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View Full Version : How can I get a U value of a curve? (maya)

enbee
07-28-2006, 03:26 PM
I am attaching objects to curves using a pointOnCurve info node. And giving the objects a U attribute that controls their position on the curve. The objects are already placed on the curves before i make this attachment and I want them to stay where they are. But I can't figure out a good way to calculate this new U value to keep them from moving. Is there an easy way to do this? Or a hard one?

I have a working solution that starts at one end of the curve and check the world space position of each point on the curve until it matched the original world space position of the object being attached, but this is extremely slow.

Any ideas?
enbee
07-28-2006, 06:44 PM
Anyone ever used a closestPointOnCurve node? From the Maya docs that sounds like what I need, but I can't find it to install the plugin. I found a maya 6.5 version online but that doesn't seem to work in 7.0, anyone have a compiled version for 7.0?
FiendishVegan
07-28-2006, 07:18 PM
An easy way to achieve what you are after is to use a motionPath node instead. It has a Uvalue attribute built in that can be manipulated or animated.

Just use Animate>MotionPaths>Attach to Motion Path to attach the object to the curve and then delete the keys on the Uvalue.
enbee
07-28-2006, 11:21 PM
That's not the problem I'm having. The problem is that using either method to attach an object to a curve results in the object moving to the beginning of the curve where u = 0. I would like the object to move back to where it was.

I have optimized what I had working before and it is much faster, but still a bit buggy.
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07-28-2006, 11:21 PM
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