Twisting Problem when using a Helix for Path Deform

[Anonymous]

Alright, this is my first time to post because I am at my wit's end. It seems that no one else has ever had this problem on the internet and I find that extremely hard to believe...

I want to take a flat plane...... and animate it on a helix path... to simulate a flat piece of paper winding onto a large cylinder... not straight like carpet or something, but wrapping like ribbon on a cylinder.

This should be simple enough.... but the "ribbon" in this case twists on the helix as it makes its way through the percentage of the path..... and there's no control for that....

The first attached image is just a simple helix path with path deform.
The second attached image is me flattening out the bottom-most part of the plane and then showing how it twists around the helix path as it goes up...

Does anyone have any clue what is happening here and why I have no control over the path twisting?

I have tried the path constraint instead and I get the same results... and also the path deform WSM with the same results. I am using 3DS MAX 2011. I even went back and tried it in 3DS MAX 2009 and v9... and they all do the same thing.

Any ideas here gang?
Thanks in advance.

Jason

[Steve_Curley]

I can get it pretty close here - make sure the plane is correctly oriented at the start of the Helix. Use the Rotation in the PathDeform for this. Up the percentage so most of the Helix is covered by Plane, then adjust the Twist value to straighten it out. I ended up with an odd value of -461 to get it flat all the way up.

It's not the Helix causing the problem AFAICT, it's PathDeform modifier.

[Anonymous]

Hi Jason,

Is the Loft compound object an option for this particular project?
Using loft you are able to eliminate the banking. (See Attachment)

ivan

[Anonymous]

Here is an animated test of the suggestion Steve did.
Only the Modifier is (WSM); animated are Percent and Stretch.

ivan

p_def05.mov

[Anonymous]

You know, I am with you guys here in theory.... I understand it..... but for whatever reason, I am still getting the same result.
I have reset my stage here and started over 20 times... I create the helix in the top view. I make the plane in the front view and line it up to where the edge of the beginning of the plane is at the edge of the first vertex at the bottom of the helix... ready to slide up the helix.

I add the path deform to the helix and then the orientation is all off. I have to play with the axes in order to get it to deform correctly.... I move the percentage back and forth and I still get the banking along the path the whole time......

Maybe I am still missing something here? I tried to follow this to the letter but it's still not working for me.

Thanks for the animation too by the way... that's pretty much what I want... but not what I am getting unfortunately.

Maybe a little more help on the alignment?
Thanks
Jason

[Anonymous]

Hang on, sorry....
I think I just got it. You have to spin the entire object to align with the orientation of the original path's orientation.... sorry... I got it now. It took me forever....

Thanks again, you guys are awesome.
Jason