Path Deformer and Spline Problems

[robotbob]

have you checked the tutorials on his site ( renato's ) there is an actual roller coaster tutorial which may help.

[reddog708]

That should fix the twist in the rollercoaster track, but the camera, which is independent of the path deformer, still twists around each loop, which I'm guessing has to do with the way the spline interpolates the path. I'm not sure how to fix it. Does anyone know?

[Neotokyo]

Did you use a target expression to adjust the camera?
(f.e. take an object, and let it run along the spline a bit quicker than the camera, then use it as target for the camera) Since R 9.5 C4D has an Upvector option in the target expression to fix the flipping problem.

[RenatoT]

Hi reddog708,

can i see the scene file? You can give me a semplified scene :)

EDIT: do you know that you can leave to pathdeformer the camera movement? Roller Coaster scene is made like this.

Cheers
Renato T.

[reddog708]

here's a link to the file:

http://www.latelunch.tv/coaster

Thanks,
John

[RenatoT]

www.tarabella.it/C4D/pathdeformer/coaster_test_Modified.zip

i added a Rail spline and leave the camera motion to pathdeformer.
To make that put the null and the camera under pathdeformer and keyframe the NullOffset value from 0 to 100%. Adjust the camera position, rotation.

I suggest to make a better path and railpath to get good results.

Let me know :)

Renato T.

[reddog708]

Renato, you rock! It seems the project is slowed down a bit with the camera under path deformer. Is there any way to speed it up?

Thanks for your help.

-John

[RenatoT]

I'm sorry about that.. but pathdeformer is deforming geometry every frame ...

Duplicate a pathdeformer with a low poly geometry inside and Hide it.. then put the null/camera in the new pathdeformer.. it's a trick but will work :)

Remove KEYFRAMES for nulloffset on the first Pathdeformer or will be updated :)

you don't need to duplicate splines ;)

cheers
Renato

[RenatoT]

www.tarabella.it/C4D/pathdeformer/coaster_test_Modified_Optimized.zip

;)

Cheers
Renato T.

[RenatoT]

reddog708: What about the scene ? :)

Cheers
Renato T.

[reddog708]

That version is way faster and better. Thanks for your help Renato! I can't tell you how many times Path Deformer has come in handy.

-John Robson

[RenatoT]

Have you see Nota? There is a nota manual online :)

Cheers
Renato T.

[robotbob]

path deformer is great indeed. i have encountered a few problems with mograph's spline wrap ( no up vectors & problems when animating a spline wrap object under a null which is animated with an align to spline tag )

- but path deformer remains solid and reliable.

[RenatoT]

robotbob: Yes, i tested a lot Spline Wrap and i see that use a different approach but is a very interesting tool.. About mograph, spline mask it's great and usefull tool.. why i have not thought to this? :)

Thanks
Renato T.

[pid]

... just implement it. Maxon always take a look on PlugIn developers why not viceversa?
pid ;-)

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