Object following path and curve, Blender 2.6

Support Basics & Interface
1

Hi,

I would like to create a simple scene, an object following a path
like a car on a bend. I’ve seen some tutorials presenting such
short animation, but when I try to do it myself I have one problem:
the object is deforming (gets distorted) on a bend (see attachment).
I think in other tutorials the object stays constant and is rotating
and not deforming.


What exactly I’m doing:

  • start new project
  • move the default Cube to second layer
  • add a path
  • resize path to make it longer
  • switch to edit mode
  • change shape of the path in top view so it looks like a curve of a street
  • switch back to object mode
  • move the Cube back to first layer
  • add a constraint for a cube to follow path, select target (NurbsPath)
    and check ‘Follow Curve’, the default Forward (Y) and Up (Z) is selected

What’s wrong?

  • Should I check some additional option to freeze a shape of the object
    or switch somehow rotation instead of distortion?
  • or should I switch a path from 2D to 3D?
  • or should I use other combination as Forward/Up?

Thanks a lot for all hints,
regards Kris

2

Easiest way to do is rather to do a curve, select the cube, and shift select the curve (in this order), press control P and select follow path.

3

Hi Little-me,

thanx a lot for this hint. Setting curve as parent is quick and nice, I can see the motion without inserting key frames.
First time it worked exactly as I need, object was fine without distortion. But next time it worked as with path, object was modified. I’ve made a lot of attempts and sometimes it was ok and sometimes not.
I don’t know what is the reason, perhaps the way in which I’m defining the curve or how I’m moving the object to its beginning???

Regards,
Kris

4

I think it’s because you resize your curve in object mode.
Always edit the curve in Edit mode ! Any changes in scale, rotation or translation done to a parent in object mode will affect the children.
In your case you said you resized the path before going into edit mode, which affects your cube’s behavior.

5

Thank you Litte-me, this is the solution! Could you explain me why it makes the difference???

6

thank you test-dr, some next possibilities to follow a path

7

You’re welcome ^^
As I said, any change done to a parent in object mode affects the child. This is what parent/child affectations is made to achieve.
Basically if you press N in the 3D view, and look under the transform tab, any change made here affects the child. When you edit your parent in edit mode however, no changes are made to the parent’s transform properties, so this doesn’t affect your child object.
In the case of your curve, you resized it in object mode, the cube follows this resize and is distorted.
I hope this makes sense.