Path Animation

Animate an object as it moves along a path. You can also combine key frame animation with path animation to move the camera as well as the object.

First you need an object to animate, a curve for the path (optional), and a target object (optional).

  1. On the ribbon, click the Animation tab.
  2. Click the Path Animation icon.
  3. Select an object or group to animate.
  4. Optional: Select one of the following:
    • X axis: Align the selected object or group along the x-axis.
    • Y axis: Align the selected object or group along the y-axis.
    • Z axis: Align the selected object or group along the z-axis.
  5. Select a path for the animation trajectory:
    • Select a curve. The camera moves along the path and always looks at the target object.
    • Or if you want to create an animation without a path, right-click. The camera stays in the same position, but rotates to look at the target object.
  6. In the guide bar, select one of the following options:
    • None: The camera doesn't have a target.
    • Tangent: The camera looks toward the tangent of the current position on the curve.
    • Target: The camera looks at the target.
  7. Enter the Look ahead distance. The camera rotates slightly to look at a point on the curve at this specified distance.
    The point is indicated by a small gray circle on the curve.
  8. Select a target object to look at:
    • Select an object.
    • Or if you want to create an animation without a target, right-click. The camera stays in the same location, but rotates to follow the moving target.
  9. To play the animation, on the timeline at the bottom of the modeling window, drag the Current Time slider.

Combine Key Frame Animation with Path Animation

Combine key frame animation with path animation to move the camera as well as the object.

First you need an object to animate, a curve for the path (optional), and a target object (optional).
Since the path animation is an object in construction history, you need to move the camera.
  1. In the Model Browser, select the camera.
  2. Open the Move tool:
    • Press W.
    • From the Home tools, click the Move icon.

  3. Move the camera as desired.
  4. You can add key frames of position on the path. By default, the camera moves along the path at a continuous velocity. But if you would like the camera to be a different position at, for example, 2 sec, click the Set KF button and confirm that you want to set the key frame on the Path U channel. Now the movement along the path follows the key frame specified from the U parameter on the path. The U parameter can be changed by dragging this point or by entering a new value on the guide bar.
    Note: If you move the camera past the 0 and 1 U parameters, the camera continues on the tangent on the endpoints of the path.
When you play the animation, the camera will move as specified by the key frame animation, but will retain the Look at constraint from the path animation.