Chapter 7. Motion Graphics

Motion graphics is not an old term. In years past, animated elements were simple and to the point. But as technology has evolved, so has what you can do with your digital tool chest. When you hear the term “motion graphics,” it can mean anything from animated pictures to swirling flourishes to, of course, title and broadcast animations. For that reason, this chapter will demonstrate a tutorial that gives you the best of both worlds: animated graphic elements that you’ll create, as well as animated 3D fonts.

Animated text is the bread and butter of many 3D animators, and it’s also a good way to get started creating some of the most basic 3D models there are—animated letterforms. Although this basic 3D creation does not take an enormous amount of modeling skill, it will help you feel more comfortable with LightWave, and it’ll provide you with skills you can put to work right away for your clients. (Seeing their name, company slogan, or logo in glorious 3D never fails to impress.)