Animation Lesson 3: Introduction
Path animation allows you to animate an object along a path specified by a curve. In this way, the curve
controls the motion of the object. With keyframe animation, Maya calculates the motion of the object for
the animation based on the positions that were set at the keyframes. With path animation the motion for
the object is defined by its location along the path curve.
Path animation is useful for animating objects such as trains, boats, airplanes, and moving cameras
whose motion follows a set path. To animate an object to do this type of motion smoothly with keyframe
animation would require you to laboriously create and edit many keys for the motion. By having the object
move along a curve, you can easily adjust the object's path by editing the curve.
In this lesson, you make an aircraft follow a motion path so it appears to fly and bank while it changes
trajectory. We provide a scene for your use in the lesson.
In this lesson, you learn how to:
Set an object to animate along a motion path using a NURBS curve as the path.
Modify the timing and rotation of an object along a motion path.
Blend between keyframe and motion path animation.
Open the scene for the lesson
In this lesson, you work with a scene we created for your use.
1. Make sure you've done the steps in Animation Lessons: Preparing for the lessons.
2. Open the scene named PathAnim.mb.
You can open the scene named PathAnim.mb from the Maya Documentation, Lessons, and Extras
CD or from the drive where you copied the Getting Started with Maya data files.
The scene contains two objects named Aircraft and PathCurve. When the aircraft travels on the
path curve it loops back to where it began.
3. In the Time Slider, ensure that the Playback End Time is set to 240.
The path animation occurs between frames 60 and 240 (180 frames in total). Between frames 1 and 60,
you keyframe the aircraft's motion so it rises from the ground plane. You then blend between the two
animation types.
Animating an object along a motion path
To animate the aircraft along the path curve, first select the aircraft and the path curve and then set
appropriate options for the motion path animation. In the options window, you need to set the required
time range for the path animation. You also need to ensure that the aircraft is oriented facing towards
the direction of travel. The Follow, Front, and Up axis option settings determine the aircraft's orientation
along the path.
To attach the aircraft to the motion path
1. Set the Time Slider to frame 1.
2. Select the aircraft and then shift-select the path curve.
3. In the main menu, select Animate > Motion Paths > Attach to Motion Path > .
The Attach to Motion Path Options window appears.
4. In the options window, ensure the options are set as follows, then click Attach.
o Time Range: Start/End
o Start Time: 60
o End Time: 240
o Follow: On
o Front Axis: X
o Up Axis: Y
o World Up Type: Scene Up
o Leave all other settings off
The aircraft is repositioned to the start of the curve, and oriented towards the direction of travel.
The Start and End Times set the time duration the aircraft travels along the path curve (240 - 60
= 180 frames). The start and end times are displayed at the ends of the curve.
5. Click play on the Timeslider playback controls to play back the animation.
The aircraft travels along the path. Observe that it begin its motion at frame 60.
Path animation allows you to animate an object along a path specified by a curve. In this way, the curve
controls the motion of the object. With keyframe animation, Maya calculates the motion of the object for
the animation based on the positions that were set at the keyframes. With path animation the motion for
the object is defined by its location along the path curve.
Path animation is useful for animating objects such as trains, boats, airplanes, and moving cameras
whose motion follows a set path. To animate an object to do this type of motion smoothly with keyframe
animation would require you to laboriously create and edit many keys for the motion. By having the object
move along a curve, you can easily adjust the object's path by editing the curve.
In this lesson, you make an aircraft follow a motion path so it appears to fly and bank while it changes
trajectory. We provide a scene for your use in the lesson.
In this lesson, you learn how to:
Set an object to animate along a motion path using a NURBS curve as the path.
Modify the timing and rotation of an object along a motion path.
Blend between keyframe and motion path animation.
Open the scene for the lesson
In this lesson, you work with a scene we created for your use.
1. Make sure you've done the steps in Animation Lessons: Preparing for the lessons.
2. Open the scene named PathAnim.mb.
You can open the scene named PathAnim.mb from the Maya Documentation, Lessons, and Extras
CD or from the drive where you copied the Getting Started with Maya data files.
The scene contains two objects named Aircraft and PathCurve. When the aircraft travels on the
path curve it loops back to where it began.
3. In the Time Slider, ensure that the Playback End Time is set to 240.
The path animation occurs between frames 60 and 240 (180 frames in total). Between frames 1 and 60,
you keyframe the aircraft's motion so it rises from the ground plane. You then blend between the two
animation types.
Animating an object along a motion path
To animate the aircraft along the path curve, first select the aircraft and the path curve and then set
appropriate options for the motion path animation. In the options window, you need to set the required
time range for the path animation. You also need to ensure that the aircraft is oriented facing towards
the direction of travel. The Follow, Front, and Up axis option settings determine the aircraft's orientation
along the path.
To attach the aircraft to the motion path
1. Set the Time Slider to frame 1.
2. Select the aircraft and then shift-select the path curve.
3. In the main menu, select Animate > Motion Paths > Attach to Motion Path > .
The Attach to Motion Path Options window appears.
4. In the options window, ensure the options are set as follows, then click Attach.
o Time Range: Start/End
o Start Time: 60
o End Time: 240
o Follow: On
o Front Axis: X
o Up Axis: Y
o World Up Type: Scene Up
o Leave all other settings off
The aircraft is repositioned to the start of the curve, and oriented towards the direction of travel.
The Start and End Times set the time duration the aircraft travels along the path curve (240 - 60
= 180 frames). The start and end times are displayed at the ends of the curve.
5. Click play on the Timeslider playback controls to play back the animation.
The aircraft travels along the path. Observe that it begin its motion at frame 60.
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