Anim8ing a Tank Tread

[NickE]

I have posted a tutorial on how to animate tank treads using morph targets.  The concepts and scripts used can be applied to other projects as well.

The tutorial can be found at:

http://www.tranceportsoftware.com/anim8orstuff/treads.htm

Please let me know your feedback.

[Arik_the_Red]

I just wanted to personally thank NickE for contributing this marvelous new feature for anim8or.

He doesn't realize it, but the real push for tank treads had a lot to do with a project I'm working on, which in turn branched off to a contest at AnimAnon.

Nick, you've opened up a whole new dimension for anim8or users... tracks/treads have so many useful applications, not just for tanks and vehicles, but for conveyor belts, and so much more!

And your truly outrageous approach to making this tank sample is great!

edit-

I realize Nick didn't share his sample, and don't know whether he wants it here, so here's a link to his entry for the AnimAnon "Get Tanked" contest...
http://animanon.com/Forum/index.php?topic=523.msg2237#msg2237

[kreator]

NickE mate, you are 105% a star for coming up with this script! I hope we can get some more scripts going especially in the animating sense as this is definately where its needed!

You are a god!

[Arik_the_Red]

NickE mate, you are 105% a star fot coming up with this script! I hope we can get some more scripts going especially in the animating sense as this is definately where its needed!

You are a god!

It's amazing what bloodletting can accomplish when it comes to making wishes, eh?

[almost cool]

dude...i dont even know what to say.

thank you.this will help anim8ors for years to come.

[almost cool]

whoops.script error.

out of bounds memory error in script.

[NickE]

That error can happen when you have forgotten something important.  Did you follow the instructions as given in the tutorial in the first post of this topic?  It is essential that you have set up the attributes properly.

[almost cool]

alright ill try again

[Arik_the_Red]

Digging into this great old script... NickE, I came up with this effect when I finally got my tread facing the right direction...



I am not in touch with things enough to think through what might cause that effect. Any ideas?

File attached for your review as well.

[NickE]

Arik,
Sorry it took me so long to get to this...

I looked at your attached file and there are several reasons why you are getting this behavior.

1) The script looks at the path and reads the orientation of path at the points where it is going to copy the "copytarget".  If you adjust the individual points on the path in different views, you can inadvertently change the orientation of the path in totally unpredictable ways.  For treads (and similar things), I used the Build->Primitives->N-gon to make a circle and then stretch it out.

2) Your "target" object's pivot was at the origin of the screen rather than in the center of your object.  Your object's orientation is measured from this pivot.  The only way to move that is using the Object/Axis button and manually moving it to the center of the object.

3) Your "target" object's origin was also at the screen origin, rather than your point zero.  I have attached a script that will "fix" the internal coordinates to the apparent coordinates of any highlighted mesh.

I have also attached the original project with an additional object containing the fixed path and object so that the scripts work properly.

[Arik_the_Red]

Nick, yer "da Boss!"

Thanks for the little explanation of things, and even giving me a corrected file to work with and experiment on. I'm on it, and have made it happen!  Look for the results in my posts for the "War Machine" challenge!