how do you save a maya 5 file as 4.0 or 4.5 ?

I'm not sure if it is foolproof, but try EXPORTing it to a Maya .ma file, and open that file up in a text deitor, and remove all of the version numbers, and change them to say 5.0.

..not sure if it will work on all files tho...

for dissipation, you might just want to decrease the particle lifespan. I would be messing around with it right now, but for the fact that my Maya- capable computer has died. aagh! i'm in agony!

Good idea, however what that will do will "blink" the particle away when they die, insted of gradually fading them out:(

Bummer, I know...

That is where the Particle Age Mapper comes in to save the day:)

Simply assign a PPLifespan Dynamic Attribute, and it is created for you automaticly, and you control the fading with a simple greyscale ramp.

Good luck with your machine man, as I JUST got done re-installing W2K a few minutes ago for the umpteenth time on my current machine.

..getting a new one in October when I can afford it, but I'm just limping along untill then....

...so sad:(

This may sound like a silly question, but I can't find where to actually download the tutorial?!:confused:

It's in the archive section...may only be available for those who have previously downloaded it.

http://www.simplymaya.com/movie_page...html?tut_id=13

Cheers mate, I got it fine

Tammy here. I think I have what you wanted. I created A fading trail on a bullet mesh (like in The Matrix). The trail is also a mesh. Actually it's a bunch of duplicates of the bullet mesh. Here's how I made it in Maya 8.0:

The bullet:
I made a sphere, deleted the bottom half faces, and extruded the bottom edges outwards. I extuded the same edges again, and scaled them inwards (without moving them), for the flat bottom of the bullet.

The trail:
Duplicate the bullet mesh seven times, and move each duplicate behind the other, and overlap them a little. Create a slightly transparent material in hypershade, and apply it to all the trail mesh pieces. Select the transparent material, and click Edit>Duplicate>Shading Network in Hypershade (do that two times). Make each trasparent material slightly more transparent than the other. Select three of the trail pieces, and click Mesh> Combine in the polygon menu set. Select the next two pieces and combine them also. Select the last two and combine them too.

To animate the trail:
Make sure AutoKeyframe is off. Select the bullet and all the trail pieces. Press s to set a keyframe on frame 1. Go to frame 3, and move the bullet and trail forward a little, and then press s.

Repeat the process in the last sentence for frames 5,7,9, and 10.

To animate the trail transparency:
At frame 3,make the material for the first three trail pieces slightly more transparent. Right click on the transparency color box, and click set key.

Repeat for the next two trail pieces, and the last two.

Repeat the entire transparency animation process for frames 5,7,9, and 10.

I have a zip file included here. It has a mini video of my matrix bullet trails in .avi format:


I hope you enjoy this!
- Tammy

Tammy here. I think I have what you wanted. I created A fading trail on a bullet mesh (like in The Matrix). The trail is also a mesh. Actually it's a bunch of duplicates of the bullet mesh. Here's how I made it in Maya 8.0:

The bullet:
I made a sphere, deleted the bottom half faces, and extruded the bottom edges outwards. I extuded the same edges again, and scaled them inwards (without moving them), for the flat bottom of the bullet.

The trail:
Duplicate the bullet mesh seven times, and move each duplicate behind the other, and overlap them a little. Create a slightly transparent material in hypershade, and apply it to all the trail mesh pieces. Select the transparent material, and click Edit>Duplicate>Shading Network in Hypershade (do that two times). Make each trasparent material slightly more transparent than the other. Select three of the trail pieces, and click Mesh> Combine in the polygon menu set. Select the next two pieces and combine them also. Select the last two and combine them too.

To animate the trail:
Make sure AutoKeyframe is off. Select the bullet and all the trail pieces. Press s to set a keyframe on frame 1. Go to frame 3, and move the bullet and trail forward a little, and then press s.

Repeat the process in the last sentence for frames 5,7,9, and 10.

To animate the trail transparency:
At frame 3,make the material for the first three trail pieces slightly more transparent. Right click on the transparency color box, and click set key.

Repeat for the next two trail pieces, and the last two.

Repeat the entire transparency animation process for frames 5,7,9, and 10.

I have a zip file included here. It has a mini video of my matrix bullet trails in .avi format:


I hope you enjoy this!
- Tammy

Sorry everyone. I posted twice here. I must have clicked the submit button too fast, and too many times. It was an accident.

Oh, I just noticed my .avi file wasn't included in my previous post. I'm almost positive I attached the file. Can anyone please help me find out how to correctly attach the file?

hey guys - is the link to the shader still active?
what url?

thanks a lot
mattso

Hi, i'm trying again to post my finished 'Matrix Bullet.avi' video
I hope it works this time.