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Random Spline Effector Offset
Hello All,
I know the answer is probably what I’ve already done but I thought I’d ask if there is a better way:
I basically have a bunch of clones moving across a number of spline segments(all disconnected) using the spline effector in even Even Spacing segment mode. The number of clones is equal to the number of segments so effectively I’m using the spline segments as custom motion paths for the individual clones.
I’m animating the offset parameter to essentially move the clones along their animation paths. Obviously I would like the randomise the speed(and therefore start and end time) of this offset for each clone. To do that I’ve added a random effector after the spline effector and set it to only affect the weight. After the random effector I added a delay. I played around with the random mode and while it’s kind of working, it’s absolutely not flexible and the randomness is not evenly distributed irrespective of the random mode I select(tried, random, gaussian, and sorted…in both indexed and non indexed modes).
Any ideas of how to randomise the offset along the spline segments more effectively? I was even considering writing a python effector but I guess there is no way for an effector to directly influence the parameters of other effectors since the information is passed along the effectors using the clones MoData with no context from surrounding effectors except for the clone’s weight value.
Regards,
Ihab Ali
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4 Replies
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Instead of using the Spline Effector, put the Cloner in object mode and clone onto the splines directly. For some reason the Cloner itself has an offset variation slider while the spline effector does not. Offset variation should do what you want.
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Thanks so much Adam. But how will this approach change the animation timing for individual clones? I understand their starting points will be different but they will all appear toove at the same speed, or at most they will arrive to the end points of the spline segments at the same time.
Do you know of a way to access the properties of other effectors per clone from a python affector?
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Should have mentioned that the Cloner itself also provides Rate and Rate Variation options that I think may do what you want.
Example: 9388_ratevariation.c4d.zip
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Thanks a lot Adam, I completely forgot about these settings in object/spline cloner mode!! that’s exactly what I was looking for although I hoped there would be a way to do it with the effectors as well…I always like to figure out a couple of different ways of doing the same thing 🙂
Thanks again!!
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