Difficulty using turntable animation while viewing the conclusion animation flow

[Anonymous]

Hello AutoDesk friends,

Being a newbie, I am currently using Windows Maya 2018, where I have created a 3D cylinder wanting it to rotate 360 degrees displaying a logo.

Having viewed and researched all available resources, I have come up with using a turntable which does the work for me.

However, even though the cylinder is indeed rotating 360 degrees, once I play the animation preview, it rotates at a certain designated speed (50), and as soon as it is supposed to cycle back and continue its forever rotation, it slows down the rotation speed arriving towards the end of the timeline and at a slow pace picks up the continuity of the rotation back from the begging of the timeline instead of making it flow as one continuing piece.

I have played with graph editor and it’s tangents menu, putting everything I could find under “linear”, such as ‘In Tangent and out Tangent’ but the same result happens.

First off, once on graph editor, it says that I should have a curve line, mine is a short horizontal straight pink line with an infinite red perpendicular line crossing it.

May you please assist me with something I am missing to have a continuos preview of the cylinder rotating 350 degrees upon itself.

If you need some more detailed information about the object and it’s specific references, I am ready to add them to this note.

Thank you very much for your assistance on this matter!!

- HB

[mspeer]

Hi!

1. Your Maya version?

2. For turntable a camera will be created that moves around your scene. Select the animated group (transform node) for this camera to get your keyframes.

I recommend to animate the Cylinder as this gives your more freedom with your camera.

[Anonymous]

Thank you for your quick reply mspeer,

VERSION: WINDOWS AUTODESK MAYA 2018 (What exactly were you referring to here, is there a version number or something?)

Actually the selected cylinder to rotate is the only piece of the large object rotating as you can see in the image below.

I will research how to use the “transform node” and see how it affects the way the camera uses the keyframes. 

The preview of the cylinder is rotating 360 degrees perfectly fine, but since I want it to be a continuous rotation, it pauses the video toward keyframe #1195 (view on image below) for 1 millisecond and starts over again at #50 breaking the flow instead of an uninterrupted steady non stop replay.

Maybe I’m not doing the tangents/linear thing right, may you please explain how to execute those options?

Attachment #1: The whole object, with the selected cylinder in green which rotates

Attachment #2:  The Graph Editor based on the cylinder turntable 

[mspeer]

Hi!

1. Maya 2018, Ok

2. In Graph Editor your zoom is totally wrong, you are watching a time-frame of many million frames.

3. To make a consistent rotation you need only 2 keyframes, then use Curves -> Post Infinity -> Cycle with Offset, or

add an expression for Rotate

[Anonymous]

Hello mspeer,

Thank you for your input on not needed so many frames.  I reduced it based on following the cylinder’s rotation which makes a complete 360 degree, and blocking the timeframe from start to finish of the cycle.

Also, thank you for the 'Post Infinity' which makes it a consistent rotation.

I am currently researching how to prevent certain parts of the object to rotating. 

The turntable had been uniquely set for the center base cylinder to rotate, now the whole ensemble is following.

I am trying to ground the top and bottom cover of the cylinder as well as the base of the top triangle. (view images below)

However, the base of the triangle & triangle will have to rotate 360 degrees along with the center cylinder.

My research gives me that I should set them as “grounded” by right clicking on the item.  Unfortunately I don’t seem to find that “ground” option.

Another way I found says to use Angle-Directed Angle, which too I don’t seem to find the option by using HELP - FIND A MENU ITEM

Below are images where the selected portions in green of the object, should not rotate:

Thank you for your help

[mspeer]

Hi!

Turntable does not rotate the objects, your objects don't move.

Your camera named turntableCamera is moving around the scene (enable Grid and you see the problem).

It seems you are not very familiar with Maya, so i don't recommend to use this feature.

1. Switch back to persp camera in Viewport.

2. Simply select the object you want to rotate and create 2 keys at separate frames for Rotate Y.

Please read the Maya Online Help / Documentation for more details about keys and animation.

[Anonymous]

Hello mspeer,

I have followed your advice and have been reading through the Maya Online help.  I am becoming more and more familiar with the animation and how it is created by Maya.

Succeeding in doing the 360 rotation on both the cylinder and the triangle following the explanations on autodesk.com, I am stuck in one little mishap I had done from the beginning of the animation settings.

I had accidentally set up the time frame of playback to start at frame 550 (didn’t change to 1 from where it had left off) for a certain object of the whole ensemble.  Hence portions of the ensemble start at 1 and this specific portion of it is stagnant until the time frame reaches 550.

Before asking for your help, many searches have been done seeking the answer for how to set the animation playback to start at 1 instead of 550 and to follow the ensemble throughout the timeframe, no success.

Thank you for your help on this matter!

Greetings,

- HB

[mspeer]

Hi!

I'm not sure if understand it correct.

If you want the animation to start earlier just move the keys!?

Or use Curves -> Pre Infinity -> Cycle with Offset.

[Anonymous]

I tried moving the keys earlier, but it doesn't move as drag & drop.

Then I tried all different kinds of cut/past, it keeps giving me the error of, in reference to "nothing to paste".  Even though it selected a portion of the timeframe in red and I selected copy from key under animation.

Hoping Curves -> Pre Infinity -> Cycle with Offset will work, I am not at work anymore, will have to try it out in the morning.  I will keep you posted.

Thank you dear friend.

[mspeer · Accepted solution]

Hi!

Use Graph Editor or Dope Sheet to move keys.

Timeline also works but the other Editors are more intuitive.

Please read the Maya Online Help / Documentation for more details about how to move, copy and paste keys.

[Anonymous]

Hello,

I have read the copy/paste : http://help.autodesk.com/view/MAYAUL/2018/ENU/?guid=GUID-44139924-FB4F-45AC-BD7A-DB6BABA5B968

But it's not that user friendly once trying to implement the HOW TO.

It doesn't work as easily said and done.

I will try your advice on Graph Editor or Dope Sheet tomorrow in the morning, hoping it works well.

Thank you again!

[Anonymous]

TWO THUMBS UP for you mspeer!!!

I have scaled back the beginning of the animation to start from 0 using Dope Sheet and it's "Keyframe tool".

Thank you for teaching me a new technique in this process of making animations through Maya 2018 !

Greetings to you dear mspeer! 

[Anonymous]

Hello mspeer,

I spent all weekend trying to find a solution or way to import a 2D jpeg image and place it on a 3D surface making it equivalent to the whole partition's 3D surface such as a round cylinder or three side triangle.  

The 2D image is the logo which I'm trying to make fit on the cylinder which will rotate 360 degrees, and put another 2D logo on the three sides of the 3D triangle which will rotate 360 as well.

The official autodesk support page states : https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/maya/learn-explore/caas/CloudHelp/cloudhelp/2016/ENU/Maya/fil...

Having tried all the different options listed, I have succeeded in importing a jpeg on the working scene area.  However, even though I scaled the image to not overlap and filling up the whole space, it is not giving me edit options such as scale or stick to 3D object.  Using MODIFY -> TRANSFORMATION TOOLS, but it does not give me the hand to do what it suggests in the list of options.

I actually had to open up a new scene to work on the Logo image I am trying to import to the cylinder & 3D triangle, because every time I imported the image on the initial project scene, it took over the scene and was the above visual layer hiding the 3D model in the back.

I am quite aware that Maya is not for 2D images, but rather 3D object modeling, but part of the object modeling requires that I input a 2D image.  I am sure that it is very simple and that I am just not aware of the shortcut or buttons to press.

Thank you for sharing your knowledge on Maya with me, mspeer. 

[mspeer]

Hi!

This is a new question, please next time open a new thread.

Image plane creates an image plane in front of your camera and therefore blocks your view.

You need a simple texture on your object

Please search for texture mapping in Maya Online Help:

http://help.autodesk.com/view/MAYAUL/2018/ENU/?guid=GUID-DC60577E-1A09-4D51-BD6E-6400F4F5EFD7

[Anonymous]

I had the same problem but I figured out a solution. After creating your turntable, Go to windows>Animation Editors> Graph Editors. Select Rotate Y or whatever rotate option you find on the left-hand column. To fix this issue, click on the auto tangents tool on the menu bar. Your turntable curve should be an S curve.