Small Object Animation

Support Animation and Rigging
1

I am making an animation that requires me to move several small objects as though they were one object.

I have 50 metaballs dupliverted around a circle. I need to be able to manipulate them as a whole but move them one at a time. I envision the metaballs coming together to form a shape and then changing within that shape. Then they pull apart and come back together into another shape. How can I do this?

2

i think you just need to set keyframes for each metaball. luckily there are only 3 keyframes to set. one for a neutral formation, and then one for each formation thereafter.

3

you could parent the small balls to the big ball. That would let you move the big ball and manipulate them, or manipulate them individually.

4

thanks. . . never thought of this. Since this is only a test, then I guess it will be allright.

BTW . . . . the anim I working on is at www.freewebs.com/jaycun (Render.wmv)