Curve modelling & animation woes.

Support Modeling
1

On my first real venture into the use of curves for modelling procedural meshes (through necessity, not choice) I am finding myself being shot down at every hurdle.

One thing that confuses me greatly is that the “Curve Follow” property is associated with the curve, not the object following it. I need some of the things following my path to rotate along it, but not others. However, the only way I can see to achieve this is to have two curve objects on top of eachother. I guess I could try having two objects using the same CU:Curve datablock, but I think the “Curve Follow” is probably part of the curve properties, not the object properties.

Oh, and also, it annoys me greatly that the curve objects don’t give any graphical indication of which end is the start, and which end is the finish. I worked on this project for three hours, compensating for some very odd results with shims and botches, before I realised I had my curve backwards.

But I digress. Is there any way to make an object follow a curve that has “Curve Follow” enabled, but make the object ignore this directive and remain at a constant rotation?

2

Add a follow path constraint(s) to the object(s) you want to follow the curve. Type the name of the curve in the constraint panel(s). Each objects follow path constraint panel will have its own CurveFollow button. Here is a blend file - select the cube and then the cone and notice the change in the constraint panel. (alt-A to run animation)

Do a save-as
http://members.shaw.ca/rjplus/paths.blend

GreyBeard

3

A further questions is how can I have more than one object extrude along the same path?

I already have one bevel object on the curve, but I require another.

Either that or is it possible to add multiple material indices to a curve extrusion? And switch off the smoothe shading?