Animating a Static Helicopter

To animate a static helicopter, you must rotate its propeller (Please visit http://www.amazing3d.com/free/free.shtml for downloading the chopper model – Copyright 1997-2002, Amazing 3D Graphics, Inc):

  1. Open a model file in which a static helicopter exists.

3dXchange tutorial animating 0 Animating a Static Helicopter
(In 3DXchange)

  1. Check off the include boxes of the airframe, which is the body of the helicopter. Only the propeller is checked and included.

3dXchange tutorial animating 1 Animating a Static Helicopter
(In 3DXchange)

  1. Move the motor of the propeller to the scene root since the motor is not necessarily the center of the propeller set.

3dXchange tutorial animating 2 Animating a Static Helicopter
Align to ground
(In 3DXchange)

3dXchange tutorial animating 3 Animating a Static Helicopter
Manually move the propeller to the origin
(In 3DXchange)

  1. Export the propeller as a prop.

  2. Click Invert button so the airframe is selected and the propeller is deselected. Check to include all the nodes forming the airframe.

3dXchange tutorial animating 4 Animating a Static Helicopter
(In 3DXchange)

  1. Export the nodes.

  2. In iClone, apply both of the new props. Move the propeller to the top of the airframe.

3dXchange tutorial animating 5 Animating a Static Helicopter
The airframe and the propeller
are exported as individual props
(In iClone 2)

3dXchange tutorial animating 6 Animating a Static Helicopter
Move the propeller to
the top of the chopper
(In iClone 2)

  1. Set keys in timeline to rotate the propeller.

3dXchange tutorial animating 7 Animating a Static Helicopter
Set keys in Timeline to rotate the propeller
(In iClone 2)

3dXchange chopper Animating a Static Helicopter
The animation of the result

Tip:

You may optionally merge the two props as one so the merged prop become one with animation clips. One is still and the other is idle, which rotates the propeller.

Animating a Static Helicopter