Double root controller??

#1

I am rigging an airplane. When it’s in the air, I want to have the root controller in the center of the mass, right between where the wings are. When it’s on the ground, I want it down at ground level. How can I set this up?

#2

I would create one controller for the ground pivot point and use that one to move the plane around and rotate it on the ground. Then I would create another one at the center of the plane between the plane wings to rotate the plane in the air. So I would parent the plane geo under the center controller. Then parent the center controller under the ground controller.

This is how I would do it. Could be someone else has a better technique.

Good luck with the project.

#3

Thanks, not sure if it will help me though. If the center controller is parented to the ground controller, then wouldn’t it cause a problem when I move the plane around in the air?

I mean, grabbing and moving by the center controller would leave the ground controller behind, because the ground controller is not parented to it. In essence, the ground controller is my main “root” controller, right?

(Just to note, the ground controller is also a bit rotated from the center controller because when the plane is on the ground, the rear wheel touches down and the body of the plane is on an angle. It’s a WWI type plane.) Not that this really makes any difference.

#4

i would do same as post2.
But one way you could try is to create a locator. Orient and point constrain the root to the locator.
In doing so with an orient & point constrain, you can independantly animate their offset.
Therefore you could animate the offset from the locator when it is in the air to be at the value required to be between the wings. You could even set up a driven key to drive the offset.
This means you only need to animate one locator for air and land.

#5

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