Torpedo Documentation

Torpedo 1.2
a plug-in for Cinema 4D XL

Torpedo lets you use a lensflare as a torpedo by automatically rotating and scaling it depending on its distance. Excellent photon-torpedos for space fights in an instant!

Applying the effect

This is how to create a torpedo:

In order to use the torpedo plug you must first create a light with a "Glow"-effect. Either create a custom glow or use one of the built-in. Do a test render to see if the flare looks good in your scene.

Due to limitations in C.O.F.F.E.E. you can't use Torpedo with the "editor camera" so create an "object camera" and activate it (Objects->Scene Object->Camera... + View->3D-Camera->Object...).

Now go to the time-line and create a "Torpedo 1.2"-track, a sequence and a key. This dialog will popup:

100% at distance:
At this distance from the camera the lensflare will be drawn in the size it was before the plug was applied. If the light gets closer to the camera it is drawn bigger and the other way around. Therefore to get a bigger lensflare you should increase this distance and to get smaller lensflare you should decrease it.
Rotation:
This is the rotation of the lensflare's streaks. If you create two keyframes you can make the lensflare rotate over time by changing this value. Please note that for lensflares the rotation is counted counterclockwise. (i.e. negative numbers means clockwise)

Frow now on the light's lensflare will be scaled depending on the distance from the camera and you can animate the lensflare's position like any object. Let the battle begin! :-)

Tips: You can also combine Torpedo 1.2 with visible lights for new kinds of torpedos.

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