I've made this tutorial to show you a method for making the bullet-time effect from The Matrix. The idea is to freeze a complicated animation ( in this case an exploading teapot ) but the camera must move around the frozen explosion. The main problem doing this in 3D Studio Max for me is that I don't know how to freeze particle systems. But I've found other solution for this: I've made-it in 3D Studio Max exactly like the bullet-time from The Matrix was created : I've created some cameras around the animation and then I've created one image of a wanted frame from each camera.
First step wich you must do is to create a new scene. You can do that by going to File > Reset or File > New. Ok! Now that you have a new scene where to work, let's start the tuff job. You will need no external files for this tutorial, so, I guess we're ready to begin.
First thing you must do is a teapot wich latter will gona' blow :). Do that by clicking Create > Geometry > Standard primitivesis > Teapot. Create the teapot from the Top view. Next thing you should do is to create the trajectory for the cameras. For that go to Create > Shapes > Splines > Circle. Now create the cirle from the Top view around the teapot.
To create a more fantastic effect we wiil add a Bend modifier to the circle. Do that by going to Modify > Bend (form the modifier list). Note that the circle must be selectet when you do the previous operation. Now, in the bend parameters you will change the next values: Under <Bend> change the <Angle> value to 90 and under <Bend axis> change the parametter to <X>. You should observe now a circle in wave form. Place the base of that bended circle on the same level on Z axys (same height) with the teapot.Now that we have the trajectory we must create the first camera for the scene. Click on Create > Cameras > Target. Create the camera in Left view port and place the Camera target (the little square in the front of the camera) in the middle of the teapot.
The camera must now be placed on the trajectory. To perform that, click Motion > Assign controler. From the list under Assign controler click on the <Position> controler and then click the <Assign controler button >.
Assign Controller Button.
A window called <Assign position controler> will apear. From that window select <Path constraint> and click OK. In Motion section has apeared a Rollout called <Path parameters>. Under <Path parameter> is a button called <Add path>. Click on it and after that click the Bended circle. Now, the cammera must be positioned on the Bended circle. Change the Perspective view in Camera01 by pressing "C" key. Now click on play to see the motion of the camera from its view. Now comes the harder part. We must do the rest of the camera. But, because we're smart we'll do that in such a way that our sequence of images will move like shooted from one camera. To do that, select the camera, move the time slider to 0. With the camera selected, press "Ctrl + C". Now the camera is on clipboard. Move the timeslider to 10 and press "Ctrl + V" to paste the camera from the clipboard. Select from the track bar the 2 Key frames wich apear at frame 0 and frame 100 and delete them.
