Hi there...
Okay this is a last ditch request / question post, because I've had a dig about the forums entering various variations on a theme in to the search and the results are useful but not what I'm after.
So firstly apologies if this has been discussed before and I've missed the solution somewhere.
Right on with the show...
firstly check out the effect I'm trying to get on the two links below
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaPQTnIHS\_I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeE9SRpoTmQ
Essentially an animated ink line that travels over a curve that is itself animating and eventually resolving to a shape or a logo.
Straight off the bat I'll come out and tell you what I've tried;
1. Animated Extrude over a curve
2. Animated flow path with a nurbs cylinder motion pathed to a curve - I have tried both versions of this (lattice around the object and around the path itself)
3. An object with a large IK chain running through it and the chain is connected to the curve and animated around the curve using the IK handle offset value.
All of these methods work up to a point but are either messed up by twists in the curve I can't see (must be something to do with the orientation of the CV points I'm guessing but I have no idea how to control that effectively) or by a lack of fine control (the IK chain method doesn't go smoothly around tight bends unless I put about a million joints in to the object over a small distance).
The thing I'm after is a reusable set-up for this kind of thing that can be used around the studio, so that anyone can just come in draw a curve and the object with flow smoothly around the curve in controlled and replicable way.
Lastly I do want control on how the line twists and banks around the path rather than leaving it to some arbitrary CV orientation to twist the line object for me.
I'm even considering trying to do paint FX but I figure there must be a way to do this effect that doesn't require me to resort to that just yet.
Again I know there's a few "how do I animate my ribbon / car / water / donkey / extrusion around a path" questions around here and I have read most of them before deciding to post up this thread, because I know the basics of animating an extrude and a flow path extrude but as much as looking for an answer to the main problem of how do I solve this issue with the methods I'm considering, I'm also wondering if there's another way to be considered that anyone might think is better.
As ever any and all comments, suggestions, helpful advice gratefully received.
Thanks for your time.
Lee