I’m modeling heavy machine gun, and i need to make animation for “rolling amunition” from ammo box to gun itself. Only way i know to solve this is modeling single shell and copying it along designated path using array modifier. When i apply it on shell itself (along curve) it curves the mesh and deform it in every turn of what is supposed to be ammo belt. When i use empty as object offset, i doesn’t deform the mesh, but while using this, i cannot move objct along any path, just some swirled line i set by moving empty. Do you have any suggestions how to easy model and later animate moving ammo belt?
Hello 
I attached an example. (for blender 2.56a, please request for earlier versions if needed)
Let me explain how it works:
First off your bullet object origin must be together with the curve origin. Second your object must have a scale of 1, so remember to apply scale
A hook (ctrl + h in edit mode, with vertice selected) is attached to a vertice of the curve, the hook is then animated, and a cyclic interpolation modifier is used, so the animation plays over and over
The hook really moves forward and backward at high speed, giving the illusion of bullets moving. You would of course have to model an empty bullet casing, and use the particle system or something for the ‘exaust’ of the gun
Hope this helps 
Attachments
Bulletbelt.blend (485 KB)