Cineversity

I have 3 “conveyor belts”. The packages are controlled by spline effectors attached to a mograph object. The 2 outside conveyor belts have the packages animated in 1 direction animating the offset value in the spline effector (which works great). The issue is that I would like have the packages on the middle belt move in the opposite direction (without modifying the spline path). I know I can scrub the offset value in reverse and set keyframes but the playback doesn’t work as the slider just stops at 0. Is there a way to do this without having to rebuild the spline so that it points the other way?

Hi Sean Cusson,

Have you tried to do the following:

While the Spline Object in question is selected.

Main Menu>> Mesh>Spline>Reverse Sequence

If that is not working, any chance to give me access to the file?

BTW, the slider stops at 0% for the Offset, but you can use the numerical field and dial in or type any number you like. Offset [-∞..+∞%]

All the best

It’s weird but when I tried reversing the spline the whole thing flipped upside down. And I did try manually entering a negative value instead of using the slider which worked until I tried to play it back. Even though the keyframe was set to a negative value, it’s like the slider took over and wouldn’t go past 0.

Thanks for the update, Sean Cusson.

It looks only as it would flip up side down. While the sequence of points is reversed, the points by itself stay exactly where they were before. The spline is only running the other direction through the points. Check the example that I have attached above. You might find that the ‘white” starting point jumps two points—this happens when the spline was defined open and is then closed with the check box in the Attribute Manager. So it jumps around that gap. To get a more accurate idea what happens, please open the Structure manager and reverse the direction, you might see easily where the numbers go. If that is not clear, I’m happy to record a short clip; As this is essential and will be useful for lots of things. Just let me know! :o)

To explore it:
Select the top point of the circle and push it down—as shown in the image. Now reverse the direction. Compare the two images, check the white to pale blue colorization, as this indicates the direction. Please download the file to check it out. (the single download it has, is from me, to check if the attachment worked

If you reverse the direction AND use then negative numbers, then I would expect that everything stays the same.

I need this spline at least in a scene file and the Spline Effector if you can’t share the set up as you have it. Perhaps call up a new Spline Effector and set the other one to in-active.

Just copy these two in a new file and attach it here, I will have a look. I have tried to recrate the problem in the file above, but it work as it should, so if I can’t get your scene, you have to contact the support.  http://www.maxon.net/support/support-questions.html

Thanks Sassi. I’m not sure why it isn’t working in my scene but I’ll figure it out (knowing that it’s supposed to work). On a somewhat similar topic, any idea why the mograph object being affected by the spline starts “rotating” along the spline if it isn’t in exactly a straight line? If I make a 90 degree bend in the spline then all of the objects rotate along the spline by 90 degrees.

Sean Cusson,

You could use a Rail Spline to create a “target” for the Clones.

Splines have not an absolute option to supply a direction. Hence the option for an Rail. If all packages have to face down (not having your spline set up here, makes it difficult to be precise), you might just make a copy and drag the copy down. I use sometimes a Instance of the Spline for that, so changes on the Spline will be given to the Instance.

If you can copy your spline to a file and share it, things would be easier to talk about.

BTW, to just have a Spline as base, you might not even need a Spline Effector, the Cloner Object might allow already for a set up like this. Again, I do not know your scene nor your target.

Alternative: The use of the Target Effector might help if the target is very far away, close to infinite. It should be paced after the Spline Effector.

All the best

Here’s the file. I had to leave the actual boxes out of it but the hooks grabbing the boxes are still part of the objects following the path. The actual path that is siting in an object at the bottom of the stack called “belt”. The spline is called “Path”. The effector is called “spline packages”.

Would you mind to check again, the file has to be “.zip”. Sometimes the server refuse it with a “Wrong Mime” alert.

The image has a “information overlay” in it, so that is hard to “read”.

Every time I try to add the .zip file I get an error message saying “Error Message:  The file you are attempting to upload has invalid content for its MIME type.”

Sorry bout that, I feared it is that. I use the Stuffit Zip then.

Perhaps you have a dropbox or any other cloud option?

It is an unpredictable problem, and so—hard to fix.

Let’s try this Drop-Box feature:

Please check you PM here on Cineversity

Thanks for the file, Sean Cusson. The Drop Box “request a file” worked nice, thanks for testing my suggestion.

My observation, (and after each test, I have reset the scene to the state I got it).

First test, reverse the sequence, works nice, and the Rail needs to be moved below the spline, to have the clone orientation the same.
The clones populates the spline at frame 0 as the original file, but now move to the left instead of the right. The spline is empty at frame 500.

Second test, the original scene, I go to frame 900, set a dash (minus) to the offset value of 180 and press the dot, so it is set (turns from orange-yellow to red.)
The clones populate the spline at frame 0 as before, but move then to the left and the belt is empty at frame 500.

To your question in post #4: What I notice in all three versions, the clones stay parallel to each other, they do not turn along the belt, is that wanted? If not, perhaps set the Cloner back (rot/scale) and do it with a Plain Effector set after the Spline. (See image). The simple answer is that they follow the spline, but the axis rotate based on the settings in the Cloner object, and so they seems to be off.

I would normally do that in the Transform part, but I do not have the rest of the file so, I do it with a Plain Effector here. Note the difference in the Cloner Object: Coord. vs. Transform!

If your target is different than the outcome of my test 1+2, please let me know and I will have a look into it. I was not certain if you like the file here attached, if you like, I will do.

My best wishes

That worked out perfectly. Thanks so much!

Thanks for the feedback, Sean Cusson. :o)

My best wishes for your project.