A Storm is Brewing

Following on from the smoke, I have attempted to use what I learnt to create rain, this time using a different particle system (PFlow) and this YouTube tutorial https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTSJyqHrWIo. I followed the tutorial, changing a few things as I went along. Using this tutorial I learnt a new way to create a particle system without using the modify tab, instead I pressed the number 6 on the keyboard and it came up with the particle view

Particle view with the particle system in it

View of the rain

I then used the second part of the tutorial to create ripples where the drops hit the water. This was successful but once done, I found that the particle system didn't fit in well with the scene.

Rain with ripples in the water.

Making Waves

After playing around with a few different Space Warps, I came across one that allows waves to be added to a plane, naturally I thought it would be useful to one of the scenes. I created a basic plane, I then added the space warp and adjusted the settings to what I thought would be a good wave height. To animate it, I selected the Space Warp and turned auto key on. I then selected the middle frame and changed the setting on the wave, this made the wave move allowing me to animate the ships with the wave movement.

The pink mesh in the Wave Space Warp

Prop Up

To create the propeller for the aircraft, I used the low poly modelling technique. I started off with a cylinder, this had 7 segments and had a small radius. I then converted it to an editable poly from which I selected the vertex points segment by segment, expanding them until they reached the desired width. I then went into the modify menu and selected FFD 2x2x2. From this I selected the top 3 segments and used the select and uniform tool to narrow the top of the propeller. The FFD tool worked similar to the soft selection tool. It narrowed the segments little by little. I then converted the object back into an editable poly, from there I added various smoothing groups. 1 for the front of the propeller, 2 for the back of it and finally 3 for one of the edges along the left hand side. 

Now propellers have a curve in them, to achieve this, I selected the twist tool from the modify menu. I then applied a 45 degree twist which gave it a curve similar to one seen on a real propeller.

Adding smoothing groups to the propeller

Adding the twist to the propeller

To create the center of the prop that holds all the bales in place, I created a basic cylinder and collapsed it, I use the same shaping technique as I used for the blade and to finish it off I used various different smoothing groups.

Water Training with Reactor

In my attempt at creating more realistic water I happened to come across a system that works with the Havock Reactor in 3DS Max. It work like the reactor normally does, allowing you to change the mass, friction etc of an object but, if you go into the Space Warps section and select reactor, you'll see the option come up for water. This works with Havok to allow objects to react with water how they should, for example, something with a substantial weight will sink where as something with a lighter weight will bob to the top of the water.The objects are then grouped together to form a rigid body object.

Objects with reactor water

Cylinder mass

Once the weights of the objects have been decided, the animation needs to be previewed within the reactor. From this window, you can see how the objects will interact with the water substance, this allows you to see the ripples and bobbing motion the objects create int he water. Once I was satisfied with the way the objects and water reacted with one another, I added a plane and attached it to the reactor water (exactly the same way as space warps are added). I added the Autodesk water to the plane and rendered the animation, this is how the water reacted with the objects:

UPDATE:
I have found this method of creating water very temperamental, I have tried to use it with the ship scene to no avail.

Problem Solved

Through trial and error I have managed to reolved the mirror and transparency error with the water. I have kept the same setting as before reguarding the components of the water. I discovered that the raytrace was the map causing the issue. I repaired this by going into the raytrace map, under the background settings clicked on non and added a water surface map. I then adjusted the colours of this map to a very light blue and white. From there I went back to the parent, and reduced the refraction settings from 100 to 45.

Maps in material editor

In the raytrace map

In the water surface map

It's Like a Mirror

Upon using the previous water technique, I have since tried to add an environment background consisting of clouds. I have since found out that the water will reflect the environment map and turn transparent. I have been adjusting the various settings to try and stop the reflection but nothing will work. I have since found a simpler method for creating a similar realistic looking water material.

Let There be Water

So as the group has moved on to starting bits of animation, I have applied the various water techniques that I have learnt about (and blogged) in the first part of the animation. After looking at the water, I wanted to try and create my own material that replicates water. I found an easy to follow tutorial on YouTube (this can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GB5K5_PPczI) to create it. I followed the basic steps from the tutorial. This involved going into the material editor, selecting the slot and changing the shader basic parameter to Anisotropic. I then adjusted the colours to ones that I felt would replicate the colours of the ocean, I then put the specular level up to 200 and put the glossiness up to 50. Going into the maps section of the material, I add bump, reflection and refraction. I then added a map to each of them (noise for bump, falloff for reflection and raytrace for refraction). I then followed the video more closely and changed the martial type from standard to top and bottom. I then went into the bottom half of the material and changed the colour to light blue, from then I went back to the parent and blended the top and bottom materials together.

Water like material in material editor

Water on map scene

Rendered water