balloon popping

Support Animation and Rigging
1

I am trying to come up with a way to animate a balloon popping… I was thinking of just using a lattice modifer that would make the deformation from inflated to a limp rubber mess in an instant. I was hoping to hear any other ideas for such an animation.

I think it would probably be easiest using a softbody, but I’m not quite sure how to go about doing that. Any suggestions?

Thanks

2

Hey!
I think your idea of a lattice is excellent, Softbody would just be too much hassle for this. Just animate the lattice over a couple of frames, and make the balloon a lot bigger than it’s origional size, so that it looks stressed, and then really small, and you should be able to get that “popped” look.

Another option, is to model a ripped and deflated baloon, and to use the lattice on the origional to animate the popping action, and then at the last frame, just replace the origional model with the popped one.

I hope I helped!
Good luck

3

Thanks for your input!

I’m not sure I follow you on this one though. As soon as the mesh would be replaced there would be an awkward jump in the animation from the latticed object to the new model.

Then, my only issue with using just a lattice is that when it is completly deflated, i’m not sure it will have that popped and torn quality to it.

Thanks

4

Try using the lattice to get the major animation done and then add detail by putting in shape keys. This will smooth the transition and hopefully get you the detail you need. You could also try doing it with just shape keys.

Also, if you have a cartoony look, you could easily overlay a ‘pop’ graphic or insert a 1-2 frame block of white when the balloon pops and do the mesh-swap then.

5

thanks fweeb,

I hadn’t even thought about using shape keys, that’s an even better idea!

6

in real life balloons pop in less than 1/25 of a second, which is a frame.So, technically, to model a baloon popping in real life, you just kill it at whatever frame. make it disappear. poof. gone. not there. What gets you is the sound and the people’s reaction. I mean, if a balloon pops in the woods, does anyone really care?