Flow Path Object Banking?

# 1 08-03-2006 , 01:21 AM

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Join Date: Dec 2005

Posts: 6

My arm object banks around the bends as it 'flows' down a path. All is good except that the arm twists nearly 180 deg at a hairpin. I don't need the arm to bank, so I need to figure out how to turn off or moderate the amount of banking.

How do you 'turn off' banking when following/flowing down a path?

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# 2 08-03-2006 , 01:52 PM

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Join Date: Jan 2006

Posts: 73

The bank option is a tick box in the motion path options. This allows you to control how much the object banks around corners or you can turn it off completely.

hope that helps

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# 3 08-03-2006 , 04:03 PM

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Join Date: Dec 2005

Posts: 6

Thanks for the quick reply.

I spoke too soon...*noob* Banking is actually off. The problem is just that the turn is too tight and the lattice is forced to invert on itself. I don't believe there is a setting that I can manipulate to my advantage here. I'll just have to problem solve.

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# 4 08-03-2006 , 05:08 PM

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Join Date: Jan 2006

Posts: 73

You could either edit the path itself or you might be able to enlarge the lattice so it doesnt invert. The lattice base in the outliner lets you enlarge the lattice without affecting the object.

Hope that helps.

Good luck

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# 5 09-03-2006 , 04:50 PM

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Join Date: Dec 2005

Posts: 6

Thanks again for your advice, but I am still having trouble with the flow path tool.

Below are two payblasts of what I am encountering.

1)
https://media.putfile.com/inverting-along-up-vector

This playblast shows how my object is twisting along the 'up vector'. This is what I was interpereting as banking, but it is actually the curve defining the deformed object's up vector, i think.

If I could figure out how to make it so the object didn't roll AT ALL along the path, then this wouldn't happen and I could animate the roll manually.

2)
https://media.putfile.com/Off-Curve

This playblast shows how the objects aren't staying on their respective curves. This particular segment is the most ugly, it is clearer what is happening in the third playblast.

3)
https://media.putfile.com/Departing-the-Curve

Here you can clearly see what is causing the 'jumping around' of the previous movie. The object is deforming to the curve, but the pivot is riding the curve and lifting while the deformation isn't compensating for the rise. (make sense?)

I don't think there is anything I can do about the object appearing to 'de-rail'. It's actually sticking to the path and the deformation is pushing it off.

Is there a way to eliminate the first problem, where the lattice inverts while turning along the y axis? Can I turn off the 'roll' effect of the path?

[EDIT: I distorted the curve so that it never aims directly 'up' by moving the lower part of the curve away from the camera. It barely changes the shape of the object but brings down the twisting effect to about 15%. This qualifies as a work-around and I would prefer to not have to do it. Is there a way to 'turn off' the roll effect?]

Last edited by Lakehaze; 09-03-2006 at 05:00 PM.

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Flow Path Object Banking?

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