A new user request. How to make a vine grow and wrap around something.
-the vine ("plant") has regular spline rings along its length
-every spline ring has its own bone
-every bone is "path constrained" to the path that wraps around the column.
-the "ease" percentage for each bone is keyframed to make the bones travel up the path in order. Look in the PWS timeline to see how they are staggered.
- the leaves were made to sprout with a pose slider, but that part didn't turn out so well
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Full Version: A vine growing
Hash, Inc. Forums > Technical Direction and Development (Learning Animation:Master) > A:M Rigging & Relationships
Thats a really great exercise in path animation Robert.
Perhaps the best of its kind seen to date.
You've climbed yet another notch up my guru chart with this one.
I'm always impressed when I see how such things can be created based on the tried and true principle of path animation.
Your approach here is really beautiful in its simpicity.
Not only is this an important lesson in animation but it provides a closer look into yet another useful methodology for modeling* as well.
I'm impressed.
*Off Topic Note: If I recall correctly paths don't export from Choreographies so if using this method in modeling make sure your path is a spline from a model.
Perhaps the best of its kind seen to date.
You've climbed yet another notch up my guru chart with this one.
I'm always impressed when I see how such things can be created based on the tried and true principle of path animation.
Your approach here is really beautiful in its simpicity.
Not only is this an important lesson in animation but it provides a closer look into yet another useful methodology for modeling* as well.
I'm impressed.
*Off Topic Note: If I recall correctly paths don't export from Choreographies so if using this method in modeling make sure your path is a spline from a model.
Looks familiar. 
You can also use this technique to animate plants that branch. Set up a set of control path splines that provide the branch structure of the plant as it would be fully grown. Each branch will be set up essentially like Robert described above. Basically a tube with each spline ring assigned to a separate bone and constrained to the particular control path spline in a percentage pose. In addition, scale the spline ring bones very small at the zero percent end of the pose slider. At the other end scale them to 100%. That way the branch grows in thickness as it grows in length. Once you have all the branch poses set up, animate the whole set in a new overall percentage pose. Strart with the "trunk" which will define the duration of the growth animation. As the trunk passes the base of a branch, start the branch growing and complete its growth at the same time the "trunk" completes. Of course you can add layers of branching, timing each layer accordingly. Leaf clusters can be associated with their own bone. These bones do not need to be constrained to a path, but they do need to be placed where each leaf cluster will sprout. Use pose sliders to scale the leaf cluster bones. Animate the leaf clusters in the overall percentage pose as well, once each leaf cluster percentage pose is set up.
The two movies attached demonstrate the idea.
If you are a real masochist, you can build a whole tree like this:
Tree Growth Animation
You can also use this technique to animate plants that branch. Set up a set of control path splines that provide the branch structure of the plant as it would be fully grown. Each branch will be set up essentially like Robert described above. Basically a tube with each spline ring assigned to a separate bone and constrained to the particular control path spline in a percentage pose. In addition, scale the spline ring bones very small at the zero percent end of the pose slider. At the other end scale them to 100%. That way the branch grows in thickness as it grows in length. Once you have all the branch poses set up, animate the whole set in a new overall percentage pose. Strart with the "trunk" which will define the duration of the growth animation. As the trunk passes the base of a branch, start the branch growing and complete its growth at the same time the "trunk" completes. Of course you can add layers of branching, timing each layer accordingly. Leaf clusters can be associated with their own bone. These bones do not need to be constrained to a path, but they do need to be placed where each leaf cluster will sprout. Use pose sliders to scale the leaf cluster bones. Animate the leaf clusters in the overall percentage pose as well, once each leaf cluster percentage pose is set up.
The two movies attached demonstrate the idea.
If you are a real masochist, you can build a whole tree like this:
Tree Growth Animation
QUOTE(williamgaylord @ Feb 21 2009, 10:36 PM) 
If you are a real masochist, you can build a whole tree like this:
that looks great, quite magical!
If we can ever fix the rendering glitches I might finish the film. There will be two children, a little girl and her older brother planting seeds along the row of brownstones. The trees will grow magically as they work their way down the street. The project has been stalled as we try to figure out why the rendering glitches up when the leaves start growing (and while I work overtime on my "real" job). Trees are made of simple parts, by there are an awful lot of them!
Thanks guys, this is exactly what I need for a film I'm working on.
Whatever you come up with in this area would be much appreciated.
Whatever you come up with in this area would be much appreciated.
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