy detector to make things happen. A trigger is any electrically detectable change. For ex- ample, triggers could be a switch clo- sure
(metal contacts, push button,
switches); sensors detecting electrical change or making measurements, in- cluding optical sensors, magnetic sen- sors or sound sensors; or the action of a timer (mechanically, electrically, or by program, as in a computer or micro- controller). We also need some way of keeping
track of time, or at least delaying it for a known duration. A sequencer is need- ed to provoke one or more actions at different intervals (like: do this, then that, then this, then that, etc.). Synchronization is the coordination of all the activities throughout an ani- mation. Many times it is easier to sim- ply start two actions at the same time and let them run to completion inde- pendently. This is cueing, the coordi- nated start of multiple actions, like movement start and sound generation. Once the cued actions are started, they run independently. Likely their timing is repeatable and short-lived, so the only coordination is at their start. At some point the animation ends based on some criteria, the completion of the sequence, the end of a time period, an ending trigger (switch off, or push but- ton released). Sequences may also have no end, looping indefinitely.
Story I have been modeling for quite a
while, and the more I work with model animation, the more I realize that you can really enhance interest (mine and others) by threading the animation to- gether with a story. We have all noticed highly detailed scenes on layouts and in photographs. Campfires, junkyards, gas stations, busy streets, fairgrounds, and accident scenes offer great ways to focus attention in small areas generat- ing great interest. If you consider the scene, the setting, and the animation, they beg for a reason to be there, and they make far more sense when they tell a cohesive story. Animation en- hances the delivery. This may be obvi- ous to others but it took me quite a while to realize. The story can be the thread that weaves the scene together. I always love watching a train go through a grade crossing, seeing the lights flash, hearing the bell and the rumble of the passing train, whether it is in 1:87.1 or 1:1 scale. The combina- tion of effects in sequence creates the drama for me. But what else can hap- pen at a crossing besides the lights, bell and gate activation? Cars can come to a halt. A gateman may come out to guard the crossing. Onlookers may stop to watch. People may wave to the train. Birds may fly away. Doors may open (or close) anticipating the arrival of the train. A checker game may pause as the players look up to catch the action. Rail- fans may wait to get their prize photos of the scene. In your imagination you can conjure up some of your own best memories of actions at crossings. By considering the story you want to pres-
MAY 2014
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