Detaching from motion path

[vine2000]

I have an object that I have attached to a motion path of 250 frames. At frame 250 I would like to detach the object from the path and keyframe animate it from there on. In attempting to do this I figured I could point constrain the object to a locator and then attach the locator to the motion path. At frame 250 I would break the point constraint between object and locator and this would free up the object to be transformed and keyframed on its own. I have not been successful. Could someone advise me on how to proceed using this strategy or suggest a better one?

thanx for any feedback

jlurton

[joojaa]

good strategy but be sure to put the non constrained position to the datach point...

or bake the path ainim up to frame 250 (simplify curves!) and then animate as anything!

[vine2000]

Thanx Joojaa, but where I am having trouble is understanding how to detach the object from the locator at frame 250. I can't discover the keyable attribute. I have tried changing the point constraint node state from normal to blocking at frame 250. Whereas this detaches the object from the locator (which continues to travel down the motion path) it does not allow the freed object to be keyframed with new transforms. I get a zero result when I try to keyframe it at a different position away from the motion path. I shall indeed try the baking alternative but just for clarity's sake is there a single attribute that I can be keying on or off to affect whether a point constrained object is either attached (that is constrained) or detached (free to be keyframed)?

[joojaa]

You should actually start by actualy reading the manual (hit f1) on constraints.

The constrained object should have a constrain in its input connection list click on it to expand and then it should be more than ovious!

[vine2000]

Sorry Joojaa, I do not wish to waste your time. Perhaps it is because I am working with the PLE 4.5 version of Maya. I use the help files for information and the constraint help doesn't appear to contain information relevent to my question. I do not have access to an actual Maya "manual".

My first thought was to expand the keyable attributes for the pointConstraint input as you have recently suggested. The keyable attributes in the Channel Box are Node State, Offset X, Offset Y, Offset Z and Locator 1 WO. I tried switching the Node State to _blocking_ but that did not free up the point-constrained object. The additional attributes listed in the Attribute Editor did not appear relevent either. The ChannelControl list contains many additional pointConstraint attributes but nothing like a "pointConstraint disconnect". Intuitively I'm just looking for a _keyable_ attribute that can simply disconnect/reconnect the point constraint.

Baking the animation curve provides a workaround but does not leave me with the option to readjust the object's path motion in the future.

Please be assured, Joojaa, I do quite a bit of research before I post on this board. I feel very fortunate to be able to use this board as a resource. I have just not been able to find an answer to this on my own, simple as the solution may actually turn out to be. Thanks for your help.

jml

[mechaniac]

I know there is a new feature in 5.0 called a Parent Constraint that easily fixes this, I saw it today in a demo. If you are runing 4.5 PLE, they said it should be out by siggraph, or next month if you can wait.

This prob won't help then, but the example I saw was a helicopter following a path, then branching off the curve whenever you want.

Simply create a locator where you want your object to end up, shift select your object, do a Parent Constraint. Then, simply turn the value or weight from 1 to 0.
Take your ojbect, assign it to the motion path. When you want your object to branch from the path, key the weight value of the locator.

again, if you don't have 5.0, this won't help, but thats how I know how to do it.

[badcookie]

you have the right idea.

make two locators and attach one of them to the motion path (locator A).
point constrain (point costraint 1) your object to locator A with a weight of 1.
at frame 250, point and orient constrain locator B to your OBJECT, then DELETE the newly created constraints to free up locator B's channels. ( this makes locator B have the exact position of your object).
Next, point and orient constrain (point constraint 2) your object to the locator B with a weight of 0 (your object should not move).
animate to 249, and then keframe the weight of the point constraint 1toa value of 0 and the orient constraint at 0. Then at frame 250 key point constrait 2 and the orient constraint to 1 (now your object is constrained to thelocator
Now you can animate the locator B freely, which will bring your object.

hope this is clear. good luck.

[joojaa]

Some ple examples can be found i here! examine to your hearts content!

[vine2000]

Thanks for your patience and help guys. If I can't figure it from all this info I'll just detach my brain.