Cineversity

Hello,
i’m trying to make a road map to unfold. ex. http://vimeo.com/15945773
I am using the joint tool in a plane 6x4, but the weight tool doesn’t work properly sometimes. I think i miss something.
Any suggestions please?

Hi giorgos.ele,

To my understanding the influence of all joints to one point should be 100% total. If that is a valid point, then the file you have attached has a problem. The folding map has the need that at one time one point is controlled to 100% by one joint and then later on by another one. This needs to be solved.

I check quickly your weighting and I saw that not all joints are weighted nor that each one is completely weighted. So, there is another problem.

However, having gotten the paper folding question in the old forum from time to time, I know that there are other problems. I personally wouldn’t use Joints for an project like that. I even would consider to split the whole animation in two states, the part where it un-folds in one direction and then a new one to the other direction (following the first seconds of your movie link (Which I had screen captured to see it image by image)

Another way is to use the PoseMorph. I have attached a small little sketch, well knowing that the folds needs more attention, but I think it transports the idea. Use perhaps two fold (point/edges) to get the thickness of the paper established.

Other examples can be done with the Cluster tool, Andy did a folding Menu card with that option.

Besides that, sometimes it might be more comfortable to “bake” some “moves” into an animation clip and edit all of that in non-linear animation. (There—your Joint based idea would come in handy!)

A step that I would avoid would be point level animation PLA, as the tools discussed so far are way more powerful than PLA. But who knows, maybe that is the tool you like the most. You need to experiment with them.

All the best

Sassi

The attached file is a sketch and not at all considered production ready!!

Dr.Sassi,
sorry for my late reply and thank you for your tips.
Well, i did it with joints guessing that is a fast way to do this, but as you said there is more ways to achieve that result.
I was trying to fix the weighting by painting the correct faces in a joint, then doing the next one and when i went to see the previous weighting, was messed up and need to weight again.

I really like to use posemorph, it is really helpful tool but how you achieve that effect? I was trying to do the same like your attachment but i can’t see the result. I am using Points for mixing and Rotational but i can’t see any result. What i am doing wrong?

I think the most good tool for that effect is the posemorph for me. But i need to fix it so it is not overlapping.

Thank you again

Hi giorgos.ele,

What you are doing wrong was your question. I would like to answer, but how? Would you mind to share a test scene?

Some thoughts:
Have you set for each an axis, so pose more “knows” what kind of rotation it should do in the first place (needs to be done for each
I assume you know the difference of “Edit” and “Animation”, but I need to mention it.
Each axis (oration direction) needs its very own pose.
Start with a 2 polygon object and get savvy with the rotation. I know thats sound boring, but helps to speed up the work later.

I might have no luck with my thoughts, so I will wait for an example. Just a 2 polygon set up, so we can communicate on a scene.

All the best

Sassi

Hi Dr,
it was kinda tricky but i made it. It’s really cool!
I hold in my thoughts all these tips from you to get a descent result for my final work.

I attach a test scene with 2x2 plane just to see it, nothing more.
Thank you again, i appreciate your help.

Giorgos

A more comprehensive version…
without faces overlapping

Hi giorgos.ele,

Very nice work and the triple edge is certainly helping here. Good start.

If you want to go further, please put your edit-views to the four side view.

Now run the animation by slowly moving the timeslider. Have an eye on how “round” the movement is, are these point moving “on” a circle like path?
You might notice that the “map” is stretching.

Have a look to the attached image, there you see the input field for the axis. The first three values (vertical) position your axis (Pos.X, PosY, Pos.Z), close to where the fold should be. The second field of three parameters is responsible for the orientation of the axis. It is like you define a new point in space, based on the first three X,Y,Z values you define with Axis.X, Axis.Y and Axis.Z the direction of the axis. Sounds perhaps complicated. However, if you have points or an axis selected that is exactly on this position, you can use the buttons (From Edges, From Points) to take these values. If that is done nicely, your animation will work even better.

In the “folding_test.zip” file, the axis position was on the world origin, in that way you had not to specify the Pos. X, Pos.Y or Pos.Z parameter. This might have lead to the assumptions that the Pos values can be ignored, I just guess here.

I hope your efforts will result into a technique that you like to use and with that, that you produce exactly the animations that you had imagined.

Have a good on

Sassi