How To Duplicate An Object On A Motion Path Every 5 Frames?

[lunarhavok]

Hi! here is what I'm trying to do.... I have a motion path for an object set up from frame 0 to 250. What I wanted to do was set up a script that will select that object and duplicate it every 5 frames as it moved along the motion path. Anyone have any idea on how to achieve this?

Thanks,
Jaz

[pixl]

Take a look at Animate>Create Animation Snapshot Options and the corresponding command:
snapshot -increment 5 -constructionHistory 1 -startTime 1 -endTime 25 -update demand; updateMotionTrail;

You might want to rebuild your curv w/uniform placement of CVs.

[lunarhavok]

hey Thanks i looked into that but its not what i need. Basically i have a locator on a motion path and i need it to duplicate as it moves along the path essentially leaving a trail behind.. but i need to have the locator duplicate not become an animation trail. I have to in the end give this file with just locators to act as nulls in AE. I hope that makes sense lol.

[pixl]

The snapshot function creates duplicate objects, not an animation trail. It doesn't appear to work w/locators, but try it w/a simple object.
Maybe you can use a simple object rather than a null?

Another approach might be to use the modulus function to duplicate a locator at a given interval. The modulus function, "%", can be used to calculate the remainder of a division operation. So if you were dividing by 5, the modulus would return 0 on all the frames which are divisible by 5. I don't know how to evaluate a motion path over time, but I'm sure it can be done.
IE:
// MODULUS FUNCTION:
print (21 % 4);
// Result will be 1

[pixl]

In thinking a bit more about this, here is a simple solution:
Create a loop which advances the current time incrementally and make a dupe of your null during each pass of the loop.
Sorry, but I don't have time to write it at the moment.

[pixl]

It wasn't too difficult:

CODE
int $increment = 5;
int $endFrame = 100;
   for ($i=0; $i<$endFrame; $i+=$increment){
       currentTime -e $i;
       duplicate -rr -n ("locator"+$i) locator1;
       //print (`currentTime -q`+"\n");
   }

[joojaa]

QUOTE(PixL @ 10/30/08, 01:11 AM) [snapback]294203[/snapback]
Create a loop which advances the current time incrementally and make a dupe of your null during each pass of the loop.
Sorry, but I don't have time to write it at the moment.

That would be animation snapshot. Just delete the history after you have run it.