A spinning coin

Beginner · about 5 minutes

1. Import a still model

Drag the gold coin (or any still model) onto Pixor. A pickup is centred on its origin, which is what you want for something that spins in place.

2. Frame it

In the Scene step, click the South camera in the Outliner. Set the View to side, so you see the coin face-on, and the size to 32 pixels: coins are small.

3. Add a spin

Open the Action step. The library coin comes with a spin action already: choose it in the Actions list and play it in the 3D view. For a model of your own, start a new action with Spin instead: it starts an action with a Spin node in it, which circles the camera round the model, so the model is seen turning. In the Action graph the Spin node shows the curve of the turn; set it to 8 frames for one full turn.

Pixor will cut the turn into eight frames in the Asset step.

4. Look and colour

In the Style step, the selout preset gives the coin a darker gold outline rather than black. Gold reads best with two or three light bands: try Light bands 3 in the Inspector, and watch the highlight move round as the coin turns.

5. Export

Export writes the sheet: a row of eight frames for each action (one for the coin’s own spin; another if you added a Spin action too). In the Asset graph you can add a GIF output to the same render, for a preview to post.

Variations

• The same project works on any still model: open it, import a gem or a key, export again. The settings stay.
• Bob instead of Spin makes a floating pickup; Pulse makes a heart beat.

Next

• An 8-direction walking character.
• Palette ramps: why the coin’s shades shift in hue.