Stupidly Easy Animation Query

[timothyfolk]

Hi all

Iv'e been using maya for ages but I don't know why i'm stumped with this problem, it should be really easy, but I can't really figure out the most elegent solution for an up and coming project.

Basically all I want is this snake like thing to do as the picture blow suggests, simply animating round objects (top is before, bottom is after):

Of course, I dont know if using a motion path would be the best way or not, so whatever's best!

Thanks!

[gmask]

yup, motionpath

[timothyfolk]

Oops, think I should have mentioned HOW I would go about animating something like that? I.E how to get geometry to extend around a motion path?

The picture was literally a start and and end i created separatly.

cheers.

[gmask]

you attach the object to the motionPath then make it a flowpath object animation>animate>motion Paths

[timothyfolk]

Cool, that seems quite good.

But to achieve the desired effect (i.e the tube growing from small to long, getting longer and longer as it follows the curve) Would I have to create the entire length of the tube first, make it follow the curve and edit out overly long bits at the start of the animation in the composting stage later?

Plus, it's doing some weird warping effects at the start and the end of the lattice... any idea why?

Thanks for the help so far.

[gmask]

you eiteh rwan tto create a longer curve than you need or set the lattice to deform outside it's boundaries

[timothyfolk]

Think I can work from this now. Cheers mate.