Animation basics
After familiarizing yourself with three-dimensional space, you’re ready to start making fun
animations. While there are many factors you have to take into consideration when creating an
animated project, it’s definitely worth taking the time to learn some basic ideas. From there, it
will be easy for you to advance to creating stunning and complex animation sequences. The
Animation Toolbar and its enhanced Timeline provide highly versatile functions for animating
your objects. Brief descriptions of the Animation Toolbar functions are listed below.
• View: Timeline Toggles between displaying and hiding the Timeline Window in the
workspace.
• Object List Allows you to select an active object that you can modify from the list
box. The first on the list is always labeled as Group which merges all the objects
and subgroups you’ve added as a single object. Only when you split the text will the
characters be displayed separately, allowing you to work on the objects individually.
• Properties Menu Lists all of the basic properties of the 3D object. If you have
applied a plug-in effect to the object, this will be listed as well. The Timeline
Control, just to the right of it, shows the timeline and key frames that are related to
the property that you have selected from the list.
• Timeline Control Allows you to choreograph your animation with key frames. The
top line represents the frame-by-frame position, while the bottom line displays key
frames. Key frames are those frames in which you specify an attribute or behavior
of an object. For plug-in effect timelines, an additional Control Line (in red)
appears between these two lines when you enable Plug-in Mask.
• Add/Delete Key Frame Lets you add or remove a key frame from the Timeline
Control. Each time you add a key frame, you can change the attributes or behavior
of an object. When you remove a key frame, all attributes associated with that key
frame are also removed.

• Reverse Allows you to reverse the sequence of key frames on the Timeline
Control, so that the animation starts with the last frame and ends with the first.
• Smooth Motion Path Plays the animation smoothly, where the transition from one
frame to the next becomes less noticeable.
• Plug-in Mask Allows you to set the start and end points of a plug-in effect in the
animation sequence.
• Plug-in Enable Toggles between showing and hiding a plug-in effect.
• Current Frame Denotes the frame number that is currently displayed.
• Number of Frames Sets the total number of frames in the animation sequence.
• Frame Rate Sets the speed in frames per second (fps) at which the animation
plays.
Working with key frames and timelines
When you start to create an animation, you begin with a timeline. The timeline represents a
number of frames in the animation. In COOL 3D, you use the Timeline Control to edit the
attributes of timelines. Many properties of the 3D object (such as size, position, color, and any
plug-in effects) have individual timelines that you can edit independently. These are listed in the
Properties Menu.
Key frames let you choreograph your animation sequence as you work with the timeline. By
adding key frames and editing attributes in those key frames, you can, for instance, set your
object to move from left to right, and then rotate. Any adjustments you make to your object at a
given key frame determines the state of the object at that frame of the animation (for example,
the position, size, color, etc.). The following describes some basic controls of the Timeline
Control:

• Properties Menu Use this to select the timeline for a specific property that you
want to edit. By default, the basic attributes are listed (i.e. Position, Orientation,
Color, etc.). If you apply a plug-in effect to the object, that will be added to the list.
Once you select a property, the timeline for that property will appear.
• Object List Use this to select an active object to modify.
• Slider Drag this to move to any frame in the animation, or click Move to Next/
Previous Frame.
• Jump to Next/Previous Key Frame Click these buttons to move from one key
frame to the next, or directly select a key frame by clicking it.
Here is a simplified diagram of the default timeline for an object’s color. It contains 10 frames
and always has a key frame at frame 1 of the animation. At this key frame, the object is set to be
red. When you preview the animation, the object remains red in all frames.

In the next diagram, two key frames have been added to the color timeline. At key frame 1, the
object is red, at key frame 5 it is blue, and at key frame 10 the object is green. When previewing
the animation, you see the object’s color start out at red, gradually transform to blue and finally
to green.

Because each property has its own timeline, you can control multiple timelines in your animation,
as shown in the following illustration. Not only can you set the timing within each timeline, but
you can also control the timing of events between the many timelines by coordinating their key
frames, as if you were a director telling your various actors what to do and when to do it. After
you familiarize yourself with timelines and key frames, you can also work with multiple objects
that have multiple key frames.

Advanced timeline mode
COOL 3D’s advanced timeline mode gives you greater control in choreographing the behavior of
objects with multiple attributes. Click View: Toolbars Manager - Timeline or Timeline
Window in the Animation Toolbar to display the Timeline Window. In the Timeline Window,
each attribute is represented by a timeline which you can edit independently. Every change you
make on an attribute will be reflected as a key frame. Any adjustment you make to an object at a
given key frame determines the object’s state at that frame. Brief descriptions of the Timeline
Window functions are listed below.

• View: Animation Toolbar Toggles between showing and hiding the Animation
Toolbar.
• Modify Frames Displays a drop-down menu that enables you to edit the number of
frames in the animation sequence.
• Thumbtack Allows you to mark attributes where you assigned key frames. You can
use these marked properties as reference while you work on other objects in the
animation. The attribute where the thumbtack is enabled remains on top of the
Attribute List even if you might already be working on a different object.

• Key Frame Window Displays all the frames in the animation sequence. Dots
indicate key frames. Since each object contains a different set of timelines, the
frames reflected in this window change depending on which object you are
currently working on.
• Ruler Bar Indicates the frame you are currently working on. Click anywhere in the
Ruler Bar to go to a frame within the specified duration.
• Add/Delete Key Frame Lets you add or remove a key frame. Each time you add a
key frame, you can change the attributes or behavior of an object. When you
remove a key frame, all attributes associated with that key frame are also removed.

This shows the Timeline for an object with
changing color, position, and texture
attributes. It contains 10 frames and always
has a key frame at frame 1 of the animation.
You will notice changes in color at frames 5
and 10.
Creating a simple animation
The best way to understand key frames is to actually create an animation. The following section
shows you how to create simple animated sequences with a single object and a single timeline,
as well as some more complicated sequences involving multiple objects and timelines.
To create a simple animation using the
Animation Toolbar:
1 Insert an object to the Edit Window. On the
Animation Toolbar, the default frame
number should be 10, and set the default
fps to 15. Change the frame number to 15.
Notice that the current frame is 1, and that
the timeline already contains a key frame.
2 On the Location Toolbar, click Move Object.
In the Edit Window, drag the object to the
left side of the window. On the Location
Toolbar, the coordinates change to show
the object’s position at the first key frame.
3 Drag the Timeline Control slider to the last
frame of the timeline, or type 15 as the
current frame number. Click Add Key Frame
to add a key frame.
4 Drag the object to the right side of the Edit
Window. The coordinates on the Location
Toolbar change to reflect the position of the
object at frame 15 of the animation.
5 Click Play to view the animation. The object
should move from the left to right in the Edit
Window.
6 Save the project by clicking Save on the
Standard Toolbar. This allows you to save it
in the COOL 3D file format (*.C3D). You can
open this file later within the program to edit
the project.
To create a simple animation using the
Timeline Window:
1 Open the project that you created on the
previous page (part I). Switch to advanced
timeline mode by clicking View: Timeline
on the Animation Toolbar.
2 Select Position in the Attribute List and
frame 7 on the Ruler Bar.
3 Add a key frame by clicking the Add Key
Frame.
4 On the Location Toolbar, click Move Object
and drag the object in the Edit Window so
that it is at the top and center of the
window.
5 Click Play, and notice how the object now
moves in a triangular path.
6 Now you have key frames at frames 1, 7,
and 15 of the animation. If you want to
change the position of the object at any of
these key frames, click the key frame on the
Timeline Window and drag the object to
another position. Click Play to view the
animation.
7 Increase the number of frames to 30 by
clicking Modify Frame and selecting
Change Duration. Notice how the motion of
the object becomes smoother.
8 On the Standard Toolbar, click Save to save
the animation. Your project will be saved in
the COOL 3D format (*.C3D).

Animating color
The most obvious thing to do when you want to animate an object is to make it move. To
animate the color of an object itself is less obvious, but can result in interesting effects. In this
tutorials, learn how to make color change on a stationary object. Try animating texture as well.
To animate the color of an object:
1 Insert an object, and apply a color at key
frame 1.
2 Add a key frame control at the last frame of
the animation, then apply a different color
to the object. Remember that you can also
apply different colors to individual bevel
faces.
3 Click Play to preview the animation.
Animating background
Just like with foreground objects, you can animate your background to create an effect of varied
shifting colors. The result can be smooth or jerky, depending on the mood you want to evoke.
Arrange an upbeat display of fast changing, highly contrasting colors. Or work with a single
color and, by modifying some of its properties, come up with a gradually fading monochromatic
display.
To animate your background:
1 Create a new document and set your frame
number to 20 by clicking Modify Frame and
selecting Change Duration.
2 Select Background in Attribute List.
3 In the Attribute Panel, select Color in
Background mode.
4 Add a key frame control at frame 5. Click the
Color square and select a different color.
Add other key frame controls at frames 10,
15, and 20. Apply a different color in each
key frame.
5 Click Play to preview the animation.

Showing and hiding objects
You can control when an object in a project appears or disappears. Showing and hiding text and/
or images can be done per key frame.
To show and hide an object:
1 Insert two objects, then set the total number
of frames to 30.
2 Select the object that you would like to
hide.
Note: Having the Object Manager visible may help give
you an idea as to what object or text is currently being
edited. Click View: Toolbars Manager: Object
Manager. Or you may use the selection indicator by
clicking View: Selection Indicator.
3 Move the Timeline Control slider to
frame 5.
Note: If you do not want the object to be seen at the
start of the presentation, move the Timeline Control
slider to key frame 1.
4 Click Show/Hide on the Standard Toolbar to
hide the object.
5 Move the Timeline Control slider to frame
10.
6 Click Show/Hide on the Standard Toolbar to
show the object again.
7 Click Play to preview the animation.

Working with more than one object can result in a stunning project. The next tutorial shows you
how to coordinate two objects. Make a second object appear after the first one completes its
action.
To show and hide two objects :
1 Insert an object, then set the total number
of frames to 30.
2 At frame 1 click Move Object on the
Location Toolbar and set the Y coordinate
to 50.
3 Click Rotate Object. The Properties Menu
displays Orientation. On the Location
Toolbar, make sure that all coordinates are
set to 0.
4 Move the Timeline Control slider to frame
25 or enter 25 as the current frame. Click
Add Key Frame.
5 Set the X coordinate to -720, then click Play
to preview the animation.
6 Insert a new object. At frame 1, click Move
Object. Enter -100 for the Y coordinate on
the Location Toolbar.
7 At frame 1, click Show/Hide on the
Standard Toolbar to make the object
disappear.
8 At frame 30, add a key frame and click
Show/Hide to make the text object appear.
9 Click Play. The second object should appear
just after the first object has completed its
rotation.

you want to spice up a project by animating an object’s position, the Animation Toolbar
and Timeline Control bar allow you to work on multiple timelines as well as make the proper
adjustments on the image’s current position per key frame.
To animate position:
1 Insert an object, then set the total number
of frames to 30.
2 Move the Timeline Control slider to frame
25 or enter 25 as the current frame. Click
Add Key Frame.
3 Click Move Object on the Location Toolbar.
4 Drag the object to a desired location or set
the coordinates to your preferred position
on your desired plane (be it X, Y or Z) for
that particular frame.
Note: Displaying the Axis Indicator might give you a
better idea on which plane to locate your object. Click
View: Axis Indicator.
5 Click Play to preview the animation.
To animate the position of two objects:
1 Insert an object into the project and set the
total number of frames to 30.
2 Select Position in Properties. On the
Timeline Control, add key frames at frames
10 and 20.
3 Click key frame 1 of the animation to select
it.
4 On the Location Toolbar, click Move Object
and set the values of X and Z coordinates
to -350 and -200 respectively. The object
disappears off the screen.
5 At frame 10, set the X coordinate to 0. Do
not adjust the Z coordinate. At frame 20, set
the X and Z coordinates to 100 and 3000.
The Y coordinate should remain at 0.

6 Click Play to preview the animation. The
object should move to the right and away
from you.
7 Insert a second object into the project, then
select Position in Properties. Add key
frames at frames 10, 20, and 30.
8 Click Move Object on the Location Toolbar
and at frames 1 and 10, set the X and Z
coordinates to -350 and -200 respectively.
At frame 20, set the X coordinate to 0, and
do not adjust the Z coordinate. At frame 30,
set the X and Z coordinates to 100 and
3000.
9 Click Play to preview the animation. The
second object should chase after the first
one, following the same motion path.

Animating with multiple attributes
Inevitably, you will want to animate more than one aspect of your object. This means that you
must work with multiple timelines. When using the Animation Toolbar, you always need to
keep an eye on Properties to know which attribute or timeline you are currently editing. This
makes it more advisable to switch to the advance timeline mode and use the Timeline Window
which simultaneously displays all attributes or timelines of your object. This example shows you
how to make a basic animations with two timelines.
To animate position and color in the Timeline
Window:
1 Insert an object in a blank project (with a
black background).
2 On the Attribute List, select Color. At
frame 1, set the object color to be black.
3 Add a key frame at the last frame of the
animation. Set the color to red.
4 Click Play on the Navigation Toolbar to
preview the color animation.
5 Click Move Object on the Location Toolbar
or the Position thumbtack in the Attribute
List.
6 On the Position timeline, select the first key
frame, then on the Location Toolbar, enter
200 for the Z coordinate.
7 Add a key frame at the end of the Position
timeline, and then enter -200 for the Z
coordinate.
8 Preview the animation. The object should
emerge from the background color and
come straight towards you.
Plug-in effects
Plug-in effects are what can make your still or animated title extra special. In COOL 3D, you
can give objects a unique backdrop by applying a variety of Background effects under the
Scene category. You can also create astonishing 3D text titles with Text Effects and Bevel,
make objects move in special patterns with Object Effects, enhance a whole scene using
Particle Effects, and give your titles a unique flair with Global Effects.
The various categories are located in the
EasyPalette file directory. Click a category
or plug-in name to view and apply the presets
that come with it for instant results. If you
have a specific effect you want to achieve, try
applying different presets, and see how the
attributes change in the Attribute Panel. This
gives you a better idea of how the variables
affect the object.
Key frames and plug-ins
Most plug-in effects have a special red Control Line that appears on the Timeline Control in
the Animation Toolbar and Key Frame Window if in the Timeline mode. This is a special
feature that lets you move the first and last frames of the timeline, so that you can determine
exactly when the plug-in effect is applied within the animation sequence. To adjust the length of
the Control Line, click and drag on either end until you have reached the desired length.

The example (right) shows the Control Line
of the FreeForm plug-in in the Key Frame
Window. This means the plug-in is applied
from frames 5 to 20.

Understanding global and key attributes
When you are working with the Attribute Panel to make an animated project, it is a good idea
to take note of the ToolTip that pops up when you move the cursor over each variable. This
contains a brief description of the variable in question, followed by a (G) or (K) which stands
for Global or Key attribute.
A Global attribute is valid for the entire
duration of the animation. For instance, if you
set a Global attribute to have the value “x” at
frame 1, the value “x” will be applied
throughout the animation. If you change this
value at frame 5, then this new value will be
changed accordingly in all frames of the
animation.
A Key attribute can vary with individual key
frames. For example, Color is a Key attribute
because at frame 1, you can have an object be
red, then at frame 5 you can set the same
object to be green, and at frame 10, you can
make the object change to red again.

Background effects
The Gradient and Magic Texture features provide a collection of animated background effects
of gradually shifting colors and patterns. You can apply these effects to simulate movement of
natural elements such as sunlight and whirlpools.

Gradient Background
Gradient is a feature that helps create complex gradient patterns that serve as a colorful
animated backdrop for your projects. This feature is fully customizable, so you can create your
own color patterns.
To apply a Gradient Background:
1 Create a new document and select
Background from the Property List in the
Attribute Panel.
2 Select Gradient under Background mode.
3 Set the pattern color by adjusting the
Palette Ramp. Click Edit to open the Palette
Ramp Editor. Select a different color ring or
create a new one.
4 In the Attribute Panel, specify Hue shift,
Ring, and Repeat number settings. Hue
shift adjusts the hue in the ring palette
without changing the saturation and
brightness, while Ring rotates the color ring
changing the first color of the set. Enter the
degree of turn. Repeat number defines the
number of times to repeat the ring palette in
the pattern.
5 Select a Pattern type by clicking on an
image in Mode. This indicates how your
texture would initially appear. Move the
slider to view more patterns. A
corresponding number is assigned to each
pattern type.
6 For some modes, you can set Slope,
Frequency, and Amplitude values. Slope
specifies the pattern's direction and is
measured in degrees. Frequency allows you
to specify the number of times to apply the
pattern in the magic gradient effect, while
Amplitude allows you to specify the length
and width of the

Magic Texture Background
Magic Texture is a feature that helps create complex gradient patterns that serve as a colorful
animated backdrop for your projects. This feature is fully customizable, so you can create your
own color patterns.
To apply a Magic Texture Background:
1 Create a new document and select
Background from the Property List in the
Attribute Panel.
2 Select Magic Texture under Background
mode.
3 Choose the look of your pattern in Texture
Type. Emboss makes the background appear
stamped or imprinted on a solid surface.
Turbulence gives your selected pattern a
wild, disorderly appearance.
Note: Each texture is three-dimensional with sections
along the X-, Y-, and Z-axes. Only the XY plane are
shown. Variation is the Z-value that determines which
XY plane of the selected background will be displayed.
The degree of variation is therefore affected by the X
and Y values that you set.
4 Click the thumbnail of the pattern to use as
background.
5 Under Texture Cell, set the extent by which
the pattern is stretched or compressed
horizontally or vertically in X Size or Y Size.
In X Offset or Y Offset, enter how far along
the horizontal or vertical plane you want to
shift the image in pixels.
6 Disturbance computes the final cell size
that will be used for generating the pattern.
Set a higher value to have a closer look at
the selected pattern’s details.
7 Change the hue value of each pixel in Shift.
You can modify this attribute when the
texture type you are using is Turbulence.

8 Select Edit to display the Palette Ramp
Editor. This shows the ring palette
containing the set and order of colors used
in the current magic gradient effect. Adjust
the hue in the ring palette without changing
the saturation and brightness. Set the hue
value in Hue Shift and the degree of turn of
the color ring in Ring.
9 Increase the Amplitude to make your
pattern more irregular. Set also a higher
value in Frequency to increase the degree
of disarray in the selected pattern.
10 Click Random to readjust the texture settings
to random numbers. To revert the image to
its original form, click Reset.
Object Effects
The control you have in animating individual objects is one of the things that make COOL 3D
remarkable. The Object Effects category in the EasyPalette file directory allows you to apply
motion, cartoon shading, bending, twisting, explosion, stylized outlines, freeforms, and
psychedelic presets to your objects.
You can also use the Attribute Panel to
create custom object effects. This section
shows you basic projects for each plug-in.
For detailed information on all plug-in
attributes, please refer to the Help Topics.

Bend
Use this plug-in effect to bend your object in any direction, then animate the bending movement
to attract special attention. In this tutorial, learn how to combine this effect with basic rotation
settings. (Settings: 30 frames, 15 fps.)
To apply the Bend effect to an object:
1 Insert a text object in the Edit Window. Click
Add plug-in and select Bend in the
Attribute Panel.
2 At frame 1, set the Direction of the bend to
Y-Z and select Asymmetric under Type. Set
the Level to 100 to completely bend the
object, and set the Cutting Point to 50 so
that the object bends at the center.
3 At frame 30, set the Level to 0. This allows
the object to unbend.
4 Click Rotate Object on the Location
Toolbar. At frame 1, the rotation
coordinates should all be 0. At frame 30, set
the Z coordinate to -720. This rotates the
object twice in a clockwise direction.
5 Click Play to preview the animation.

Cartoon Shader
Cartoon Shader is an non-photo realistic (NPR) effect that renders your 3D animation into
simplistic cartoons. Based on classic movie/TV animation shading techniques, Cartoon Shader
"simplifies" your 3D objects by applying flat colors and shades. This effect reduces the
complexity of the object and lessens the bulkiness often seen in 3D objects. Cartoons are known
for having basic colors, with a dominant color as the highlight, and a secondary color as the
shadow. You may choose to render objects in a finished project, or render them beforehand.
(Settings: 30 frames, 15 fps.)
To apply the Cartoon Shader:
1 Insert a text object in the Edit Window. Click
Add plug-in and select Cartoon Shader in
the Attribute Panel.
2 At frame 1, choose Smooth in Style.
3 Set Shadow settings by adjusting the Factor
and Luminance values. A higher value in
Factor increases shadow size, while
increasing the value in Luminance
brightens the object.
4 Do the same for the Highlight settings.
5 Click Play to preview the animation.

FreeForm
The Object Effects category in the EasyPalette file directory also allows you to apply
animated deformations to your object by selecting the FreeForm option. To customize your
freeform effect, select Object: FreeForm in the main menu. You can also click Add plug-in,
select FreeForm, and click Open FreeForm Editor in the Attribute Panel. This opens the
FreeForm Editor. For a detailed explanation on using this feature, see FreeForm in page 31.

Object Explosion
Blasting an object creates a fascinating and eye-catching impact in your animation. Equally
stunning is reversing the effect to integrate an object from tiny bits. We will be doing this
reverse explosion in this tutorial. (Settings: 30 frames, 15 fps.)
To create a reverse Object Explosion effect:
1 Insert an object in the Edit Window. Click
Add plug-in and select Object Explosion in
the Attribute Panel.
2 Set the Movement type to Gravity at frame
1. Set also the Collapse type to All and
Level to 90 to disintegrate your object. Set
Rotate value to 10.
3 At frame 30, set the Level to 0 for a
complete formation of your object. Enter 90
for the Rotate value.
4 Click Play to preview the effect.
Note: Experiment with different values for Variation.
Each number you enter produces a slightly different
variation of the explosion effect.
Stylized Outline
Non-photo realistic (NPR) effects are a collection of enhancers that transform your 3D objects
into simple, artistic shapes. Ideal for short animation strips such as cartoons, these effects are
great to transform your 3D objects into fluid, streamlined animation. Stylized Outline is one of
COOL 3D's NPR effects that enhance your 3D objects by simplifying them. Stylized Outline
simplifies the object into visible edges. These edges are then rendered as stylized paint strokes.
(Settings: 30 frames, 15 fps.)
To apply Stylized Outline:
1 Insert an object in the Edit Window. Click
Add plug-in and select Stylized Outline in
the Attribute Panel.
2 At frame 1, choose Brush for Style in the
Attribute Panel.
3 Specify the outline width by entering 3 in
Width. This will give you a thin outline. The
maximum Width value is 50, which creates
the thickest outline.
4 Choose an outline color by clicking the
color box. Select Crease to include smaller
lines and folds within the object when
making stylized outlines.
5 Click Play to preview the animation.

Twist
This effect lets you coil up a title in a number of different directions and styles. Twist the object
beyond recognition along the X- or Y-axis, or make the title coil out towards you along the Zaxis.
In this project, learn how to combine the Twist effect with a basic Size animation for extra
impact. (Settings: 30 frames, 15 fps.)
To twist an object:
1 Insert a text object in the Edit Window and
rotate it slightly on the Y-axis. Click Add
plug-in and select Twist in the Attribute
Panel.
2 At frame 1, select Left only as the twist
Type. This twists the object starting with its
left side. Select also Z as the Axis so that
the depth of the object is twisted, and set
the Skew Angle to 0.
3 At frame 30, set the Skew Angle to
-360.
4 On the Location Toolbar, click Resize. At
frame 1, the Size coordinates on the
Location Toolbar should be 100 (default).
At frame 30, set the Z coordinate to 1000.
5 Click Play to preview the animation. The
title should twist clockwise and coil towards
you.

Text Effects
Make your text and graphic objects behave in a variety of entertaining ways using Text Effects
plug-ins. Choose from a range of presets in the EasyPalette, or design your own using the
Attribute Panel, and create animated text titles for your video clips in a few easy steps. Not
only for letters, some of the effects under this category produce interesting results when applied
to 3D objects.
Blast
Have fun exploding an object, and then have the pieces come back together to form something
new. The easiest way to apply this effect is to apply a Blast preset from the EasyPalette. For
more advanced users, the many variables on the Attribute Panel allow you to control the effect
to amazing detail. In the following tutorial, we’ll explode a graphic and have it turn into text.
(Settings: 30 frames, 15 fps.)
To apply a Blast transition:
1 Insert a graphic object in the Edit Window.
Click Add plug-in and select Blast in the
Attribute Panel.
2 At frame 1, clear the Use Original option in
the Attribute Panel. Click Text Object
Target under Target. In the dialog box that
appears, enter the text object that you want
to replace the original object with.
3 Set the Shape to Sphere, and the Collapse
to All.
4 Set the Size of the pieces to 5 and the
Action to All. The Level should be 100 by
default.
5 Select Swirl as the Movement Type.
6 Click Play to preview the animated
sequence.

Bump
Bump allows objects to shove each other off the screen. This effect can emphasize statements
by having text push other objects away. In this example, have the main text bump a graphic
object out of the way. (Settings: 30 frames, 15 fps.)
To apply a Bump transition:
1 Insert a graphic object in the Edit Window.
Click Add plug-in and select Bump in the
Attribute Panel.
2 At frame 1, clear the Use Original option in
the Attribute Panel. Click Text Object
Target under Target to insert an object that
will replace the original.
3 Make sure that the Level is 0, and set the
Compress value to 50.
4 If the target object appears on the screen,
set the Initial Position of the target object
to 300, or until it disappears off the screen.
5 Select From Left as the Direction in which
you want the transition to take place.
6 At frame 30, set the Level to 100.
7 Click Play to preview the transition.

Dance
This effect brings out the buoyancy in your title. Choose from several dance styles - Shake,
Scatter, Wave, and Bounce. The following tutorial shows you how to make a bouncing project.
(Settings: 30 frames, 15 fps.)
To make a title bounce:
1 Insert a text object in the Edit Window. Click
Add plug-in and select Dance in the
Attribute Panel.
2 At frame 1, select Bounce as the Dance
Mode in the Attribute Panel and select
Random for Sequence.
3 Set Ground to 1. This is the minimum
distance that the letter will fall in order to
bounce. Specify 100 for Rebound, which
makes the letters bounce highest.
4 Specify 10 as the Tempo for fastest
bouncing speed. Set the Variation to 0.
This means that the letters will start out in
their normal stationary position - standing
up and facing forward.
5 At frame 30 of the animation, set the
Variation to 50. This means that by the last
frame, the letters will be facing in widely
differing directions, as if they were
bouncing out of control.
6 Click Play to preview your project. Try
using different values for Seed. This
generates a slightly different variation of
the Dance effect.

Distort
Put a new perspective on your title by using the Distort plug-in. You can either distort the
perspective of the entire object, or distort the letters individually. When applied in an animated
sequence, this can be useful for emphasis. Create a basic Distort animation in this tutorial.
(Settings: 30 frames, 15 fps.)
To distort an object:
1 Insert a text object in the Edit Window. Click
Add plug-in and select Distort in the
Attribute Panel.
2 Add a key frame at frame 15 on the Distort
timeline.
3 At frame 1, select Individual for Action
sequence in the Attribute Panel so that
each letter is treated as an individual object.
4 Select Y-Z as the Plane along which the
perspective will be distorted. Leave all other
distortion variables at their default values
(100).
5 At frame 15, set the Y1 and Z1 values to
50, and set the Y2 and Z2 values to 300.
Frame 30 should have the same values as
frame 1.
5 Click Play to preview the animation.

Explosion
The power you have when blasting a title to pieces makes this plug-in a favorite. The effect ends
in a confetti shower that you can use when working with celebration or party themes. Reversing
an explosion effect, on the other hand, can have all the small pieces come together to form a
whole. In this tutorial, learn how to disintegrate your title. (Settings: 30 frames, 15 fps.)
To disintegrate your title:
1 Insert a text object in the Edit Window. Click
Add plug-in and select Explosion in the
Attribute Panel.
2 Click the Plug-in mask to display the
Control Line. Drag the leftmost end point
of the Control Line to frame 5. This ensures
that the explosion effect will not take place
right away.
3 At the first frame of the plug-in effect (frame
5), set the Movement Type to Left in the
Attribute Panel. Set also the Collapse Type
to Ascending, Action Sequence to Forward,
Level to 0, and Rotate value to 30.
4 At frame 30, set the Level to 100 for a
complete explosion. Enter 100 for the
Rotate value.
5 Select Position from the Property List in
the Animation Toolbar and add a key frame
at frame 25.
6 At frames 1 and 25 for Position, all
coordinates on the Location Toolbar should
be 0. At frame 30, set the Y value to -300.
7 Click Play to preview the effect. Experiment
with different values for Variation. Each
number you enter produces a slightly
different kind of explosion effect.

Jump
Stomp out one text object with another using the Jump effect. You can also give it a realistic
bounce and rebound as one text falls on the other. This example shows you how to combine this
effect with the Show/Hide function so that a second message shows up at the end of the
transition. (Settings: 30 frames, 15 fps.)
To make one object stomp on another:
1 Insert a graphic object in the Edit Window.
Click Add plug-in and select Jump in the
Attribute Panel.
2 At frame 1, clear the Use Original option in
the Attribute Panel. Click Text object target
under Target to insert an object that will
replace the original. The object above the
original changes in the Edit Window.
3 Set the Bounce value to 30. If the target
object is visible, set the Initial Position to
about 300, or so that it disappears off the
screen.
4 Move to frame 30 and set the Level to 100.
5 Insert a new object. Select None as the
transition Style on the Attribute Panel.
Adjust the object’s position at frame 1 so
that it does not overlap with the first object.
6 Choose Show/Hide from the Properties
List.
7 At frame 1, click Show/Hide so that the
object disappears. At frame 30, click it again
so that the object reappears.
8 Click Play to preview the animation.

Path Animation
This plug-in lets your text move in ways that simulate the laws of gravity in the real world. You
can let your object get caught in a tornado, ripple on water, or swing like a pendulum. In this
tutorial, learn how to toss your object in an arc, and then change it into another object upon
impact. (Settings: 30 frames, 15 fps.)
To throw an object in an arc:
1 Insert a text object in the Edit Window. Click
Add plug-in and select Path Animation in
the Attribute Panel.
2 At frame 1, select Arc as the Path and enter
25 as the value for Speed.
3 Set the Ground to 0 (default), and enter 75
for the Level to start the object at midthrow.
Enter 40 as the value for the Angle of
the arc.
4 At frame 30, set the Level to 0.
5 Click Play to preview the Arc animation.
The object should be thrown in from the
right of the screen.
6 Insert a new object into the project. Enlarge
the object to emphasize it. At frame 1, click
Show/Hide to hide the object, and at frame
30, click it again to make the object appear.
7 Click Play to preview the animation.

Surface Animation
With this plug-in, you can let your object move and wrap itself around the form of different
three-dimensional shapes. This tutorial shows you how to wrap your object around a small
sphere, have it travel twice around the sphere, and then unwrap at the end. (Settings: 30 frames,
15 fps.)
To animate an object around a sphere:
1 Insert a text object in the Edit Window. Click
Add plug-in and select Surface Animation
in the Attribute Panel.
2 At frame 1, select Sphere as the Surface
around which the object is wrapped in the
Attribute Panel. Set the Path to V Line to
make the object travel vertically, then set
the Wrap Style to Mesh to mold the object
to the surface of the sphere.
3 Enter 10 for all Size coordinates so that the
text is wrapped around a small sphere. Set
the Level to 0.
4 At frame 25, enter 10 for all Size
coordinates, and enter 200 as the Level so
that the object travels twice around the
sphere’s surface.
5 At frame 30, set all Size coordinates to 100
so that the size of the ball increases
drastically. Set the Level to 200 so that the
object does not move from the previous key
frame.

6 Click Play to preview the animation.
Tip: Try using the Surface Animation plug-in with the
Board bevel effect, as in this example. This allows
you to actually see the shape or surface around which
your text object wraps.

Text Wave
The Text Wave plug-in provides templates to create complex wave animations with text objects.
Animate them through three-dimensional planes, character by character: with variable
acceleration, scale, loop frequency and more.
To create a Text Wave animation:
1 Insert a text object in the Edit Window. Click
Add plug-in and select Text Wave in the
Attribute Panel.
2 Select Forward in Action Sequence. This is
the initial direction of the animation.
3 Select Normal in Acceleration. This is the
way characters speed up and slow down
while starting and completing a wave.
4 Set Length at 5. A higher setting creates a
more expansive wave where characters
move more closely in tandem together. A
lower setting creates a more compact wave
where characters move more disjointedly in
relation to each other.
5 Adjust also the following attributes:
• Scaling To focal point from which the
characters are expanded and compacted.
• X, Y & Z Scale The dimensions of
the characters in each axis. These
settings are percentages of the text
object’s native dimensions.
• X, Y & Z Loops The number of
loops completed between key frames.
• X, Y & Z Amplitude The amplitude, or
extent, of the waves in each axis. A
negative amplitude will cause the wave
to move in the opposite direction.
Note: Settings applied to a key frame will take effect
until the following key frame.

Token Skew (G)
You can stretch text and objects in any direction with this plug-in effect. In this tutorial,
combine the Skew effect with a simple Position animation to make an object appear as if it were
being sucked off the screen. (Settings: 30 frames, 15 fps.)
To apply the Token Skew (G) effect:
1 Insert a text object in the Edit Window. Click
Add plug-in and select Token Skew (G) in
the Attribute Panel.
2 Add a key frame at frame 25.
3 At frame 1, set the Level to 0 in the
Attribute Panel. Select also Backward as
the Action sequence. Set the Acceleration
to Oscillate.
4 Enter 30 as the Overlap value. Choose
Front-LB as the Skew Center to fix a point
from which letters skew.
5 These are the planes along which objects
can be skewed. Under Y-X Plane, enter
1000, and leave all the others at 0.
6 At frame 25, set the Level to 100.
7 Next, animate the position of the object.
Select Position from the Property List, and
add key frames at frames 20 and 30.
8 At frames 1 and 20, view the coordinates in
the Location Toolbar for Position. They
should all be set to 0. At frame 30, set the X
coordinate to 1500.
9 Click Play to preview the animation.

Token Size (G) effect is especially easy to use because you only have to make most of the
settings once, and then all you have to change in the key frames is the value for Level. Learn to
make your money grow in this tutorial. (Settings: 30 frames, 15 fps.)
To apply the Token Size (G) effect:
1 Insert 3 rows of dollar signs in the Edit
Window. Rotate the group slightly on the
X-axis to tilt it backwards.
2 Click Add plug-in and select Token Size (G)
in the Attribute Panel.
3 Add a key frame at frame 15.
4 At frame 1, set the Level to 0 in the
Attribute Panel. Select also Random for the
Action sequence.
5 Under Acceleration, select Normal. Set the
Overlap to 50, which makes each object
begin moving after each previous object
has completed half of its motion. Select
Center as the Scaling Center.
6 Specify how large and in which direction
your objects grow. For X and Y Values,
enter 200. For Z Value, enter 500.
7 At frame 15, set the Level to 100, and at
frame 30, set the Level to 75.
8 Click Play to preview the animation. The
dollars will grow fully to the specified size in
random order, and then some of them
should shrink again.

Token Move (G)
It’s easy to choreograph individual letters to move sequentially. This plug-in lets you do this in
any direction and in just a few steps. This tutorial shows you how to make individual letters
seem to leap out at you. (Settings: 30 frames, 15 fps.)
To apply the Token Move (G) effect:
1 Insert a text object in the Edit Window. Click
Add plug-in and select Token Move (G) in
the Attribute Panel.
2 At frame 1, set the Level of the animation to
0 in the Attribute Panel. Set also Action
sequence to Forward, Acceleration to
None, and Overlap to 30. Select the To
Origin option to make individual characters
return to their original positions upon
completing the specified action.
3 Set the coordinates for position. To make
the title come towards you, enter -500 for Z
Value.
4 At frame 30, set the Level of the animation
to 100.
5 Click Play to preview the animation.

Token Rotate (G)
With this effect, you can make letters and objects spin and twirl, either all at once or in an
elegant sequence. Here, learn how to make a simple wave effect. (Settings: 30 frames, 15 fps.)
To apply the Token Rotate (G) effect:
1 Insert a text object in the Edit Window and
adjust its Orientation so that the Y
coordinate is approximately 45.
2 Click Add plug-in and select Token Move
(G) in the Attribute Panel.
3 At frame 1, set the Level of the animation to
0 in the Attribute Panel. Set also the Action
to Forward and Acceleration to None.
4 Set the Overlap to 90 so that the individual
letters move almost immediately one after
the other. Under Rotation Center, select
Front-LT (the front left top of each
character).
5 For the axis around which your title can
rotate, enter -360 in X Angle.
6 At frame 30, set the Level of the animation
to 100.
7 Click Play to preview the animation.
Particle Effects
Among the other three-dimensional effects, the particle effect is one of the hardest to simulate
because these are animated elements of nature. With COOL 3D, the four elements of Snow,
Fire, Smoke, and Bubble can be created in a snap. Not only can you click and drag from an
available roster of presets, you can also modify the settings to your preference. From the
movement and direction to the speed and intensity, accentuate your scene compositions with
moving Particle Objects and add a touch of realism.
Smoke
This effect is usually applied on an image of a fire, steam ship, train or anything that enits
smoke. COOL 3D can simulate this perfectly. Versatile and easy-to-use, COOL 3D’s attribute
settings allow you to control the motion and strength of emission. For this tutorial we will make
thin smoke come out of an image. (Settings: 10 frames, 6 fps.)
To create thin smoke:
1 For this example, select a house image or a
cigarette in the EasyPalette.
2 Click the Particle Effects down arrow on
the Object Toolbar and select Smoke.
3 Set the Max. density to 20 and the Emitting
rate to 300 in the Attribute Panel.
4 Select Point for the Emitter type. This
indicates that you like to have one source
of emission.
5 Under the Dragging force, set 60 for the Yaxis
to drag the motion upward making the
smoke more straight and slim.
6 To control the size of the particles, set the
Initial to End sizes to 0, 20 and 5
respectively.
7 Click Play to preview your project.

Fire
Rendering images of flames in COOL 3D is as easy as lighting a match. You can instantly light
up a dark outdoor setting with a bonfire. Adding to the realism is the radiance of the image
reflected on its surroundings, which you can control through the color, density and emission
settings. To demonstrate this effect, the following tutorial will guide you to create a dungeon
scene. (Settings: 40 frames, 10 fps.)
To simulate Fire in a dungeon setting:
1 Select Scene: Image Background in the
EasyPalette file directory and double-click
the brick wall image.
2 Click Insert Geometric Object and select
Frustum. Move the object to rest it on the
floor then rotate it to give it depth.
3 To start simulating fire, click the Particle
Effects down arrow on the Object Toolbar
and select Fire.
4 Click Texture in the Attribute Panel and
select an image file to apply your own
texture to the particles.
5 Set the Max. density to 100 and the
Emitting rate to 90.
6 Under Color life, set the colors of the
particle from Intial to End by using the color
boxes. The combination of colors allows a
gradual change of color.
Note: Initial color is the color at the time the particle is
emitted. End color is the color at the time the particle
disappears.
You can also control the color differences
between particles from Initial to End by
editing the values in the spin boxes.
7 For the Advanced options, choose Point as
the Emitter type.
Adjust the emitting speed and initial
acceleration of particles along the X-, Y-,
and Z-axes by editing Emitting speed and
Dragging force.

8 Select Rotate particles to rotate them as
they are emitted.
9 Under Size life, set the dimensions the
particle from Initial to End by using the spin
boxes. You can also control the size
differences between particles from Initial to
End by editing the values in the spin boxes.
10 Life allows you to control the lifetime of the
particle.
11 Select Collision detection and adjust the
behavior of the bouncing particles in the
spin box.
12 Click Play to preview your project. Notice
the varying radiance reflected on the walls,
giving a touch of realism to the intensity of
the fire.
Note: To reverse the particle lifetime from end to initial,
select Reverse.

Snow
Simulate winter right on your desktop. With this effect, you can produce a harsh snowstorm or
give a calm ambience to your ski holiday setting. Create snow-covered rooftops and snow-filled
streets. The effect is so real you can actually see snow particles settle on top of your objects
and slowly roll down. To learn how to modify the distance, emission and speed of the particles,
just execute these simple steps in the following tutorial. (Settings: 55 frames, 8 fps.)
To simulate snow on a text object:
1 Select Scene: Image Background in the
EasyPalette file directory. Choose a
landscape image fit for snow.
2 Click on Insert Text and create the word
"cool". Rotate your object slightly to show
the three-dimensional quality of the text.
3 Click the Particle Effects down arrow on
the Object Toolbar and select Snow.
4 Set the Max. density to 999 and the
Emitting rate to 500 in the Attribute Panel.
This will control the number of particles you
would want to appear per frame.
5 Select Sphere as the initial source of
emission for your particle, under Emitter
type.
6 Control the size of your particles under Size
life. Set Initial size to 7, Transition size to
15 and End size to 5.
7 Set Initial size variance to 10, Transition
size variance to 5, and End size variance to
7. We will execute this tutorial with the
easiest settings possible and retain the
remaining parameters of the Attribute Panel
under their default settings.
8 To control the speed of the particles, make
sure you set Frames to 55 and the fps to 8.
9 Click Play to preview your project.
Note: To achieve a different angle of the particles, click
Rotate or alter the Distance by selecting Camera in
the Attribute Panel.

Bubble
Create a playful stream bubbles on a hot summer beach or accentuate a sparkling glass or a
newly opened bottle of wine. In whichever scenario you wish to use this effect, the modifying
rate of the setting is limitless. Simply change the motion and position and you can surround your
background with bubbles. Let us create a stream of bubbles with the following tutorial.
(Settings: 45 frames, 4 fps.)
To simulate a stream of bubbles:
1 Double-click an image background in the
EasyPalette that would bring out the color
of the bubbles.
2 Click the Particle Effects down arrow on
the Object Toolbar and select Bubble.
3 In the Attribute Panel set the Max. density
and Emitting rate to 100.
4 Under Dragging force, set the X-axis at 50,
Y-axis at 60, and Z-axis at 50.
This will make the bubbles move upward
diagonally towards the right hand corner of
your screen yet spreading outward as they
go.
5 Retain the rest of the settings on the
Attribute Panel. Click Play to preview the
results.
6 Change the direction of the bubbles further,
modify the Dragging force or simply click a
timeline on a frame then move, rotate or
resize your object. The timeline will
instantly record the adjustments.
7 Click Play and see the change in the motion
of the object per frame.

Global Effects
This category of effects can enhance the quality of your text or graphic object. A wide variety of
options let you give your 3D objects an eerie aura, set them on fire, or cast a shadow, among
others. These effects are different from Object Effects in that when you apply any one of them
to your project, it is applied to all of the objects in it.
Fire
Make red hot titles that burn and mesmerize. Make cool titles with icicles, or even make titles
ooze with neon green goo - all with the Fire plug-in. In this tutorial, learn how to make a basic
fire effect. (Settings: 30 frames, 15 fps.)
To burn an object:
1 Insert a graphic object in the Edit Window.
Click Add plug-in and select Fire in the
Attribute Panel.
2 At frame 1, set the Strength to 10 and the
Amplitude to 10 in the Attribute Panel.
3 Set also the Direction to 90 to make the
flames go straight up, and enter 2 for the
Soft Edge value.
4 Enter 10 for Length and 1 for Opacity. Then
customize the colors of the flame by clicking
on the color boxes.
5 At frame 30, set the flame to full blast by
entering 200 for Strength and 100 for
Amplitude.
6 Set the Length of the flames to 50, and
increase the Opacity to 75.
7 Click Play to preview the animation.

Glow
Make your object radiate with the glow of the nuclear age, or give it a halo of goodness--it’s
your call! One of the things you might want to try with your object is to have it shine like light.
The following tutorial demonstrates how to make an object blink. (Settings: 30 frames, 15 fps.)
To make a blinking title:
1 Make a bright-colored title against a dark
background in the Edit Window. Click Add
plug-in and select Glow in the Attribute
Panel.
2 At frame 1, set the Width of the glow to 2 in
the Attribute Panel. Set also the
Transparency to 0, and the Soft Edge to 6.
Select a bright Color for the glow.
3 Add key frames at frames 5, 15, and 20.
These should all have the same attributes
as those in frame 1.
4 Add key frame controls to frames 7, 13, 22,
and 28. At these key frames, set the Width
of the glow to 0. This makes the glow
disappear.
5 Click Play to preview the animation.

Lightning
The Lightning plug-in is a Global Effect that throws bolts of lightning all over your objects.
Either use presets included with the plug-in, or create your own effects with precise control
using the Attribute Panel. (Settings: 30 frames, 15 fps.)
To use the Lightning effect:
1 Insert an object in the Edit Window. Click
Add plug-in and select Lightning in the
Attribute Panel.
2 Adjust the following settings which apply
to the entire lightning bolt in the Attribute
Panel:
• Opacity The extent to which the
background can be seen through
the lightning bolt.
• Length The percentage of the
length of the lightning bolt to be
shown.
• Width The overall width of the
lightning bolt.
3 Click Edit Path to tweak the outline of the
lightning bolt. Increase the number of
segments for greater variance, then move
the green nodes around to adjust the
overall shape. Use the blue handles to
change the curvature of each segment. Click
OK.
Note: There cannot be more segments than forks.
4 Specify the color of the glow effect around
the spine.
5 Adjust fork color, width, amount, length,
and sub-fork quantity settings as required
in the Attribute Panel.

Motion Blur
With this effect, you can make an object speed across the screen, bouncing with energy. It’s so
easy. You can also try this with an animated object (for this particular type of procedure, it is
recommended that you use the simplest settings for the animation). The following tutorial takes
a look at combining object position with the Motion Blur effect. (Settings: 30 frames, 15 fps.)
To apply Motion Blur to an object:
1 Make a bright-colored title against a dark
background in the Edit Window. Click Add
plug-in and select Motion Blur in the
Attribute Panel.
2 At frame 1, set the X coordinate to
-600 on the Location Toolbar. The Y and Z
values should be 0. At frames 12 and 18,
change the X coordinate to 0. At frame 30,
change the X coordinate to 1000.
3 In the Attribute Panel, select Continuous
as the Type, and set the Path to Straight.
4 Set Density to 5, and Length to 20. Set the
Direction to 180, which makes the lines
horizontal.
5 Set Tail to 30 and the Converge value to 0.
6 Add key frames at frames 10, 12, 18, 20,
and 30. They should all have the same
attributes as in frame 1.
7 For frames 12 and 18, change the Tail
length to 0.
8 Click Play to preview the animation.

Shadow
You can give your object a shadow, then animate it easily after making just a few adjustments in
the settings. In addition to making gray shadows seem realistic, you can also make colorful
shadows. You can even have an object cast a negative shadow on a dark background. In the
following tutorial, make an object float away, leaving its shadow behind on the ground. (Settings:
30 frames, 15 fps.)
To animate an object and its shadow:
1 Insert a title against a dark background in
the Edit Window. Click Add plug-in and
select Shadow in the Attribute Panel.
2 Click Move Object on the Location Toolbar.
3 At frame 1, the X, Y, and Z coordinates
should remain 0. At frame 30, enter 270 for
the Y coordinate, or enter any other value
that makes the object move off the screen.
4 At frame 1, enter 5 for X Offset and Y
Offset on the Attribute Panel. Enter 3 for
Soft Edge.
5 At frame 30, enter 600 for Y Offset. Enter
40 for Soft Edge.
6 Click Play to preview the animation. The
object should float up and off the screen,
while the shadow remains. If it looks like the
shadow is moving up and down, adjust the
Y Offset value for the last key frame.

Natural Paint
Add elegance to picture your objects, text and background using the Natural Paint effect.
Three handsomely created styles can be made to your texts, objects and even backgrounds.
Artful touches of Color Pen, Charcoal, and Watercolor can be used for your effects.
To create a Natural Paint effect:
1 Open a blank document and change the
background by selecting Background in
the Attribute Panel Property List.
2 Select Image as Background mode.
3 Select an image in the Open dialog box and
click Open.
4 Insert an object in the Edit Window. Click
Add plug-in and select Natural Paint in the
Attribute Panel.
5 Set the specifications of your effect in the
Attribute Panel:
In Type, specify the material or painting
technique to be applied on your project.
Set a value in Level. A higher level
produces a more vivid effect and makes
your object looks abstract or stylized.
For Watercolor type, select Large to
generate long strokes, and select Small to
produce short strokes.
If using Charcoal, select a higher Stroke
value to produce longer charcoal lines.
Set a higher value for Balance to add more
charcoal to the image and make your object
appear more like a hand-painted illustration.

Project output
Ulead COOL 3D offers you a wide range of possibilities on how you can output your project.
With its features, you can choose to either use your project on a Web page, in a video, or simply
as a graphical element on a document.
Saving your project
When you have finished editing your work, you can save it in the Ulead COOL 3D format
(*.c3d). You can reopen the project for further editing and revision. If you want to output your
project as an image, Web animation, or video file, take a look at the following pages for more
information.
Export Video Overlay
Using Alpha Channels is one of the most effective ways of creating transparent overlays. An
alpha channel allows you to block out an entire image except the 3D object.
A TGA file supports Alpha channel
transparency. Click File: Export Video
Overlay- TGA to launch a dialog box where
you can save your project as TGA file which
you can use as a video overlay.
Click File: Export Video Overlay- AVI to
launch a dialog box where you can save your
project as an AVI file. This can be used to
superimpose your projects while retaining
your background.
Export 3D Models
Exporting COOL 3D objects as Direct X (*.X) and 3D (*.3DS) file formats enables you to use
them in other modeling/animation programs. See Import 3D Models in page 21.

Creating video files
One of the great things you can do with Ulead COOL 3D is to output projects in AVI, MOV, and
RM formats to add to your collection of digital videos. To save your project as a video file, click
File: Create Video File. New extended video output options allow you to tailor exactly how
you want to output your project in the video format of your choice. These are accessed in the
Save As Video File dialog box by clicking Options. The following gives you a brief description
of the three categories.
• Frame This gives you the option to
automatically preview the video after it
has been generated.
• General Lets you specify key aspects
of your video, such as frame rate,
frame size, and frame type.
• AVI Lets you specify options particular
to the selected video codec such as
quality, number of key frames, and data
rate. Select Preview to set compression
ratio and view the video using the frame
size specified in the General tab.
Select Advanced to display the
Advanced Options dialog box. This
contains options to optimize the
playback of the video file, based on the
intended output device.
Creating image files
You can output your saved project to a variety of image formats: BMP, GIF, JPEG, and TGA.
The following section will give you an idea of what quality you can expect with each file type,
along with some of the options you have for the respective formats.
• BMP saves your image with high
quality and no data loss. However, the
trade-off is that you end up with a large
file size. Generally, this is the most
appropriate format if you want to make
high quality and high resolution
graphics.

GIF saves the image to a smaller file size than a BMP. This is the format most
commonly used for Web pages and is most appropriate for graphics and illustrations
that are relatively small and do not contain a lot of tonal nuances. When saving an
image in this format, you can choose how many colors you want the engine to
recognize. A lower number of colors generally results in smaller file size, but in some
cases might compromise the quality of the image. You can also set the background to
be transparent, so that when you place the image on a Web page, the background of the
Web page will appear as the backdrop for the image.
• JPEG saves the image to a small file size and also offers very good compression for
True Color images. This format is commonly used for Web pages. One minor
disadvantage of the JPEG format is that some data are lost when compressing the file.
In most cases, the changes are barely noticeable to the naked eye and you can control
how much is actually changed.
Creating animation for the Web
Ulead COOL 3D lets you output your animated projects in formats appropriate for viewing on
Web pages: GIF, SWF, and RealText 3D. If used wisely, these can be a good way to attract the
attention of Internet surfers or simply to enliven your Web pages.
GIF animation
Many animations that you see on the Web are animated GIFs. Ulead COOL 3D provides you
with extra controls to create a GIF animation that suits your needs. Here’s an introduction to
some of the new features that you can find, all of which are accessed by clicking File: Create
Animation File - Animated GIF File. These options are located in the Save As Animated GIF
File dialog box.
• Colors Specifies the number of colors
to create in the global palette of each
frame, based on the colors in that
image. A lower number of colors helps
to reduce file size, but sometimes at the
cost of image quality.
• Dither Select to simulate True Color by
mixing the existing colors in the palette
for the optimize image.
• Interlace Select to create an interlaced
GIF image when you save the optimized
image. This increases file size but
displays better quality.

• Transparent background Removes the background of the GIF so that only the 3D
objects can be seen. When the GIF image is placed on a Web page, the background of
that page shows through instead.
• Looping Select to repeat the animation continuously or for a specific number of times.
• Launch Ulead SmartSaver Lets the program automatically detect and run Ulead
SmartSaver, a program that helps you create and optimize animations saved in JPEG,
GIF, and PNG formats.
Clicking Optimize opens the GIF Animation Option dialog box where you can select
other options.
• Preview after saving Gives you a preview of the animation in your default browser
after saving.
• Create global palette Builds a global palette, based on the colors of all of the images in
the animation combined. Doing this can reduce size although it may not produce the
best quality.
• Remove redundant pixels Takes away pixels that are common to all frames in the
animation. This also helps to reduce file size.
• Show status report Displays file size and other vital data of the animation before and
after optimization.

Flash animation
COOL 3D projects can be exported as
Macromedia Flash (*.SWF) files.
To export a Flash file:
1 Select File: Create Animation File -Export
to Macromedia Flash (SWF) - with Bitmap.
2 This opens the Save as Macromedia Flash
(SWF) File dialog box with BMP options
for working with a transparent background.
3 Input a name for the export file and click
Save.
Note: Select Create Animation File: Export to
Macromedia Flash (SWF) - with JPEG to open the
Save as Macromedia Flash (SWF) File dialog box
with JPEG options.
RealText 3D
You can output your animations in the
RealText 3D file format (*.r3t). This new
format stores your animation while
maintaining small file sizes, thus making it
optimal for display on a Web page. To output
an animation in this format, use the File:
Export To RealText 3D. Once you’ve saved
it, you can preview it in your default browser.
Note: Exporting your project to this file format can
result in the loss of the following attributes: texture,
bevel, light, color, background image, and camera.

Shortcut Keys
Main Program
Function Shortcut keys Description
File: New Ctrl + N Opens a new document
File: Open Ctrl + O Opens an existing project file (*.C3D)
File: Save Ctrl + S Saves the current file (in *.C3D format)
File: Import
Graphics
F5 Imports vector graphics (*.WMF , *.EMF, or *AI)
File: Print Ctrl + P Prints the current document
Edit: Undo Ctrl + Z Undoes the previous action
Edit: Redo Ctrl + Y Redoes the previous action that was undone
Edit: Cut
Ctrl + X
OR
Shift + Delete
Cuts the selected object from the current document and places it in
Windows Clipboard
Edit: Paste
Ctrl + V
OR Shift + Ins Pastes an object from Windows Clipboard into the current document
Edit: Delete Ctrl + Del Deletes the selected object
Object: Insert Text F3 Opens the Insert Text dialog box and inserts text from Windows
Clipboard
Object: Edit
Object
F4 Opens the Insert Text dialog box containing the text of the selected
object.
View: Output
Preview
F8 Renders the current frame at the selected Output Quality
Move Object A Selects the Move Object Tool from the Location Toolbar
Rotate Object S Selects the Rotate Object Tool from the Location Toolbar
Size Object D Selects the Size Object Tool from the Location Toolbar
Select Front Face Q Selects/Deselects the front face of the object
Select Front Face
exclusively
Ctrl + Q
OR Shift + Q
Selects the front face of the object and deselects all
other faces
95
User Guide
Path Editor
Select Front Bevel
Face
W Selects/Deselects the front bevel face of the object
Select Front Bevel
Face exclusively
Ctrl + W
OR
Shift + W
Selects the front bevel face of the object and deselects all other faces
Select Side Face E Selects/Deselects the side face of the object
Select Back Bevel
Face
R Selects/Deselects the back bevel face of the object
Select Back Bevel
Face exclusively
Ctrl + R
OR
Shift + R
Selects the back bevel face of the object and deselects all other
faces
Select Back Face T Selects/Deselects the back face of the object
Select Back Face
exclusively
Ctrl + T
OR
Shift + T
Selects the back faces of the object and deselects all other faces
Stop animation Esc Stops playing the current animation sequence
Help F1 Displays the Ulead Cool 3D Studio Help topics for menu items
Context Sensitive
Help
Shift + F1 Displays brief help topic upon clicking any one of the features in the
program
Limit object
movement to
single axis
Shift +
Move/Rotate/Size
Object by dragging in
edit window
Fixes the object's position on all axes except the axis of the initial
motion
Function Shortcut keys Description
Delete path Ctrl + Del Deletes the selected path
Undo Ctrl + Z Undoes the previous action
Redo Ctrl + Y