Hi ! I am following the step by step, is it possible in the file you sent to me you did not use an array modifier?
I dont remember wich one i’ve done… i’m writting a tutorial about it actually… so i’m a little bit confused.
But anyway, i’ve used an array first. (using a curve for the lenght of this array is not necessary).
regarding the uv’s i want to use, sometime i apply this array.
I was using your first version. Now I am using the V2. It works really well so far and it is so simple. I really appreciate your insights and help. Do you have a place where you place your tutorials?
Do you also get like an offset between the surface and the curve?
If it helps, I believe you do not need the other direction for the poligons in the surface that bends. It is just an observation. Maybe you need them if you want to add a displacement to the film. But if its unwrapping a simple roll I believe you only need the longitudinal polygons. Not sure if it helps, but if the roll gets really long you could actually save some memory space by not adding the square grid.
Yes. It’s up to you to make the spiral as thin as possible. That one was done quickly to answer quickly to your questions. (It’s a kind of game here, answering the first, for some of us).
But if you need to be closer, take care of that, if you have a 8 edges cylinder for the inner roll, be sure to create also a 8 point curve for a 360°.
Dont worry about optimization… I’m really well informed about it since, i’ve modelised and animated my first 300 triangle character in video game industry. ;). It was really difficult for me to quit optimizing everything when coming to render. But thanks for this attention.
It should be useful for the readers.
Indeed, the subdivision was in case you want to use a displacement with dynamic paint, for cheating textile folds. Because in-fine; it was only suppositions for me, what kind of roll you needed.
Thank you so much man, I am not managing to animate as you did with great results.
I might upload my problem soon.
What is happening:
When i perform the operation of animating…my roll slides like leaving the fixed end you do have.
If you check iin your last sample animation you just posted, the edge that sticks to the surface stays always in the same position. I need to do exactly the same as you. I am getting so frustrated, I appended your file and adapt it…and I can not manage…to find the way. You show it and bam! perfect! …what the hell I am doing wrong?
you have to set x position curves and control points till it plays to achieve precisely the drop of position.
Is it possible to send you my file. I am not sure what is happening, I believe my spiral needs more turns cause my tape is longer than yours.
Yes, if you need it. Be sure to put only the necessary things inside, so the file size 'll be light as possible. if it’s under 5 mega you could send it here by PM. or by pasteall.org up to 30 mega
I ll do it right away , thanks so much
Hi, Its me again 
I believe I got a good result by just animating the spiral. Doing that the edge gets fixed automatically without needing to make it match with the surface movement.
I am curious about a particular workflow, so far it worked, but of course the spiral needs to be as “long” as the surface you are covering. The problem with this is that it is a little bit hard to calculate an animate this for 100 meters…as I need…
I believe you did have a technique to make this constant effect for any distance without needing to make a huge spiral and a a big array.
Do you think that by animating the surface and the spiral in an specific way one in relation to the other…then I can make the effect of an “infinite” tape unrolling? without an insane spiral?
I would like to know why you want to unroll 100 m … is it for a movie? A simulation? Personally, looking something unrolling during 100 m will bother me very quickly. If it was for a movie , I ll make a cut in my film after 5 or 10 second of unrolling then in another camera shot. Showing the end with 100 m of unrolled stuffs.
If you want a true hundred meter spiral. You ll have to know your curve’s length . There is an addon included in blender for measuring curve length. You just have to search for curve tool in search addon in preferences . So in the N pannel you ll have extra features to calculate length.
I totally agree. It is for a simulation and they want real measurements at work.
They do not need the 100 m I believe, but I am not sure the camera they want…so if it showing the whole scene…then…iam f*** I just wanted to prevent to animate the whole simulation 10 times…since the roll…was a truly pain in the ass for me as a new animation guy hahaa
But no, probbably not 100 m…It is me overacting.
That’it man! Hope everybody was happy with it. Well done.
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