Auto-orient Object

[tschau]

hi,

i've got a lot of planes with images mapped to them, and I want them to always face the camera, using their rotate X.

I considered using dynamically created sprites (just not animated, so they sit in place), which auto-orient so that they face the camera, but i really don't want that Y and Z rotation.

any idea how to do this? I thought of something having to do with creation an expression for "rotate X" linking it to the camera normal, but I have absolutely no idea how that would work.

thanks,
- Travis

[jamespiechota]

One way that doesn't involve expressions or particles:

1. Aim constrain the planes to the camera
2. In the constraint node AE:

a. Set the aim vector to be 1.0 in either Y or Z depending on how your planes are set up.
b. Set the up vector to be 1.0 in X
c. Set the World Up Type to "Object Up"

[danyschimpf]

QUOTE(JamesPiecho @ 03/18/07, 04:15 PM) [snapback]262494[/snapback]
One way that doesn't involve expressions or particles:

1. Aim constrain the planes to the camera
2. In the constraint node AE:

a. Set the aim vector to be 1.0 in either Y or Z depending on how your planes are set up.
b. Set the up vector to be 1.0 in X
c. Set the World Up Type to "Object Up"

[danyschimpf]

JamesPecho:
I posted this question on the animation board, can you help me?
Hello:
This is my first post. I am very new to maya. I have Maya 08. I am working on a design visualization of a bridge.
I need to show where North is at all times. I would like to have the North arrow attached to the camera,placed on the top right corner of the screen. I want to create the google earth effect, when the camera moves, turns an rotates, the arrow allways points north.
So far I have placed a texture( North arrow) over a cube. I have been able to parent the cube to a locator (placed North of the bridge)
I have also been able to parent the camera to the arrow.
My problem is, the arrow does not turn to follow the North locator when I move the camera. What am I doing wrong?

[jamespiechota]

Instead of parenting you might have to aim constrain the arrow to the North locator. Select the locator, then the arrow, and go to Constrain > Aim under the Animation menu set.

[danyschimpf]

Thank you, It worked when aim and constraint the arrow and then parent it to the camera. i still need to tweak it some more.
Thanks again.

[joojaa]

Actually, dont aim constrain, but rather orient constrain because a3d camera is not actually point based as such. So if yoiu have a wide lenses your deviate with the aim slightly with aim.