How to rotate the a layer along the motion path's curve.

I have two keyframes, because i want to motion to have a constant speed. And i use control points to shape the motion path…

I’ve created loopings and stuff, haha. (i’m animating a leaf flying through the wind)

But how do i automatically rotate the leaf, following the curve of the motion path? In 3DS Max and Maya this is pretty basic stuff…

Also, is it possible to create/draw the motion path first, with bezier handles (pencil lines, basically) and then attach an layer to it? Or is the only way control points? Otherwise, isn’t it possible to edit the motion path in the camera view with bezier handles? Seems much more intuitive to me.

Kind regards

It would be done just like a walk cycle along a Peg path except instead of walk motion it would be leaf flipping motion.

It is not done with bezier handles but you can manually curve a path and achieve the same result.

Modifying a Path

Tip of the Week #28 Motion Paths

Thanks for your reply.

But i don’t see how moving a walk cycle with a peg relates to my question. I already know i can animate with a peg. So i think you misunderstood my question. Here you can see my motion path: http://oi59.tinypic.com/25j8ig3.jpg

I want the leaf to rotate automatically, following my motion path’s rotation/curve/whatever you want to call it…

Now it’s just the position that’s influenced by my motion path… the leafs angle keeps staying in the same direction, which i obviously don’t want.

((it would be the BEST if it would also ‘‘bend’’ according to the motion path, if this possible… if not: maybe in Harmony? please inform me))

I already animated a leaf in another scene drawn frame by frame, (( see pic here: http://oi61.tinypic.com/mb1nh3.jpg )) but this was to time consuming and NOW i have to do a LOT of leafs, so i really need a fast way to achieve this… (using keyframes/motion paths)… This is really basic stuff in my opinion but i can’t seem to find a way using Animate Pro…

edit:

I found another topic that has the same question, https://forums.toonboom.com/toon-boom-animate-family/general-discussion/peg-path-orientation-feature

but it’s old(2011), and Lilly said they would add it as an feature request… So: Lilly, is it already included in newer products of Toon Boom?

And if not: what is the expression you are talking about?

  • Quote from Lilly: ‘’’‘There is a rather complicated way that you might be able to get around it, by creating an expression column and linking the rotation to this expression, but I’d have to look into this more closely to be sure that I recommend the correct expression.’’’’

I hope i’ll find a way to do this…
Have a great day you all!

Your original post:

Your second post:

That entire sentence in your original post, particularly using the word “looping,” brings to my mind “cycles” when used in the context of animation. It threw me off. It sounded like you had a cycle of turning leaves that you wanted to move along a path.

I don’t know whether this feature was implemented in version 3. I doubt that TB has exhausted their own ideas of features and functionality. What are the odds that my request would be in the next upgrade? TB has little room for something that has come up once, maybe twice in a user thread. This is just my feeling about its chances of being included in this last round.

Back to your problem… If I were doing falling leaves I would use the approach I thought you had already done. I would build a cycle of leaves turning the way you desired, manually adjusting orientation if necessary. Then attach the cycle to a Peg path. You may not have the authority over the project to define the cartoon world’s physics, however, if you do then you can stylize things so you can get away with repeating a cycle and not worry about how everything is in sync and not random. I might clone several of these cycles only I would increasingly desaturate the ones running in the background. If you were using Harmony I would suggest using particles instead.

Hopefully other people will have more to offer on this.