[Jason Burnett]

Steve,
Thanks for taking the time to reply (and to try what I was indicating). The problem only happens after the first one. What I am trying to create is a path whereby an arrow can orbit a logo (text) in a very particular manner. I want it to, in one continuous movement,orbit the text at one circular orbit at an angle, then orbit the logo at almost 90 degrees to that, so it appears to be making an X around the logo. It has really proven to be much more difficult than I had expected. Add the fact that it’s really two arrows that at a certain point have to stop and frame the logo text exactly a certain way. The biggest problem is that in order to get the arrows to render the way they look in the final product, the orbits I used would not actually orbit the text, but cut right through it. Still, it looks cool. LOL

My problem is that when I try to add the third or fourth circle to my path, it refuses to do it. I have connected the splines, joined the segments, welded the points, you name it and it works great the first time. Just not again after that.

I am trying to grab some screenshots so I can post examples and a source file in case anyone else is having this problem. I know it’s something I am doing wrong, I just can’t quite figure it out.

Thanks again for the help..

jase

[Jason Burnett]

The big problem is that this just simply doesn’t work. I create an arc that I want to be 350 degrees and now I drag copy the arc element (in the element list) to make a duplicate in the exact same position. I grab the object center transform tool and the move tool to move the transform point to the end point of my arc. Deselect the transform point alignment tool and select the rotate tool with my object scope selected. I rotate my second arc (which rotates around it’s last point rather than it’s center just as I wanted). I rotate it 30 degrees. I want one continuous spline out of all this.

I select both arc elements, make editable, and connect+delete. Voila one spline object, two splines, four end points. So Now I select the endpoint created on the first arc and the start point created on the second arc and select “join segments” —- nothing.
I select the weld tool (thinking perhaps it’s like illustrator and the points have to be touching or something) and I weld a point directly between the two…which messes up my splines, but hey I can fix that.

I have my HUD set to indicate the number of points I have selected and now it says none.
Dragging a selection circle around the “welded” location where there should only be one point (with the select only visible points deselected) and sure enough there are two points. Selecting them individually indicates that they are in the same location in both the object perspective and the world perspective. However, dragging either point clearly indicates that they are not connected.

I select both points and choose “Join Segments” …nothing.

I select both points and Set Point Value to ensure that they are in the exact same spot.
Join Segments….nothing.

Is this a joke?

Is there any reason that it has to be this difficult to join two segments? What could possibly be the advantage of this kind of behavior? It doesn’t make any sense to me and though I have read a dozen posts like this one that make it sound really simple, the truth is that I have never found anyone that can explain why it isn’t working even though they can repeat the steps I have taken and get the same results.

Could someone please just create a pen tool that you could click on one point from one segment and then the end point of another segment and they would join. It’s common sense and I cannot for the life of me figure out why something simple like that doesn’t exist.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. It wouldn’t be such a big deal, but I have to do this 50 times to make the shape I need and so far it’s a veritable crap shoot when it is going to work and when it isn’t.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Jase

[Jason Burnett]

I have, on more than one occasion, gone through every option in the preferences and I can’t believe I missed it. I was just about to give up. Thanks a lot.

[Jason Burnett]

That works for a simple circle, but how do you loop more complex transformations where one item changes continuously and one item loops.

For example, using the same animation, what if you wanted to rotate the spline path perpendicular to its plane. So on the first loop it would be flat, then the second loop it would be at 45 degrees the third loop 90, etc.

I set my before/after to repeat for the offset animation track..no problem. Then I rotated the track by 15 degrees perpendicular at frame 15 and assigned a keyframe (adding a new animation track for the rotation of the circular path) Then I selected the rotations and applied Offset Repeat for my before and after, but the last frame doesn’t line up. So it jerks after a full rotation.

When I copy the first keyframe and paste it on the last keyrame, it just does nothing.
When I manually apply the rotation angles using the coordinates window and the assign keyframe button, it simply will not take it. I click off the circle and click back to the last frame and it’s back to whatever value was there before I manually applied the transforms.

It’s the quirkiest thing I have seen yet. Any suggestions?
Thanks for your help in advance,

jase