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How to display a trail when moving an object
Hi all,
this is my first post here. I’m new with Cinema 4D and I have a question. I have to display an object with a path trail (like a fading shadow). I’d like to set my custom parameters (i.e. # of frames before and after the real object).I used the “display tag” (with multi trail on), but the trail is only visible in the main window, but when I start rendering, the trail is not shown.
I’m thinking to a planet that leaves the trail while it’s moving around the sun.
How can I achieve this feature?
Thank you very much! -
9 Replies
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Hello,
Is this something you could accomplish in comp?
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Hi,
I don’t understand… what do you mean with “comp”?I’m trying to render the trail (or something like that), but it’s not shown in the output file (and during the rendering)… I need to make visible the last movement of the object.
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In your composite. Try using a time blur node or something similar depending on what you’re using to composite. The samples along with shutter speed will create the trail.
Craig Whitaker
MFA Candidate
New York University
http://www.craigwhitaker.net -
Hy there,
have you got MoGraph? There you can find the Tracer object, which I think can do what you need. It will create splines from a given object by tracing vertices (many options), so in order to render it out you need to put it into a Sweep-NURBS for example.
Cheers,
André -
Thank you for your answers. My question is that I don’t want a clone or a trace of the object, just the path that the object did. So, if I have a sphere that moves along a spline, I would like to simply add a little trail to it.
I tried to use the Sweep NURBS and the MoGraph trace tool as you suggested, but it clones the object with an enormous load for the CPU.
The trail I had in my mind was just a line (a curve) that reminds the observer where my object was.
Sorry for my English. I hope I have explained better.
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I’d probably try using Particles and Pyrocluster. If you place the emitter inside your sphere then as the sphere moves it should leave a particle trail. Adjust the lifetime and look of the particles should get you the look of a lighttrail you’re after
Graham
http://www.YouTube.com/ShiveringCactus – Free FX for amateur films
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[Ross Russo] “Thank you for your answers. My question is that I don’t want a clone or a trace of the object”
You don’t get a clone with the tracer, its really just tracing whatever you give to it. In the case of your sphere, it is not necessary to trace each vertex/edge.
[Ross Russo] “So, if I have a sphere that moves along a spline, I would like to simply add a little trail to it.”
Yep, that is exactly what it does.
[Ross Russo] “I tried to use the Sweep NURBS and the MoGraph trace tool as you suggested, but it clones the object with an enormous load for the CPU.”
The load is in your hands. It depends how you set the options on the NURBS and the tracer. You can have just 1 single line following your sphere for example. Therefore just put a Null object onto your sphere as child and put it in the middle of the sphere (and let the Tracer just trace the Null). Then you just get 1 line. Also, use a really simple form to trace, like a square (not a 24 segment circle).
Cheers,
André -
[Ross Russo] “I tried to use the Sweep NURBS and the MoGraph trace tool as you suggested, but it clones the object with an enormous load for the CPU. “
Turn off Trace Vertices in the Tracer object and it will only trace the axis of the sphere and not all it’s points
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[André Irniger] ” Therefore just put a Null object onto your sphere as child and put it in the middle of the sphere (and let the Tracer just trace the Null). Then you just get 1 line. Also, use a really simple form to trace, like a square (not a 24 segment circle). “
Ok, I did it! Probably there are a lot of ways to do that, but if I use the null object as you suggested, C4D doesn’t render a simple line, even with the sweep NURBS tool. So, under the sweep NURBS tool, I put a little circle.
This is the structure:
- Object1
|-- Null Object (with target: Object1; Limit: From End; Amount: 30)- Sweep NURBS
|-- Circle (a small small circle)
|-- Tracer (with trace link: Null Object)If, instead of the circle, I put the Null Object, nothing happens. With the little circle, everything goes fine!
Thank you all very much!
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