Each objects Rotation can be controlled during the animation sequence by one of the following:
Use the Point switch and Point the object to another. During the animation sequence the script will always point the objects Z-Axis to the other object.
Note: Sometimes you will use a tool or a object and you will find that it doesn't point the desired direction that you wish it too. That is because the object has a Z-Axis defined that is not necessarily the one you want. To fix this
To use this feature for you object you must first define a Global Point Stroke using the LoadPointStroke button
Max Number of Frames - Enter the total number of frames to create, this determines the resolution of the interpolation routines. A higher number of frames equals smaller increments between movements.
LoadPointStroke - Load the global Point Stroke for objects. This is the stroke that all objects that have the StrokePoint enabled will point thier Z axis at. To create this stroke, use any brush and trace the path that you wish on the canvas. Press the "LoadPointStroke" button to record it. Use "Ctrl Z" to erase the stroke on the canvas. If you change the PointStroke anytime by recording a new stroke, you must press the Load Data button for any objects that is using this feature.
SDepth & EDepth - Starting and Ending Depth of PointStroke . Since a brush stroke is 2D create a 3D representation of stroke by setting it's ZDepth. This will have effect on the objects that are using it as a Point Target as movement closer or farther away will change its rate of change. Just think of watching your finger as you bring it closer to touching your nose.
Use the StrokePoint Switch to point the object's Z axis at a recorded brush stroke which was recorded by the LoadPointStroke as described above. That is all there is to that!
Use this feature to create a object spinning on its Z-Axis independent from the normal interpolation from the Start to End point of the object. Control the objects spin rate by entering a value in the RotFactor slider. If the RotFactor is positive the Object will rotate clockwise, if the RotFactor is negative the Object will rotate Counter-Clockwise. Again that is all there is to that, give it a try is the best way to check it out. Remember to set the Starting and Ending angle when you press the GetStart and GetEnd buttons this also has an effect of controlling the objects speed. For example: If you set the object Z Start angle to 90 and the ending Z End angle is also 90 then the object will not spin at all! If you have a RotFactor of 2 and the starting angle is 0 and the ending angle is 1 then what will happen is it will count the travel from 0 to 1 as the first rotation and then it will spin 360 degrees ending on an angle of 1 at the end of the animation sequence. From this fact you can see that you have quite alot of options for varying the speed of the spin for your different objects by selecting the starting and ending rotation angles. To spin a Zbrush object completely 360 degrees you would set the Starting angle at -180 degrees and the ending angle at +180 with a RotFactor of 1. To spin it counter-clockwise you would set the Starting angle at +180 degrees and the ending angle at -180 with a RotFactor of -1.
LineTo and LineObj
By selecting the LineTo switch you are instructing the script to create and stretch another object defined by the LineTool button and Line Diameter slider (default 3DCylinder and size of 10 - see Lesson 3) between itself and another object set by entering a number in the LineObj slider. In each frame this feature will create this connection. Example: I want to create a swinging pendulum. I create Object 1 being a hook on the ceiling. Object 2 is a ball in which I create a path that arcs from left to right passing underneath the Hook. For Object 2 I also select LineTo and enter 1 for LineObj. In the Render section I set the LineDiameter to 5. When I run the animation in each frame the script puts in a 3DCylinder (default - changable by the LineTool button) between Object 1 the hook and Object 2 the ball. It stretches the cylinder in the Z axis so that it fits between these two objects and sizes the XY diameter of the object to a value of 5. When you then look at the animation it looks like the ball is swinging on a shaft.
Time and Offset
Heh, as I mentioned before I really haven't put this feature to use and it is a little confusing even to me to work with but I leave it in for a good idea possibility for the future.
Entering a value in the Time slider will cause the script to render the object in that resolution instead of the global Number of Frames Resolution. What I mean is, if you have 10 frames and an object is moving in a straight line from left to right start to finish in each frame the object will move a tenth of its total distance. If you enter the value of 20 into the time slider the object will move 1/20 of the distance in each frame and at the end of the 10 frames it will stop half way between the start and end point. If you enter a value of 5 the object will move 1/5 of the distance and be at the endpoint in 5 frames. In the following 5 frames it will continue to be drawn at the endpoint.
Entering a value in the Offset slider will cause the script not to render the object until that frame is reached. For instance if I enter the value of 5 in a 10 frame animation the object will not be drawn until the 5th frame. In the next 5 frames it will start moving from its Start position and end up at the 10th frame halfway to the End Position.
Using a combination of Time and Offset may allow you to do so things like starting a object moving halfway thru the animation etc.. And also break up the visual illusion a fixed framed animation has when everything looks like it is moving at the same speed and time.
Are you still with me? As you can see Rotation of an object is even easier than getting thru the first lesson. As you will see later just like Position and Size you can use Frame by Frame editing to modify each frame individually.