by Didik Wijaya

This tutorial will show you how to create an animation showing a construction assembly process. For example, you can show how a building is built in step by step process from foundation, columns, beams, walls, and finally roof. Not only applicable to building, you can also create this kind of animation to show mechanical parts, how a machine assembled piece by piece. You can look at video at the bottom of this tutorial to see sample of this animation.

1. First, we need a 3D model. You can download here (ZIP). This file contains a lesson file and a sample of finished 3ds max file.

Open file "simple_temple_pieces.max". Each part in this object, i.e. each columns, bars, etc are separate objects.

Activate Auto Key. Select all objects in viewport. Right click and choose Properties. In opened window, decrease Visibility to 0. Then move slider to frame 5 and set Visibility=1. You'll see 2 keyframes in frame 0 and 5. Because we selected all objects, then all objects have those two keyframes. When finished, turn off Auto Key.

Try to scrub slider, now all objects will animate, disappear in frame 0 and slowly regain visibility at frame 5.

2. Make sure all objects still selected. Right click and choose Dope Sheet. A Track View- Dope Sheet window will open. Click Edit Ranges button. In left pane, scroll down until you can see list of objects.

Now, your job is moving frame range of each object in specific order like image below. Define what object should appear first. Here I make base objects appear first, followed by columns, beams, roof frames, roofs, and ornaments. Note: The object list in Dope Sheet is not listed in alphabetical order.

3. Video below shows sample of finished animation

Any question or comments regarding this tutorial should be sent to:
Didik Wijaya, email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Discuss this tutorial