Blackmagic Forum

Hi.

I wonder how do you parent or link elements to lets say master element or null
that controls the animation?

Say i have image i'm animating and want to "attach" something to it
so the linked / parented element moves along when animating the master?

Went over manual but at first did not find it.

Probably i have wrong naming in my head for that?

you can connect every parameter per "simple expression" and then use the "+" to pick the parent parameter

or you use "publish" controls and "connect to" function

both are in the user manual page 438++

Margus Voll wrote:Parenting or linking... Went over manual but at first did not find it.

I just went through this last week, and here is how I connected a pEmitter to the wing of a jet fighter:

1. Put the jet (any object really, this is the parent) into a Merge3d.

2. Using expressions, put what ever you want to connect (mesh, object, pEmitter, what ever this is the child) into the exact same location using expressions. Put an "=" in the value box and a expression edit box appears. Use the "+" and drag it to the appropriate value in the "master" The expression will look something like this:

Jetlocation.Transform3DOp.Translate.X
Jetlocation.Transform3DOp.Translate.y
Jetlocation.Transform3DOp.Translate.z

Now both pivot points are the same. But what if you don't want the object at the pivot point? Then we add an offset. For example with the jet example, this puts the pEmitter into the center of the jet. Not where we want it.

So we add an offset to the expression, so for my jet example to put the pEmitter on the wing tip I added the offset to the expressions I just created:

Jetlocation.Transform3DOp.Translate.X + .6
Jetlocation.Transform3DOp.Translate.y - .05
Jetlocation.Transform3DOp.Translate.z

But now the pivot point is not in the right place!!! So use the pivot slider to move it back. To get it in the exact same position, what ever offset you added to the translation expression (Jetlocation.Transform3DOp.Translate.X + .6) You do the opposite in the pivot. So for this example I would change the pivot for the child to -.6 in the X and +.05 in the Y.

Last, link the child's x,y, and z rotation to the parent (again using expressions). Now your child will stick to to parent. No matter how you move or rotate it. I also am using the same procedure to lock a missile to the jet fighter, and the rocket exhaust from the missile.

Let me know if that made sense or not. I will whip up a code example and share it if it didn't.

Thanks.

Makes sense. Will dig in to the manual. I never figured that was ""how" in the manual.
Probably as i have used to use AE to much.

Hi,

If you are trying to do a simple 2D hierarchy, like an arm, connect your CHILD element to a Transform tool. Move the pivot to the desired location. Connect this Transform to a Merge tool where a PARENT element is connected as foreground or background. Connect the output of this Merge tool to a transform tool, then move the pivot to desired location of that PARENT. If you consider these 2 elements as CHILD of another PARENT element, then do the same: connect this last Transform tool to a new Merge tool where this new PARENT element is connected as foreground or background. Then connect this new merge to another Transform tool, move the pivot to a desire location, and so on.
You will animate these transform tools.

Thanks.

This is what i meant.

Parenting in 3D space is similar i assume?

Yes, in 3D space, the geometry and the Merge3D have a transform tab already. You can adjust the pivot of the first child in geometry (ImagePlane), but from parent to parent you may adjust in the Merg3D tool.

Thanks.

kd bend + ct

june yu wrote:kd bend + ct

Do you mean 3D Bender + Custom Tool?

Could you please elaborate more on this?

Kd stands for the krokodove plugins

both are in the user manual page 438++

The Fusion7_UserManual.pdf that loads up when you press F1 only has 341 pages.
Does anybody know on which page of the pdf the relevant informationfor this information lives?

Thanks
David.