The Path tool provides an additional method of adding movement to objects, by defining points through which the object will pass.
To draw a path, select an object and click the path tool button. You may also press and hold down the p key. You can now insert new points by right-clicking in the edit area and select for instance Add curve point.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Timeline
Whenever an object has a path, this will show in the Timeline. Clicking the small arrow next to the object will show a timeline view of the path.
The vertical lines in the timeline view shows where the path points are positioned. If you click on a path point in the edit area, it will be selected and you can then modify its position and angle.
When the mouse pointer is a move pointer () you can drag downward to create a pause on a path point. The empty space corresponds to the time the object is not moving and instead pausing on the path point.
Timeline context menu
Right-click on the path in the timeline view to open the path timeline context menu.
- Auto adjust path timing
Adjusts the time intervals between path points based on the distance between them. This has the effect of maintaining a constant speed throughout the path movement. This will include the pauses on path points. - Setup path intervals
- Opens a dialog in which to enter the time in between each path point - the same time will be used regardless of the distance between the points.
- Setup path pauses
- Opens a dialog where you may enter the amount of time to pause on each of the points in the path.
- Delete path pauses
- Delete any and all pauses on path points.
Dialogs
Right-click the edit area to bring up the path context menu.
- Add curve point
Adds a curve point (You may also use Ctrl+left click) - Add line point
- Adds a line point (You may also use Ctrl+Shift+left click.)
- Delete point
- Deletes the selected path point.
- Deletes the selected path point.
- Point type
You may also use the corresponding buttons in the Path movementdialog.- Lines - Make the point a hard corner point.
- Curves - Make the point a curve point.
- Symmetry - If unchecked, allows for independent control of the curve entering the point as well as the exiting curve.
- Movement
Changes the movement along the path- Linear - Maintains a constant speed during the interval in between this point and the next.
- Accelerate - Increases speed during the interval.
- Slow down - Decreases speed during the interval.
- Copy path
- Copies the path to the clipboard.
- Paste path
- Pastes a copied path.
Note: This will overwrite an existing path on the object.
- Save path
- Save the path to a file on disk. The file extension for a saved path is .disepath.
- Load path
- Load a path from disk.
- Delete path
- Delete the entire path.
- Special
Special commands- Collapse path points - Retains the points but puts them all at the starting point.
- Distribute path points - Retains the points but puts them in a line from the start to the end point.
- Invert path points - Switches position of the points so that the last point is the first and so on.
- Copy path to all objects - Copies the current path to all objects in the scene.
Note: This will overwrite any existing paths.
Path settings
The Path settings tab in the top menu holds the properties for a selected point in a path. For instance, further specify for how long the object's path should pause on the selected point.
- Point type
Same thing as the right click dialog- Lines - Make the point a hard corner point.
- Curves - Make the point a curve point.
- Symmetry - If unchecked, allows for independent control of the curve entering the point as well as the exiting curve.
- Point time on path
- The exact time on the timeline the point will be passed.
- Pause time at point
- The exact time on the timeline to pause on the point.
- Point position
Specify the position in space (X,Y,Z) of the point - Point angle
The object, when passing, will have to rotate to angle up.
The angle is defined in degrees for X, Y and Z.
Note: You may enter a value of over 360, in which case the object has to rotate several times to angle up!
- Speed type
Adjusts the type of speed of the object along the path- Speed up - Increases speed during the interval.
Linear - Maintains a constant speed during the interval in between this point and the next.
Slow down - Decreases speed during the interval.