Moving an array along a curved path

Support Animation and Rigging
1

OK, I’m sure there’s a way to do this, I just can’t find it. Been searching for hours. I’m trying to make a series of identical objects follow each other along a curved path, like cars in a roller coaster or segments of a centipede. I’ve tried it with dupliframes and arrays, and I can make a string of objects line up on a path, but how to make them MOVE ALONG the path one after another in an animation?

I know I can create multiple objects and give them each a different time offset for the same path, but that’s only practical for a small number of objects.

Somebody save me!

Thanks.

P.S. I even tried it with particles, but their movement is way too outa control!

2

I have the same issue. I looked at the tank tracks tutorial that you can find here http://download.blender.org/documentation/oldsite/oldsite.blender3d.org/166_Blender%20tutorial%20Tank%20tracks.html

But that one looks outdated and surly there must be a simpler way combining array and path, right?

Anyone knows a solution to this problem?

Thanks

3

Solution: Make the array. Then apply it (or you may not, I’m not sure if it has to be applied or not).

Then parent the mesh to the curve and use the “Follow Path” option while parenting. In the settings for the curve, make sure that “Curve Follow” is pressed, so that the array will follow the curve correctly.

Hope that solves it.

4

A video is worth a thousand words : http://www.blender.org/features-gallery/features/feature-videos/?video=modifier_stack

Just use the Curve Modifier from the modifier stack as shown towards the end of the tutorial .

From Blender’s home site … There are more … Just scroll down .

5

This only works on one track link, if I apply the array modifier and then add a curve follow path the whole object will rotate, not the links individually.

A video is worth a thousand words : http://www.blender.org/features-gall…modifier_stack

Just use the Curve Modifier from the modifier stack as shown towards the end of the tutorial .

From Blender’s home site … There are more … Just scroll down .

I know about this one but it doesn’t help since it doesn’t show me how to animate them in a cyclic circle.

Another thing I forgot to mention is that my tank is goin to be game animation friendly. I don’t want every link to be a seperate object and I want to control it with a single IPO and path.

6

The curve modifier should work. Make your link; apply an array modifier (keep the links going horizontally); apply the array; add a bezier curve (circle if you want it to round in a circular motion, make it 3D); add a curve modifier to the link mesh and type in the name of the curve; now if you move your link mesh it should bend and follow the curve (you might have to adjust the follow axis direction). You can add a location IPO to the link mesh to animate its movement.
Alan