To store the path animation in an action to use in the animation mixer, see Storing Path Animation [ Nonlinear Animation ] for more information.
Animating along Paths and Trajectories
A path provides a route in global space for an object to follow in order to get from one point to another. The object stays on the path because its center is constrained to the curve for the duration of the animation.
You can create path animation using a number of methods, each one having its own advantages. You can:
• Set an existing curve as the path for an object—the object is automatically animated along the percentage of the curve’s length. See Setting Objects on Paths.
• Constrain an object to curve using a predefined constraint and set keys for the percentage of the path traveled. See Constraining an Object to a Curve (Path).
• Pick a trajectory to use a curve’s knots as indicators of the object’s position at each frame. See Setting Objects on Trajectories.
• Move an object about your scene and save path keyframes at different positions—the path curve is created automatically as you go. See Creating a Path from Path Keys.
• Convert the existing movement of an object into a path. See Converting an Object’s Translation to a Path.
After you’ve created path animation, you can modify the animation by changing the path curve itself or by changing the timing of the object on the path. See Modifying the Path Curve or Trajectory and Modifying the Path Timing, respectively.
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To store the path animation in an action to use in the animation mixer, see Storing Path Animation [ Nonlinear Animation ] for more information. |
Viewing Path and Trajectory Information
Softimage provides a visual reference to path and trajectory information such as key points, types of constraints, and constraint options. As well, there are certain nodes in the explorer that are particular to paths.
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To create and view a curve from the trajectory or path of an animated object, plot its animation as a curve—see Creating a Curve by Plotting an Object’s Transformation for more information. You can also use ghosting to view an object’s path as a motion trail—see Ghosting Animated Objects. |
To display path (constraint) information in a viewport, click the eye icon 
and choose Relations from the viewport title bar. A dashed line appears, connecting the center of the selected object and its constraining path. Key points and their corresponding frame numbers are also displayed:
• A square represents a key saved on the path.
• A triangle represents a locked path key.
• A circle represents a key set directly from a property page or the animation editor. These are the only type of keys found on trajectories.
• If there is an up-vector, it is indicated by an arrow.
For finer control of this display, open the Visibility Settings property editor by clicking the eye icon and choosing Visibility Options, then click the Attributes tab.
You can then display constraint information independently for selected and unselected objects using the Relations (links and key points) and Relations Info (frame numbers and other labels) options.
Finding Path Elements in the Explorer
In the explorer, expand the path-animated object’s Kinematics > Constraints branch to see the PathCns or TrajectoryCns node. Path animation is stored here because it is actually a constraint.
You can click the node’s icon to open the PathCns or TrajectoryCns property editor for changing the path timing, as well as any other attributes.
Autodesk Softimage v.7.5