3.

To add colors, go to

Window Saved Layout Hypershade/Persp

I. Create the scene

1. Open Maya 2. Create 3 sphere polygon primitive

Cool tip : use the X key when you move the sphere to snap their center to the grid. It will make everything easier later

then go to

Create Materials Lambert

You can change the color and the name of the Lamberts in the Attribut editor on the right. To apply the lambert to an object, simply drag the lambert with THE MIDDLE BUTTON of the mouse.

Create one lambert for each object : sun, earth and moon

4. Group the objects First go to Window Outliner

II. Animate everything

1. Preparation The Earth turn around itself once every 24h. But we sure are not going to make an endless animation. So we have to decide how many time it takes to the earth to make one turn arount itself. Or lets decide how many frames represent one day. Lets say 1day = 3frames. (you can choose another value if you want) Give a name to your 3 sphere, and group them as on the picture by select them and pressing Ctrl + G . Earth and moon in a Moon in a moon moon - earth group. Then we do the math : * The earth turn around the sun once every 356 days = 1turn every 356 x 3 = 1068 frames * The earth turn around itself once evry days = 1turn every 3 frames * The moon turn around the earth once every 29 days = 1turn every 29 x 3 = 87 frames *The moon turn around itself once every 29 days (Yes, the same as previously, this is why we can only see one side of the moon from the earth) = 1turn every 29 x 3 = 87 frames

group (yes, alone).

5. Now, lets move the pivot points ! Press the Inser key.

Now drag them to the center of the object they are supposed to turn arround : * Earth-Moon group around the Sun * Earth around itself (put the pivot in the center of the Earth) * Moon group around the Earth * Moon around itself

2. Configure the timeline

3. The animation itself

Our animation is going to be one years long, or 1068 frames long. (Dont worry, big numbers make only the computer to work harder, not you). This number is the first frame of the animation. Dont touch, 1 is good.

This number is the last frame of the animation. Our animation is 1068 frames long, so put 1068.

Select the Earth-moon group on the Outliner. Be sure you are working on the frame 1. Be sure you are on Animation mode :

These two numbers are the frames between which the animation show itself. Put 1 and 1068.

This number is the frame you are currently working on.

You can play with it.

Then go to

Animate Set Key

After this, go to the frame 1068 (the last one) Change the Rotate Y in the channel box. It tell how many degrees the earth-moon group will make around the sun for one year, or 1068 frames. It obviously make one turn, which is 360 degrees. So put 360 on the Rotate Y box.

It will set the initial position of the Earth-moon group.

Then go to

Animate Set Key again.

4. The Graph Editor As you can see, the movement got an acceleration and a deceleration. To remove this we are going to use the graph editor. Go to Window Aniamtion Editor Graph Editor

It will set the final position of the earth-moon group. Never forget to clic Set Key every time you change something in the channel box, or it wont save the changes you juste made.

You can play your animation !

If something is wrong, check the value of Rotate Y in frame 1 and 1068, and dont forget to Set Key

Check that the Earth-moon group is still selected in the Outliner (always check you are working on the right thing). clic on Rotate Y then press A

You can now close the graph editor and play your animation again. Its working ! 5. The other movements You can now do the other movements by doing exactly the same things : Set the position on frame 1 and 1068, then clean in the graph editor. * The earth must make 365 turn per year/1068frames = 365 x 360degrees = 131400 degrees on frame 1068 * The moon group must make one turn every 29 days = 365/29=12 turn per year = 12x360 degrees = 4320 degrees on frame 1068 *The moon must also have made 4320 degrees on the last frame.

Select both of the two extremity of the line by drawing a square with the left button of the mouse or by holding the Shift key and clic on each of the point with the left button of the mouse. Then got to Tangent Linear