Digital Workshop

I may have mentioned this before, but every time I create a path animation (in this case using an aircraft shaped object following a simple path), when the animation starts, the object flips 180 degrees and appears to be moving backwards.

This happens in every animation I have created. I fix it by the simple expedient of rotating the object 180 degrees. Static, it appears reversed, but points the right way when following the path.

Thus is a bit of a pain, particularly if I want the object to fade in before it animates - it shows reversed, then flips as it starts to move.

Has anyone else noticed a similar effect, and is there a more simple (and permananent) fix other than rotating the object?

Chris

Following my post, I thought I'd attach a simple example so you can see what I mean...

Chris

Here's what I did. It works but don't know whether it would work all the time for you in every instance.

I right clicked on the path and chose Reverse Direction.
Then I clicked on the airplane and pressed Ctrl-E.
On the airplane's animation "stuff", I changed the Position fields to 100 for Start and 0 for End.


I don't know why this would work but it did, so perhaps it's a solution until you get a better one?

Thanks for the reply and suggestion - it certainly works, and is a better fix than the one I've been using up to now. It's not very intuitive, though.

Maybe if anyone from DW is monitoring the post, they could comment.

If I build a similar animation in Flash, the object stays in exactly the same alignment in which it starts, and will follow the path in an aligned manner without problems.

Opus insists on flipping any object I try to animate!

Chris

Hi Chris,

Yes - bwpatric has the solution. This topic was discussed in another thread some time back called "Why are my Wucka Ducks upside down?" (yes that was the subject title )

The situation you are facing is only when using Orientation > "aligned" in the Animation Path. By default, paths are drawn left-to-right, or moreover clockwise. If you drew you path arc starting clockwise from the top, you'd find that the plane object would not flip. When using "aligned" the object is instructed to be aligned with the path, so its orientation must be set... because you have decided to drew your path right-to-left and down the bottom, Opus can only do what it is instructed to do...and that is "align" the object correctly to the path. Therefore it will "correct" the orientation when "aligned", and will seem to flip the object. This is not an error... it just takes some pre-thought when using paths.

The solution as "bwpatric" has posted is the easiest answer to resolve your problem when you are drawing a path actually upside down. In your IMP, if you "mirrored" the path, then "flipped" it, it would be starting from the top and its direction would be right-to-left. You would of course need to rotate in the editor the plane vector object so it's facing the correct way. (try it and you will see it works as expected.)

I have attached a screenshot, of using "aligned" in Opus. It may at first seem confusing, since it was demonstrated for the "Wucka Duck" thread, but you should be able to follow it. Please remember the issue is ONLY when using "aligned" in paths.

In the screenshot, take a look at 'Path 1' > "Previewed" and you will note the duck has flipped upside down, but in essence it is doing exactly what it should since "aligned" was used.

Hope this helps.

Thanks, Steve.

I think I understand the concept, now - I've no doubt that when I get used to it, it'll become second nature. I use a lot of this type of animation, so I'll apply this new (to me!) approach in future, and hopefully it will save me a lot of frustration. I obviously missed the Wucka Duck thread, though I did do a search for "animation".

I still think that there could be a simpler and more intuitive approach...

Thanks to both of you again

Chris

Steve's explanation pretty much covers it. You have to have some definition of "up" and that is perpendicular to the line direction. I'm not sure what other option there is.