Create motion path animation in Alias

00:00

For set motion path animation, you first need to create the curve.

00:04

And then you simply select the object, go to the set motion path options, and I'll start just by doing the motion,

00:12

and then set the length of the animation that I want.

00:15

So, you go and then I'm prompted to select the curve,

00:19

and my object jumps to the start point of the curve, and the curve turns a red color to show that it's being used as a motion path.

00:27

So, if I play that back, you can see the objects going on the motion path.

00:31

It's worth having a quick look at the parameters here.

00:34

So, the motion has set the XYZ translation,

00:37

but they have another level which shows that each of the XY and Z is connected to the same curve.

00:43

And what this means is that if I then make a modification to the curve, then the animation will update to follow that curve.

00:52

So, let's have a look at the Follow and Bank options.

00:55

So, for this, I've created a simple squashed cone shape,

00:59

and I would typically start that by rotating it to approximately the orientation I want at the beginning of the curve.

01:06

And if I go into the Set Motion Path options,

01:09

I'll choose Follow and I'll do Bank at the same time.

01:13

So, for Bank to work, I need to give it a value between 0 and 90°, so I'll just do 45° to start with.

01:20

Down here, you'll notice it has a Sample By value, which I'll just leave at 1 and select that motion path.

01:26

You'll see that what it's added to the translation is a set of baked-in keyframes for the rotations.

01:33

This means that the shape will now follow the curve.

01:37

But also, if I have a look from a different angle, it will bank with the curvature of the curve as it goes around.

01:47

Now, the only disadvantage of these baked-in keyframes

01:50

is they won't update very successfully when you change the shape of the curve.

01:54

So typically, I would just delete the animation and start again if I wanted to change the curve.

01:60

So, the attachment point for primitives is the original pivot point that they were created with,

02:06

but that's not the case for geometry we've built ourselves.

02:10

For that, we have to set up a pivot point by creating the geometry with the origin at the place we want the attachment point to be.

02:22

So, once it's positioned with the origin, I can then do an Edit Group,

02:27

which means I've created a new node with the default pivot on that origin.

02:32

So, I can say Set Motion Path, I'll keep all the same settings and pick my curve.

02:38

And of course, what I forgot to do was Orient the plane at the beginning of the curve,

02:43

but it's actually only the motion path that needs that specific pivot.

02:46

I can modify that now.

02:48

I could even, let's say, scale it a little bit, make it smaller and then just overwrite the animation and set it up again.

02:56

And then my object is moving along the path quite nicely.

03:01

So just be conscious of that creation pivot point having to be created at the origin.

Video transcript

00:00

For set motion path animation, you first need to create the curve.

00:04

And then you simply select the object, go to the set motion path options, and I'll start just by doing the motion,

00:12

and then set the length of the animation that I want.

00:15

So, you go and then I'm prompted to select the curve,

00:19

and my object jumps to the start point of the curve, and the curve turns a red color to show that it's being used as a motion path.

00:27

So, if I play that back, you can see the objects going on the motion path.

00:31

It's worth having a quick look at the parameters here.

00:34

So, the motion has set the XYZ translation,

00:37

but they have another level which shows that each of the XY and Z is connected to the same curve.

00:43

And what this means is that if I then make a modification to the curve, then the animation will update to follow that curve.

00:52

So, let's have a look at the Follow and Bank options.

00:55

So, for this, I've created a simple squashed cone shape,

00:59

and I would typically start that by rotating it to approximately the orientation I want at the beginning of the curve.

01:06

And if I go into the Set Motion Path options,

01:09

I'll choose Follow and I'll do Bank at the same time.

01:13

So, for Bank to work, I need to give it a value between 0 and 90°, so I'll just do 45° to start with.

01:20

Down here, you'll notice it has a Sample By value, which I'll just leave at 1 and select that motion path.

01:26

You'll see that what it's added to the translation is a set of baked-in keyframes for the rotations.

01:33

This means that the shape will now follow the curve.

01:37

But also, if I have a look from a different angle, it will bank with the curvature of the curve as it goes around.

01:47

Now, the only disadvantage of these baked-in keyframes

01:50

is they won't update very successfully when you change the shape of the curve.

01:54

So typically, I would just delete the animation and start again if I wanted to change the curve.

01:60

So, the attachment point for primitives is the original pivot point that they were created with,

02:06

but that's not the case for geometry we've built ourselves.

02:10

For that, we have to set up a pivot point by creating the geometry with the origin at the place we want the attachment point to be.

02:22

So, once it's positioned with the origin, I can then do an Edit Group,

02:27

which means I've created a new node with the default pivot on that origin.

02:32

So, I can say Set Motion Path, I'll keep all the same settings and pick my curve.

02:38

And of course, what I forgot to do was Orient the plane at the beginning of the curve,

02:43

but it's actually only the motion path that needs that specific pivot.

02:46

I can modify that now.

02:48

I could even, let's say, scale it a little bit, make it smaller and then just overwrite the animation and set it up again.

02:56

And then my object is moving along the path quite nicely.

03:01

So just be conscious of that creation pivot point having to be created at the origin.

Video quiz

Required for course completion

When you are using a curve as the path for animating an object that you have built yourself, where does the pivot point need to be created?

(Select one)
Select an answer

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