Align to Spline alignment

[Adam Trachtenberg]

Tim is correct in saying that the spline wrap is the wrong tool for this job. It’s trying to deform your object as well as move it along the spline, and that’s why you’re having problems. The only reason your object isn’t bending is that you don’t have enough geometry to allow it, but it’s still moving the separate parts differently.

You can control bank with the align-to-spline tag by using a rail spline. To do that you basically copy your path spline and offset and scale it so that it forms a rail … so your two splines look like railroad tracks. Then you can move the points of the rail spline up or down to control the bank of the object.

It may also be useful to use a target tag on the object instead of using the align tag’s tangential feature. Generally what I do is align a null to the same spline, but offset ahead of the main object, and then target that object.

Yet another option would be to place your object in a cloner, set to use one clone, and then use a spline effector which gives you some of the numerical controls of the spline wrap deformer.

[Anthony Sipsas]

Thanks guys. I guess I was kinda wasting time, and should have started tests out in Mograph.
Set it up with a mograph cloner/spline effector. First time is a charm.

Everything works fine….

Next step:

How to get a different image in every screen (controllably, not random)…

heh,

A

[Adam Trachtenberg]

To get the different images on the screens in Cinema:

1. Create a material and load in a Mograph color shader (in color or luminance channel);

2. Add all of your images to the multishader;

3. Set the multishader’s mode to “index ratio”;

4. Drop the material on your screen object.

If you want to do it in AE you’re really better off putting the screen in its own cloner (just duplicate the setup). Otherwise you’ll get a solid for every object making up the iPad … plus the null they’re in.

[Anthony Sipsas]

Thanks guys, you both rock!