My Syntax Errors in the Expressions

[Ramón López]

Well, although I love Expressions, it seems that always I try to take advantage of them something is going wrong, so I think the best thing I could do is treat to joint all my headaches in an only one theath, and... well, here in the first:

 

In this case I wanted to resolve my pourpose by Relationships but for some reason it seems I can't add a Relationship to a Constrain value... So I'm treating to apply a simple Expresion from one value in a Constrained bone to another one in to another Constrained bone, I mean, one value is managed by another similar value, at first sight it seems nothing could be wrong, isn't? But as you can see here...

 

ConstrainEaseValue_ExpressionError_01.zip

 

...is what I'm obtaining all the time, the "Syntax error in the expression" pop-up window so well known to me cause I don't know too much about Expressioning (yet), to be honest... I suspect that the problem could be related with that resultant Path ..|..|..|Bone1|Constrain to Path "Shortcut to Model1 / Spline #20".Ease but it's automatically tipped and as I can't see where could be the problem... could someone tell me what am I doing wrong this time? Well, sorry and thank you very much in advance!

[itsjustme]

Could you post a simplified Project with some instructions for how you are getting the error?

[Ramón López]

Of course!

 

ConstrainEaseValue_ExpressionErrorExample.zip

 

As you can see, I'm only treating to control the second bone "Constrain to Path" Ease value with the fist bone one, but I don't know what more I can do to avoid that persistent error... although I admit that is very probable I be making some basic mistake as in other similar occasions, or I hope so...

 

Well, and THANKS for your interest!

[itsjustme]

I'll take a look at it late tonight.

[Ramón López]

Well THANK YOU again!!!

[Ramón López]

Oh, I think this issue is really making me mad... I've tried all the possibilities (or I think so...) in my entire night without any results, well, or that is worst, I got some results but they were missed once I closed my projects and open again... like when, in example, I've tried to apply the Expresion to a "Percentaje Propertly" instead to the other Constraint Value and it seemed to work, well, at least until I closed the project and open again... then the Expressions are still there but something must be wrong in the path (or somewhere) cause nothing happen when I change the Percentaje of that "linked" Propertly and I returned to the first state... uf, what a mess, sorry if I can't explain it better but I'm too much tired now even to post an example, but you must believeme (hope I be wrong...) if I say something very strange is arround all this issue, I mean, treat to add an Expression to a simple Constraint value... Well, I'll continue testing in the evening but if some of you have some idea or correction it'd be very welcomed , THANKS!

[itsjustme]

I haven't figured it out yet, Ramón...but, I found out that GetTime() worked.

 

Just so I understand completely, what is it you're actually trying to do? Maybe there's another way to do it.

 

I'll have to look at this some more tonight/tomorrow.

[Ramón López]

Hello! Again... Well, finally I think I could be missing something cause it can't be possible, I mean, anything I try fails in one or another way... The fist way, you know, the explained in the first posts, where an Expressions were applyed to the Ease value of a Path Constrait in a bone to another one, never have works to me and it seemed to me the more simple and logic... And well, the second way I have been trying, treating to use a "New --> Propertie --> Percentage" in the Model to can "attach" the ease value of my Path Constrained Bones by Expression, only works until I close the project, then it seems that Expressions path have change and nothing works until I relink the Expresions one by one and so... Ufff... Although I must admit that in this last case could be my fault cause I know practically nothing about how that Percentage Properties must be exactly applyed, so I copuld be misunderstanding someting here, anyway... why could be the cause that it works first and not when I reopen the project??

 

Well, and what I wanted to do it's only to can control several Path Constrained bone positions changing the Ease value of one of them (cause I need a bone per point...) or if that can't be posible by a Percentage slider or something... but it seems that Contraints values ans Expresions can't work together or something weird... Really, I was treating to get it work by Expressions casue it seemed to me the most easy and quick way and can play with all the math posibilities at the same time is always an advantage, but I think I am wasting too much time with it and if someone have any other idea I'm all hears...

 

And well, here I have "simulated" by other technique the kind of uses I'd like to do with such a solution:

 

Several_PathConstrainedBones_Controller_001.zip

 

And well, HERE is the that last version of the project that I prepared for the video, I wanted to attach the other versions (the real ones where the problem happend) but I have been overwriting and that is what I have now, oh... but even here, if you try to drag the Percentage Slide nothing will happen cause the Expression Path issue too, but well, although have not much to do with the other ways, I have preffered to uppload it just in case you want to take an eye... Well, THANK YOU for/if any help!

 

 

 

PS: BTW (and talking about Expressions...) do you know how I could get more quick or slow variations with that Rand() value? I mean, I know I can vary the "Amplitude" in this way Rand()*100-50 (in example), but I can't figure how could I vary the "wavelength" to control the velocity with that random movements are generated... Hmmm, it'd be very usefull and I hope it makes sense , well THANKS too! And sorry for the long post...

 

...

ConstraintToPathEase_Example_001.prj

[itsjustme]

Sorry it has taken me so long to get back to this, Ramón. I'll try to mess with it again tonight.

[Ramón López]

Well, I'm still happy you be there in any case, thank you

[itsjustme]

Okay, here's a test project, Ramón. I used surface constraints, which I think will give you the abilities you're looking for. This is a very crude example, so it needs a lot of improvement, but maybe it will help point you in the direction to solving your problem. Scrub through the Action and see if it's what you're looking for.