The following concepts are used throughout the Action chapters to describe the workflow and user interface.
- Scene
-
The scene is
Action 's representation of 3D world space. It is where objects are placed and animated. World space has three directions: X (left/right),
Y (up/down), and Z (in/out).
- Object
-
An object is any element in a scene. An axis, a camera, a surface, a light, or a model can also be referred to as an object.
- Media
-
Media consists of a front and matte clip only.
- Surface
-
A surface is a special type of 3D geometry onto which media is mapped.
- Geometric Object (Models)
-
A 3D geometric object can be something as simple as a cube, sphere, or cone, or as complex as a character. Although some basic
geometric objects are included with
Flame, most geometry is imported from a 3D application such as Maya and 3ds Max
®. A model is another way to refer to a geometric object.
- Camera
-
The camera represents the 'eye' you are using to see the scene. The camera is used to “record” the scene in
Action. By default, the camera consists of two objects: the camera eye and the point of interest (the coordinates the camera is
'looking' at).
- Axis
-
An axis is the element of an object or media that can be manipulated to determine the object's 2D or 3D space, position, and
movement.
- Schematic
-
The
schematic is an icon representation of the scene. It shows all the objects in the scene and their relationship with each other. See
Schematic Basics.
- 3D Models and Text
-
You can import 3ds Max files, FBX
® format files, Wavefront files, Inventor files, and Paint geometry into
Action. Also, you can create 3D text with custom beveling.
- Particles
-
Action contains a particle system that can simulate environmental effects such as rain, snow, and many other user-defined
effects.