vespagirl

[jakerupert]

Puh,

 

Finally I managed to get a vespa with rolling wheels following a path.

I had much trouble with this, that I canot really explain to myself.

I guess I did many things wrong( for instance to going to the start of the animation first ), often when I fiddeled around ,I ended up with the vespa creeping really slow along the path or the wheels not moving at all, then when I deleted all actions to replace them, the path strangly jumped away and I frustradetly started all over with a new chor, often the playhandle didnt work and I had to restart the chor.

But finally I got this.

Now I have to go on to animating in the chor, next I have to find out how to set keyframes there to manipulate the steering and to bow the vespa into the curves.

 

Sigh, I knew, why I have been afraid to animate for so long...

 

;>) Jake

vespadoris220405.mov

[jakerupert]

By the way, is there a wy to select a startingpoint on the path?

 

and

 

are there any expressions available someplace for car, bikes, planes etc.?

[Rodney]

Jost,

 

First, let me say, your animations are entertaining.

You really have style and a great sense of timing.

You say you worked for it... but you make it look easy.

 

Concerning paths... gah!

Just when I think I've got them figured out I realize I don't.

 

Just tonight I was wishing there was some way Constraining to a path would recognize CPs. Then maybe you could specify a speed based on the density of CPs along the path... slow for spline areas with lots of CPs and fast for those with fewer.

 

To attempt to answer your question though.

You should be able to select one or the other end of a path that is open.

You can use Ease to take you to either end.

 

Rodney

 

Technical Reference information on Paths:Path Description etc.

Path Constraints (Tutorial of sorts)

Path Constraint Properties

[KenH]

IE the start point in the path is the first point you made in the path. I don't think you can define another point as the start.

[Gorf]

I think you can set another point as the start - it's the end that's the problem.

 

Edit: Didn't really explain my thoughts. You can set the ease % to a higher value to start further along the path, and set it to less than 100% to finish before the path finishes, but how do you set it so that it starts at (say) 33%, goes around to 100%, back to 0% and then up to 33% again? (i.e. starts and ends at the same point on the path, but not at the start/end of the spline.)

 

Dunno...

[KenH]

I see where you're going. Strictly speaking, the ease value just defines when you start and stop along the path. But at a certain time, that could be percieved to be starting at a new point on the path. As you say though, it won't go back round to end at that point.

[pixelmech]

Hey I like that..nice! I started using paths and actions for walks, and then just ditched them and decided to just animate without them and life somehow became easier. Although I can see for the vespa, it makes sense to use a path for the smoothness you get of the turns and what not. But you might try without it and see how it goes, you might find you have less trouble.

 

Sometimes what seems like a cool tool can get in the way of getting things done.

[Dhar]

Sometimes what seems like a cool tool can get in the way of getting things done.

I agree.

 

One has to keep the focus on the end product rather than how it got there.

 

I'm old fashioned when it comes to animation, most of my training was on cell animation and 'tweening. I get easily intimated when gizmos don't work in a computer program, so I resort to the tried and true frame-by-frame animation. It's tedious but it gets the job done.

[Gerry]

This is looking great Jake. Good work! (Probably not the critique you hoped for though.)

[pleavens]

but how do you set it so that it starts at (say) 33%, goes around to 100%, back to 0% and then up to 33% again? (i.e. starts and ends at the same point on the path, but not at the start/end of the spline.)

 

Dunno...

Here's a sample project that I think will answer your question.

 

Path Ease project

 

Phil