-
Properly setting up “simple” animation.
I’m having a hard time setting up my animation and was wondering if someone here knows how to help.
The principle of the animation is this:
I have a strand of DNA which needs to fly in from the left, secure itself to the ground and move around a bit (as if it was a blade of grass in the wind).
I then have a little ball which also flies in from the left and should attach itself to the top of the DNA strand.
The DNA will then be stretched, compressed, and have a wiggle effect on it, and the ball needs to ‘stick’ to the top so that any wiggling and stretching of the DNA will also effect the ball.Now, I’ve actually started and completed the last step: I used the puppet tool to mesh the DNA and create three puppet pins, then pick-whipped the top puppet pin of the DNA strand to a null object (which I can then move around so that the DNA bends), and then parented the ball to this null object. I can now wiggle and move the null object which results in both the DNA and the ball to wiggle with it.
Now, to ‘reverse-engineer’ the movement I need to detach them again, but I really have no idea how. If I keep the ball parented to the DNA, it will wiggle while it’s flying in from the left which is not what I want. I cannot move the DNA by itself or the deformation will screw up. Ideally all of it is a single fluid animation…
What’s the proper workflow here?
Thanks very much.
-
4 Replies
-
by the magic of prestidigitation…
(let’s hope there’s no English language geeks on this forum, or I’ll probably get called out for incorrect usage – but what the heck – it’s my word of the month ; )
How about splitting your layer at the point of ‘ball departure’. The ball disappears with the end of layer one – but seamlessly continues on layer two – which you have unparented and therefore made independent of the DNA. It floats away – and no-one can spot the sleight of hand…
https://mikeabbott.info
https://vantagegraphics.co.uk -
That’s actually a pretty good idea. No hassle required. Can also just do this with the DNA. Flow it in, then transition to the meshed one when it lands.
Thanks!
-
Puppet tool..no wonder your having trouble…use the bend it or bend effect or even wave warp with pinned edges.
-
Thanks for the reply.
I’ve tried the Bend It tool, but I had issues parenting the ball to the top of the DNA. Do you know if there is a way I can parent or link the position of the ball to the top vertex of the Bend It line, so that it moves with it and wiggles when I add that effect to the DNA?
Reply to this Discussion! Login or Sign Up