How to gradually turn on a model group from center working out?

[msiebri]

I have a model group defined for a Bethlehem Star.  I want to turn all of the pixels white gradually starting from the center and working out, then have them all stay on.  I can't figure out how to accomplish this, any ideas?

[Gilrock]

Use a Shockwave effect and play with the radius and width values.  Use a second layer and place an On effect that activates right near the point where the shockwave has filled the model.

[msiebri]

I'm not having too much luck with Shockwave.  When I put it on the model group, and no matter what I do, there is just a wave that goes from the top-right to the bottom left.  I put it on one of the models within the group and got closer.  I can get it centered by adjusting Center X and Center Y.  But I tried various combinations of Radius1 and Radius2, trying to get it to explode instead of contract.  Nothing I tried would get it to explode, it always filled from the outside in.  Any suggestions on what I am doing wrong?

[Gilrock]

Radius 1 is where it starts so set it to 0 if you want it to explode.  Radius 2 is where it ends.

[msiebri]

Ok, that helped a bunch.  Now I can get it to explode on all three of the individual models and it looks great.  But when I put the same effect settings on the model group, I get nothing.  The three individual models are all custom, 25 wide x 39 high.  Here are the settings that I am using.

[Gilrock]

Well the model group is going to be a lot larger so radius 2 is going to need to be a lot bigger.  And the bigger the model the longer it takes to render that effect.  Its crazy long for a whole house model to render some of those effects so I need to work on a fix for that like a quick render and a full render.

[msiebri]

Ok, I got it to work on the model group now too.  I thought that since the individual models were the same size and they were all placed in the same space in the layout window, that the same settings would work for the model group, but that is clearly not the case.  Someday I'd like to understand better how these things are calculated.  Based on the settings I used for the model group, it seems like the Center X and Center Y numbers are maybe a relative position within the entire layout window?