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Align to path - help! LW9

CalCal0 Posts: 0Member
edited March 2007 in Technical Questions and Answers #1
I've set up an object to animate along a motion path, but I want it to follow the heading of the motion path (align to path). When I tell the object to do this, it immediately faces the wrong way and travels backwards along the entire measure of the motion path, albeit aligining itself to the path as it goes.

The animation is 500 frames. I have the camera targeted on the object I'm animating, but the object itself is not parented or targeted to any object in the scene.

Please be kind, I'm asking nicely. I've tried the manuals - needle and haystack. I'm a Max guy and I'm finding LW9 a very steep re-learning curve!

Any help or advice from experts would very gratefully accepted - I'll give you more specifics if required.
Post edited by Cal on

Posts

  • al3dal3d177 Posts: 0Member
    #2
    make you your object was modeled facing the Z axis, and always create a frame to start at frame 1.
  • CalCal0 Posts: 0Member
    #3
    al3d wrote: »
    make you your object was modeled facing the Z axis, and always create a frame to start at frame 1.

    I'm sorry, I don't understand. My model is aligned along Z axis. I need to know how to get the pivot rotated through 180 along the Z axis so it is pointing the right way. The 'rotate pivot' tool refuses to do it.

    Funny thing is, as soon as I set the object to 'align to path' (as in motion path), the pivot flips along the Z axis, but so does the model it belongs to (so it is facing backwards along the motion path).

    AAArg!:mad:

    Here's a diagram which might help...

    theproblemkr9.th.jpg
  • count23count23361 Posts: 781Member
    #4
    you have two options, first, go to the modeller and rotate the entire model on the Y axis by 180 degrees so the bow is facing the right way. Either that or use the layout modifier tab and select "rotate pivot".
    Formerly Nadesico.

    Current Projects:
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  • CalCal0 Posts: 0Member
    #5
    Nadesico wrote: »
    you have two options, first, go to the modeller and rotate the entire model on the Y axis by 180 degrees so the bow is facing the right way. Either that or use the layout modifier tab and select "rotate pivot".

    Thanks - I went into Modeller and rotated the model around 180 on the Y axis. That solved the problem. It seems Fabio, who made all the meshes I'm using (his excellent Homeworld 2 collection for Lightwave) set most of the models up facing the wrong way for animations. Never mind, now I know how to correct them.

    Much appreciated!:thumb:
  • count23count23361 Posts: 781Member
    #6
    glad i could help.
    Formerly Nadesico.

    Current Projects:
    Ambassador Class
  • al3dal3d177 Posts: 0Member
    #7
    Cal wrote: »
    Thanks - I went into Modeller and rotated the model around 180 on the Y axis. That solved the problem. It seems Fabio, who made all the meshes I'm using (his excellent Homeworld 2 collection for Lightwave) set most of the models up facing the wrong way for animations. Never mind, now I know how to correct them.

    Much appreciated!:thumb:

    that's exactky what i said to do..hehe..:)
  • fluxfirefluxfire181 Posts: 604Member
    #8
    al3d
    that's exactky what i said to do..hehe..
    your right you did say that but you said that in a short hand way that newbs don't get :p
  • CalCal0 Posts: 0Member
    #9
    fluxfire wrote: »
    al3d

    your right you did say that but you said that in a short hand way that newbs don't get :p

    Except that I'm not a n00b, I was registered here long before the 'Great Hard Drive Disaster' and reregistered from the moment it came back up. What al3d didn't explain properly was that the model needed to be aligned along the z axis to face +Z, rather than -Z as it had been set up by Fabio. Nadesico got it right when he said the solution was to alter the model on the Y axis (through 180 degrees, which makes far more sense), in Modeller.

    As a long time Max user, trying to get to grips with Lightwave's way of working, it's not easy. Many conventions I'm very used to are simply not appropriate in LW9. In that sense alone, yes, I'm a n00b.:cool:
  • mattcmattc181 Perth, AuPosts: 322Member
    #10
    I'll see if I can find you the Max2LW PDF I have somewhere...

    M.
  • fluxfirefluxfire181 Posts: 604Member
    #11
    Cal
    As a long time Max user, trying to get to grips with Lightwave's way of working, it's not easy. Many conventions I'm very used to are simply not appropriate in LW9. In that sense alone, yes, I'm a n00b.

    Didn't mean to insult you.

    I am still learning LW 9 so i know what its like to go from a program your used to, to one that your not familiar with. My self i was used to doing movie editing with Sony Vegas.
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