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View Full Version : Deforming a moving object to the shape of its path/spline

teliocide
06-25-2002, 03:13 PM
For example, a motion path is created and an object moves along it.
The path has several sharp bends in the XZ.
Normally as the object travels around these sharp bends it simply pivots on its axis.
I am trying to make the object bend to the shape of the curves along the motion path.
I have had moderate success using bones but for each motion path bend (which is different in magnitude and direction) I must create a seperate set of rotation values for each of the bones.
Is there another less tedious way?

Thanks
Greg

PS

This was suggested as a solution BUT.........
I am tired of head butting the monitor.
I cannot fathom why the Bend Deformer splatters the object instead of a nice smooth bend?

This the c4d file:

http://www.geocities.com/teliocide/download/BENDfish.zip

I tried everything that I know ....maybe you can point out something I dont.

Greg.
Grey
06-25-2002, 05:32 PM
you know, I haven't done this, but it sounds like you need to make morph targets for it, or use Point Level editing, or both.

Assuming this would work (Kaiskai?): this is what I would try first. keyframe your points before and after each corner, leaving the timeframe when it is to be deformed unkeyed.

Then use the magnet tool in point mode to deform your object to spec at the point it needs to be deformed.

This may require a morph target to re-shape it back to it's original shape, but I'd go off hte assumption to start with that it won't if you key the object's points on both ends of the deformation's timeline envelope.

(edit)
after having looked at the file, is this the object you're going to use? Because if it's not, you miight be able to construct one out of metaballs. Too, it seems like bones should work...
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