In a mapping project for last year, i made the 3D virtual world interactive by putting a google sketchup model into FlashCS5. I want to do this, but perhaps in a more sophisticated manner than before. Originally i only had zoom tags, but in this model i'd like to do a 3D pan, zooms as well as interactions with elements in the piece.
To do this i'd have to take lots of short video clips, and then string them together overlaid by action buttons. I am going to do a few mockups to just test the function and whether i can do what i am to do. I know that it might be difficult to overlay imagery in the way i want to, and i will look at a few tutorial videos on google to see if it is possible. The images might not be tranferrable into google, but i could quite easily add these in flash afterwards.
I want it to be possible to 'hover' over certain sections and for the section to respond.
Whilst making my first mockup, i realised that i had lost some of my knowledge such as how to use the 'follow me' tool, and also to hollow out a shape (as my model has a hole in the middle). I had to work out whatorder to construct it in as one i'd made the roof curve, i couldnt then split the object and hollow out sides as the push/pull tool only works on flat surfaces.
I used this video to learn how to use the 'follow me' tool.
I also wanted to remember how to duplicate objects (which i will need later for the slides that come in an out of the object as well as remembering how to hollow out an object. Luckily this was easily worked out with google tutorial videos and common sense.
The process of refamilarising myself with google sketchup:
Now to get on with the mockups
I started out doing it in foud sections, but i realised that once i'd cut off bits of create a dome, it all got stuck together and the pieces could not be seperated.
Also, i couldnt cut into it to create sections, and even if i worked out how to do this i'd have to make calculations on the dimensions beforehand.
Solution
I then realised that it would be better to create ' elements' and then string them together. i decided to split it up into right hand and left hand blocks. This means that i dont have to decide how many 'slides' to make beforehand and i can easily add or subtract it. I can 'group. these into objects, copy, paste and move them.
I designed these elements in my sketchbook, but i haven't really thought about dimensions at the moment. I am just trying to get the basic building blocks made to show basic function of how i want things to work in flash.
This is just the first building block: i still have to make the cover for the model, the slide that pulls out, and the part with the 'dolls house' models on the side.
I then built two other components using components of the originals. This is a rough outline of the process:
The large 'dolls gouse model' container is twice the width of the slide container so that when i copy them and align them, they fit neatly.
I copied a side with a curve on it, and then expanded it into the slide.
I slotted the slide into the right place. It has been make a few inches thinner so that it doesn't overlap.
I then joined them all together, and made them seperate components so that they could be moved.
Having these components allows me to easily expand or reduce the side of the model, and i am not restricted to how many slides i can use. It also allows me to reapply the format to other books if i desire.
I now need to create the 'cover' which will have almost a 'blurb' as i described in my notes. Now that i'm thinking about it, there's no reason why i couldn't have more than one 'cover' i suppose.
Now to put it into flash.
The last time i did this, i used 'scenes' which moved the angle, but now i want components of the model to interact. i am going to look up a few online tutorials to work out if, and how to do this. Otherwise i will have to manually move them, take a screenshot, then move on. This is fine except i'd like my final piece to have an animation/simulation of the slides moving if possible to make it seem smoother overall. However, for the purposes of this simlutation i will do it with screenshots as they are quicker to import.
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