CompuServe Thread

#HELP! morph problem..

7 messages in this thread
#88168From: PATRICK MALONEMar 2, 1994 10:01 PM
Anyone…. I'm in desperate need of help here!! I'm wanting to have something like this: Starting with a small box (it's just the easiest way to illustrate) I want to morph to a larger and larger box. The problem is I want one corner of the box to be stationary throughout the morph sequence. Whenever I step through the frames the morphing seems to be based upon the true center of each object which is not working at all. There really is no movement at all but if I turn on my path, the path vertex is located in the exact center of the object. Can I move this point to the corner of the object without moving the object. Like I said, I'm just using an this as an illustration. What I have is a piece of text and I'm wanting it to stretch out along a path and then have the back of the text catch up with the front. It's a long curved path. I created all my objects in the lofter using revsurf w/ different arc lengths. They are all fully morphable. I did have to move the axis to allow me to rotate them a certain way but I moved it back to home. I thought this was a piece of cake till I stepped through the frames. Please, please, ….please help. The way it appears now, it looks like I'm scaling the object from the center point, I want it to appear to grow out from one point that is to remain fixed. Please (a hundred times over…) Patrick (Really desperate) Malone 70461,3646 I will gladly call anyone, anywhere if they can help better over the phone. Thanks in advance……
#88206From: ALAN IGLESIASMar 3, 1994 1:29 AM
How are you manipulating your morph targets, Patrick? Be sure you do ALL editing on the *vertex level* to keep the object from moving about. -Alan Iglesias
#88421From: PATRICK MALONEMar 3, 1994 5:06 PM
Alan, what I did was create several objects using revsurf with the same diameter but the angle changed. One was say 30 degrees, next one 25, next 15 and so on all the way down to .75 degrees. All i want is the appearance of the text seeming to grow out of one point. My problem is the fixed point that is common to all the objects seems to be the center of the object. I'd like the beginning point to be fixed and have the others morph out from that. I don't know if that explains it any better. Once the text reaches a certain point I'd like the other end to be fixed while the tail end morphs back the other way. Kind of like a "slinky" I wish there was someone I could call!! <wahhh!!!!> Thanks, looking forward to your (and anyone else's) reply!! Patrick Malone 70461,3646
#88437From: ALAN IGLESIASMar 3, 1994 6:36 PM
I'd try to create the morph targets as copies of an original, then manipulate them on a vertex level. This always seems to work for me, although you may want to look over pps 8-59 and 8-60 in the RefManual to learn about how morphing works with local and world coordinates. -Alan
#88491From: PATRICK MALONEMar 3, 1994 11:21 PM
Alan…. thanks…I'll look into it! Patrick
#88453From: John K. JordanMar 3, 1994 7:35 PM
>>morphing comming at ya… Patrick, I just tried out what I told you about earlier and it works fine. To duplicate a simple case of your geometry to my best understanding, I lofted a shape at three different (increasing) angle specifications of the SurfRev command. I called the objects B0, B1, and B2, where B0 was the shortest and B2 the longest. With 30 frames in the Key Framer, I set B0 to morph to B1 on frame 15, then again to B2 on frame 30. As you noted, this does not by itself produce the desired result. <g> Then, Freezing B1 and B2 to display them but keep from grabbing them, at frame 15 I moved B0 to the exact position of B1. On frame 30 I moved B0 again to the exact position of B2. Since the morphing and movement are both linear, the desired "anchor" point remains absolutely stable. even with the default motion spline (continuity) settings. This resulted in exactly the motion (I think) you desired. In fact, after I added a camera with some wild perspective, the effect was very dramatic, with the object "slinkying" around and comming right at me! Thanks for the Idea – I hope you don't mind if I use it the next time I need a flying, er, morphing logo! Hope this works for you. Good luck with your project. J K J PS: enjoyed chatting with you.
#88493From: PATRICK MALONEMar 3, 1994 11:24 PM
John… feel free to use "MY" method next time you need it!! (^.^) I'll be calling you again, that's for sure. Thanks a bunch… Patrick