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  • Is there a way to tie one end/corner of an object to another?

    Posted by Mark Landsburger on May 15, 2008 at 12:02 am

    Here’s what I’m looking to do:

    Imagine a line. Could I attach the left end of it to an object, so when I moved the object that end of the line moved with it like it would in real life if you attached a stick to a ball. The other end would be controlled accordingly (would only pivot, move as needed).

    This is hard to explain, but hopefully you get what I’m driving at. I’ve always assumed that you needed to do something like this in a 3D app because of the physics involved, but maybe there’s a “hack” way to simulate it. (BTW – I don’t need the object to move in 3d space)

    Thanks for the input. I have a big project and the idea in my head uses this type of behavior, so I’d like to try it if I can work it out.

    Thanks a bunch for the time,
    ML

    Mark Landsburger replied 18 years ago 5 Members · 5 Replies
  • 5 Replies
  • Randy Mcwilson

    May 15, 2008 at 12:45 am

    This will involve an expression, no doubt. I would seek the advice of Dan Ebberts on this after effects question.

    Eternity…don’t miss it for the world.

  • Dan Ebberts

    May 15, 2008 at 2:49 am

    What you’re describing sounds a little like inverse kinematics, but not quite. I’m not sure you have the constraints defined well enough to suggest a solution. What decides whether the stick needs to pivot or follow the ball?

    Dan

  • Simon Bonner

    May 15, 2008 at 10:09 am

    At the moment it sounds like it could be solved with parenting.

    Simon Bonner

    youtube.com/simonsaysFX

  • Ian Collister

    May 15, 2008 at 10:18 am

    Would what you are describing, be something like a kite with a piece of string attached to it? The kite would move through the sky, and the string would stay attached to kite and to its point on the ground? Getting longer and shorter as needed, and moving about so as to stay attached? You would have one end of the string parented to the kite and one to the ground or the person flying the kite?

  • Mark Landsburger

    May 15, 2008 at 5:06 pm

    Sort of, and that actually might work too. Let me try and explain it – start with this graphic:

    The line = a stick, attached where it meets each box

    Scenario #1: if you slid box A to the right, box B would follow accordingly with it. If you slid box A left, box B wouldn’t move with it until you got far enough left and the stick would pivot till it couldn’t an more

    Scenario #2: The same as #1, but depending on how fast you slide box A, box B would continue to move via centrifical force (I’m guessing this is harder to replicate, but I could be wrong)

    Make sense now?

    Thanks everyone for the replys. I appreciate the help.

    ML

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