Exploder Tool

You can create exploded view animations with the Exploder tool in the Twinmotion Library. With exploded view animations, you can show the individual parts that make up an object, and how these parts are interconnected to create the finished product. The Exploder tool creates this effect by separating all the parts of an object in space, then gradually reassembling them. 

This page provides an overview of the Exploder tool, a component of the Animator tools. For more information about the Animator tools and how to work with them, see Animator Tools.

Exploded view animations have many applications, for example to show the structure of complex objects and how they are assembled, or to demonstrate how all the elements of an architectural project fit together. 

The Tools > Animators > Exploders category in the library contains the Exploder tool for creating exploded view animations.

This category also contains a variety of templates with linked objects that demonstrate some of the types of exploded view animations you can create. When you use the Exploder tool, these templates are available as customizable presets.

Exploder Tool Presets

  The following presets are available for the Exploder tool:

• Gentle push

• Deconstruct

• Inflate

• Ring peel

• Pressurize

• Plan split

• Stack reassemble

Each preset explodes objects in a different way according to preconfigured settings, such as the Shape used to explode the parts, whether the Movement of the animation starts with the parts combined or exploded, and many others. You can use the presets as is, or modify their settings and save them as new presets.

Each thumbnail in the Exploders presets window has its own menu where you can access commands. To open the menu, click the ellipsis (...) that appears when you hover over the thumbnail of a preset. 

Types of Presets

The following types of exploder presets are available in the Exploders presets window.

Gentle Push

By default, this preset explodes the parts very slightly in a spherical manner, from the center towards the outer edges. 

The animation starts by showing all the parts combined, and finishes by showing all the parts in an exploded state.

The following table shows the main default settings of the Gentle push preset.

Deconstruct

By default, this preset deconstructs objects by separating all the parts in a spherical manner, using a staggered effect, from the center towards the outer edges of the sphere. 

The animation starts by showing all the parts combined, and finishes by showing all the parts in an exploded state.

The following table shows the main default settings of the Deconstruct preset.

Inflate

By default, this preset explodes objects by inflating all the parts in a spherical manner, from the center towards the outer edges. 

The animation starts by showing all the parts in a deflated state, and finishes by showing all the parts combined.

The following table shows the main default settings of the Inflate preset.

Ring peel

By default, this preset explodes the parts in a cylindrical manner, using a staggered effect, from the center towards the outer edges. 

The animation starts by showing all the parts combined, and finishes by showing all the parts in an exploded state.

The following table shows the main default settings of the Ring peel preset.

Pressurize

By default, this preset assembles the parts in a cylindrical manner, from the outer edges towards the center.

The animation starts by showing all the parts in an exploded state, and finishes by showing all the parts combined.

The following table shows the main default settings of the Pressurize preset.

Plan split

By default, this preset explodes the parts on each side of a two-sided plane. The movement starts on the plane, then moves away from the plane.

The animation starts by showing all the parts combined and centered on the plane, then gradually moves the parts away from the plane, and finishes by showing the parts in an exploded state.

The following table shows the main default settings of the Plan split preset.

Stack reassemble

By default, this preset assembles the parts on each side of a two-sided plane, starting away from the plane and moving towards it.

At the start of the animation, the parts are separated on each side of the plane, and are positioned away from the plane. At the end of the animation, the parts are combined and centered on the plane.

The following table shows the main default settings of the Stack reassemble preset.