Basic animation - Rotating 360 degrees

Support Animation and Rigging
#1

Hi. How can I easely get an object to rotate 360 degrees around it self, over like 50 frames?

If i press I key at frame 1, choose one of the options with “Rot” in it, then go to frame 50, rotate my object 360 degrees and press I again, and choose an option with “Rot”, the object isn’t rotating in frame 1 - 50 at all.
If i make a “middle-key” at frame 25, where I rotate the object 180 degrees and press I and choose some option with “Rot”, then the result just is an object than rotate 180 degrees from frame 1 - 25, and then rotate BACKWARDS 180 degrees from frame 26 - 50 :(.

I want to make a model of the sun rotate 360 degrees over 44 frames (and if possible, I would like the the speed is constant. That menas no acceleration at start, and no deacceleration at the end). I just can’t make it happend. I’ve tried using bones, but it still not work. Please, some one help me here…

#2

easiest way is to time it in thirds or fourths, or use a path.

The program uses the shortest path between two keys.

#3

this is kind of old (and long), but it should still be useful. It explains basic animation techniques in blender (though if I remember right, version 2.36). Also, to make the speed constant, select your curves in an IPO window, the press ‘T’ then select ‘Linear’

#4

That works for me, exept the obejct slows down around every key. I need a constant velority of the rotation. How do i remove the “slow down” effect around every key you make?

#5

dreblen, you T - Linear was useful :slight_smile:

But what are you talking about in the start or your reply? It’s like you forgot a link or something.

And if I can ask one more question, how do i make a curve sequence (or what is it called?) repeat it self, so my object continues to rotate about it self, and not stop after doing it one time? I can make a key for every 120 degrees, but I know there is an easyer way. How?

#6

In the IPO window, go to Curve>Extend Mode>Extrapolation. If you wan for a cube to rotate 360 degrees in 60 frames, key frame 1 and frame 11 from 0 to 10 degrees, then do the Extend Mode.

#7

also, if you want perfect rotation, and with a minimum of keyframes, use numeric input instead of rotating it manually. then blender won’t get confused as to which direction to go, which can happen when doing it by hand. and you can set your ipo curve to extrapolation if you want it to keep rotating. really, all you need is 2 keyframes for your wheel to rotate all day long.
(edit) looks like egan beat me to the draw…!

#8

Thank you guys, you’r the best :slight_smile:

I now have controle over the continuealy rotating objects.

But… The ‘Extend Mode’-methode doesn’t work when I want an object that are following a bezier circle, to repeat it’s action. When the frames entered in the PathLen is over, the object stop moving. This action I can’t repeat just like a rotation, and I guess it’s because there is no keys here? There isn’t any “lines” (no, I’m not very into the IPO-thing) in the IPO-window at all, and I’m sure that’s the problem…
So, how can i make an object continue to follow the same path (bezier circle), several times? Instead of just follow the path one time and stop…

#9

if you want it to go around in a circle, you can do that by parenting it to an empty or an armature at the center of the rotation, and key framing the empty or armature. if you were making, say, a solar system, that would be a good way to do it. Also, I think a bezier circle will repeat automatically, there may be some additional setting though, I will have to refresh myself on that.

#10

As a matter of fact, I am making a solar system. I can’t just rotate the planets around the sun, because their orbits is eliptical, not circular. I have made the eliptic orbits by twisting bezier circles, and parenting them to the planets so the planets folow the curves. It workes great, but as said, the planets only take 1 orbit… You say a bezier circle will repeat automatically? Well thats not exactly the case. Im sure there is some way (as you say, an additional setting), to make the planet cuntinue their orbit. If you can find out how, please let me know. I really need it, or my work on this will be done for nothing

#11

@J_M_D - sorry:o I did forget a link. Here it is:
http://www.blender.org/education-help/video-tutorials/animation/
You also might want to look at the Paths and Dupliframes one for the bezier thing:
http://www.blender.org/education-help/video-tutorials/advanced-tools/
also, about the thing not repeating, there might be a Time IPO curve which might be overriding whatever you do with your curve

#12

Here’s a Blend of one way to do this.

http://www.clipsandscripts.com/dothelp/orbit.blend

Pappy

#13

And a Blend of the path way of doing it.

http://clipsandscripts.com/dothelp/orbit_path.blend

Note the cyclic extend mode of the curves “speed” setting.

Pappy

#14

Thank you all so much :smiley:

I got the hang on every thing now. Especially the orbit path blend-file was helpful. I now got the solar system working, and I will soon post it on the forum as a pic, though it is an animation. The animation takes to long to upload, so I wont. I also still miss some small ajustments to make it perfect, but I think I can handle it without asking for any more help. If im wrong, I will ask you guys for some more help (not about animation, but blending in general).

Once again, thank you all very much :slight_smile:

#15

Thank you all a lot for your help :). I’ve posted a render of the solar system here:

http://blenderartists.org/forum/showthread.php?p=1007862#post1007862

#16

I don’t get why Blender doesn’t let you assign the rotation you set in the viewer. If I rotate +190 degrees in the viewer, why does it set the rotation to +170? That’s not what was asked for. If I set it to +720, it does 0. If I enter the value directly into the n-key panel then it sets just fine but rotating with the mouse clamps between -180 and 180.

Select an object, hit the n-key and then rotate around z. You can see that at the bottom of the 3D window, it tells you how much you are rotating but in the n-key panel, the value is being set differently.

I don’t mind this for simple rotations around one axis but if you want multiple rotations in free space, how are you supposed to keyframe that? Surely there can be a hotkey that lets you clamp the rotation between -180 to 180. Maybe if you hit c while rotating, otherwise it would input the actual amount you rotate.