Camera Path Empty Animation Problem

I have modeled a Darth Maul Lightsaber. For the final 3 seconds, I would like for the camera to do a low level, close flyby. The camera has been parented to a path as well as an empty. I used this video in setting up the animation:

The idea is that the empty animation will stay ahead of the camera-path animation while keeping the camera view on the lightsaber in seeing the model/texture details for a flyby from one end to the other.

As you can see from the attached photos . . .

Camera - parented to path and constrained to empty.
Constraint - damped tracked and set to -Z.
Path - twisting is set to Z Up.
Path - animation set for only 72 frames.
Path - frame range restricted to 168 - 240 (the last 3 seconds).

Problems . . .

1 - Before, the camera along path too place in 0.5 seconds instead of 3 seconds.
2 - Now, it doesn’t follow path at all.
3 - The empty and camera go off-screen and away from lightsaber.
4 - If I try to use track to instead of damped track, I get a red box in the object and it won’t let me select the object.
5 - Finally, if I try to set the location, rotation, and scale of the camera to prevent craziness, I get an error message:
- object has no data to transform.

I have watch the video several times, read several threads about this issue, and looked up additional info online. I think I’m missing some miner detail that would solve everything, but I just can’t see it. Again, my goal is to to have the empty animation will stay ahead of the camera-path animation while keeping the camera view on the lightsaber in seeing the model/texture details for a flyby from one end to the other.

Am I missing something simple?

Attachments




Here is another photo showing the camera damp tracked constraint to the target empty at -Z.

Attachments


Here is the blend file if it will make it easier to help me with the animation problem.

I posted an updated file in another post below. I didn’t want people wasting their efforts on an old file.

I just figured out how to delete a file and add a new one in the same post. I’m getting the hang of how to use the functions of this forum.

Here is the fixed version.

Attachments

camera_pathfollow.blend (2.48 MB)

Hello Vanderhorst. Thanks for trying to help.

As I reviewed the animation the camera and the empty goes around in a circle. However, what I’m trying to accomplish is that Camera 4 does a flyby along the length of the lightsaber. If you can take another at the first photo, you will see the empty and the path highlighted.

The idea is that the empty will go from one end of the lightsaber staying in front of the camera. The camera view will stay fixed on the empty while following the path. I hope this better explains what I’m trying to accomplish.

Again, thanks for trying to solve my problem.

Oh man sorry for my stupid mistake, i fixed the file changed the name of the file and everything gets lost…sometimes…argh.

I will explain the steps to fix the file, and its a lot what you have done wrong.

  1. delete the parent of the empty, the empty is already animated.
  2. delete the parent of the path…there is no reason to parent the path.
  3. delete first all constraints of your camera and also the parent (if the camera have a parent).
  4. put your camera to the center (shift+c (cursor to center) , than shift+s camera to the cursor ,while the camera is selected) alt+R to make the default camera rotation.
  5. select the path , shift select the camera ctrl.+shift+c select follow path constraints.
  6. select the empty shift select the camera ,again ctrl.+shift+c track to constraints.
  7. add in the curve panel in the evaluation time at frame 168 0 and at 240 72.

thats all, i think i will do it for you because a lot of mistakes can be made.

OK I edit my previews post and added the right file…it should work now…sorry again

Thanks! I will take a look at my blend file and try to recreate the correct effect based on your instructions and your corrected version. I will let you know if I have been able to achieve the desired outcome.

in post 4 is the right file now.

Ok. I managed to set everything correctly, I believe. However, the camera follows the path, but not for the duration specified. It goes straight to the end and then the empty starts moving afterwards. I know that I’m close. What did I miss?

Here is the updated file:

Attachments

updated.darth.maul.lightsaber.blend (2.5 MB)

ok…yea you are near finished BUT.

i dont know why you use a driver with a linear function to animate the evaluation time of you path, its more complicated instead just use keyframes directly in the evaluation time panel like i mention in post 6 . point 7.

you can use a driver also but substract the y-intercept to get the right start point of 0.

y=t+mx thats the function that you have created , so when you want to start at frame 168 the function look like this.

y=-168+1x otherwise your path start at evaluation time 168 instead of 0 and the whole frame lenght is only 72.

Attachments

updated01.darth.maul.lightsaber.blend (2.5 MB)

I took a closer look at your file and I saw a differencein the graph editor generator section. I made the change of 0 to -168 and it works. However, I think when I finish this project, I will start another blend file and practice trying to make this animation setup until I get it with no problems and can do it quickly.

Could you explain the formula you wrote to me a little more so I can better understand it? As well as how the generator modifier in the graph editor works in general. I would like to understand better. I have attached a photo.

Attachments


i will try to explain it a bit , but you can understand it also by changing values.
Poly order 1 is a linear function ( just search for a linear function) and this function look like this y=mx+t.
In the generat modifier it looks like y = t + mx its the same.
m is the gradient if m=0 its a horizontal line.
t is the y-intercept.

man i suck in math explanation, but its realy not dificult to understand just by changing the values you will learn this stuff in school for sure.

Thanks for your help. I actually already studied 3D Digital Animation using Maya 4.5 and finished in 2003. However, life happens and things went in a different direction. For example: living in another country. Anyways, I haven’t done anything with digital animation since 2003. So, this is like trying to refresh my memory and improve. There are definitely some differences between Maya and Blender, but similarities too.

So yeah, I will try searching for y=t+mx online and see what I can find out. Thanks again.