xpresso - 'point' node reads interpolated points?

[mark render]

i don´t know if i understand your post right. but, how do you deform your spline? maybe a priority problem?

[ChrisCousins]

i don´t know if i understand your post right. but, how do you deform your spline? maybe a priority problem?

Hey Mark, thanks for that. Spline deformed with displace deformer, but that doesn't matter, any deformer has the same problem.

Xpresso is basic, which is why I'm puzzled:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/574262/dump/pointy1a.jpg

[mark render]

in the "point"-node, you have to check "Use Deformed Points" in the AM.
it is unchecked by default.

[ernia]

I'm getting the same thing, Chris.

Looks like the point node is not taking into consideration the whole spline when it is interpolated. Setting the Interpolate Points Number to 0 places the null object on the correct point set in the point node. Interestingly, setting the Interpolation Point Number to 1 restricts the null object to half the spline length. Setting it to 2 restricts it to about a third or quarter of the spline length, etc.

Arik

[tcastudios]

The Spline object has never been a "normal" point object :)

Maybe just use a regular AlignTo Spline ?
Or use a Coffee expression, I think it should work "better".

Cheers
Lennart

[C.Smith]

This may be ridiculous to mention but did you try linking the original Spline object as the Point object input instead of the Align to Spline object.

[ChrisCousins]

Thanks guys; I've got a sinking feeling here that I'm missing something quite basic, so be kind, it's been a long week...

Maybe just use a regular AlignTo Spline ?

Can that take account of deformed points? It just uses the original points as far as I can tell.

...did you try linking the original Spline object as the Point object input instead of the Align to Spline object.

Umm - it is the spline object - I just called the spline 'AlignSpline' to catch you out... (actually that was meant to help make things clearer, but it doesn't seem to have worked...)

[jonahtobias]

Try attaching the null to a spline using a constraint tag instead:

add a character->constraint tag to null
set to clamp mode
add spline to target field
set "to" mode to spline
set distance to 0
click lock position

voila!

EDIT: or rather set "to" point instead of spline to have it lock to vertex's only

[JoelOtron]

Create your deformed spline.

Add a Mospline object

Change setting from SIMPLE to SPLINE. Drag deformed spline into field under SPLINE tab.

Now attach your object via alignto spline tag--but target the mospline.

(edit--you may need to increase the interploaed point count quite high, and make sure you stick with b-spline/uniform--bezier sometimes can be buggy when working with generators)


FILE ATTACHED

[mayajunky]

Pretty cool Joel, I wounder if this approach would have solved the problem I was experiencing a while back. I had a spline I needed to control with spline-IK, which I animated the control points. Along with the cloner/spline effector setup I had, my clones were flipping, which turned out to be due to the fact that the bounding box of my control spline was being inverted because of the way I need to deform the spline. I ended up solving the issue with TP which wasn't very pretty and ended up being quite the learning curve for me! Maybe I'll had to give this style set up a go. Thanks. :)

Hmm can't remember if this was in 11 before the up-vector option in the spline effector or if it was in 11.5 already. Since I know someone will mention that. :P All's I know is I tried everything at the time I thought.

[ChrisCousins]

Rockin', thanks guys that's why I like this place (and Cinema) - come up against a problem and you get a whole slew of solutions. Joel, I like your solution as I can specify a percentage rather than a single point, exactly what I need. Plus I finally get to use the MoSpline object! Yippee.

Jonah - constraints are cool but it seems I can only attach the null to point zero, if I want to attach a null a quarter of the way up the spline is that possible using constraits?

Thanks again - C

[jonahtobias]

Hey chris - Here's an example file, you can slide them or lock them however your heart desires.

[JoelOtron]

Havent looked at jonah's version yet.

Heres another solution using the offset function in SPLINE WRAP. I use the constraints here also to clamp an object to the wrapped object.

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