5
$\begingroup$

I'm trying to do something similar to this is Blender:

enter image description here

Animation here: https://www.instagram.com/p/BqQKtNmHsCw/

I've got the shape and animation working, but I can't figure out how to animate the text layer on the 4 different sides?

Here's an image of my shape so far:

enter image description here

I followed this to build the shape: How to animate text over a twisted mesh (or text flowing along an infinity loop)

Also I might need to smooth the object without interfering with the twist or rounding the sides?

Edit

This is how it looks when I follow the linked suggestion / open Robin Betts' file:

enter image description here

I'm not able to determine what Axis, origin the simple deform modifier uses. Is there an addon plugin that I need to install? (I'm using v.2.79)

Improve this question
$\endgroup$
3
  • $\begingroup$ Ahh, OK. your 279 is earlier than mine, and indeed, you have no option to set the deformer axes to selected world axes, only to define them using another object's space. I''ll make a version that replaces those settings with objects which define the axes for the deformers and post it up when I can. Hang on in there..:) $\endgroup$
    – Robin Betts ♦
    Commented Jun 26, 2019 at 16:30
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ @RobinBetts No need to do that! Just downloaded v.2.8 and now everything works! Now I just need to get used to the new interface. Thank you so much for your help! $\endgroup$
    – Allan Kristiansen
    Commented Jun 26, 2019 at 16:32
  • $\begingroup$ Cool. I'm still getting used to 2.8 myself, and I have to say, even after a while, I'm finding it slower for modeling. I'm going to have to create a lot of personal shortcuts to replace the standard ones which have been stripped out to clear the keymap. You could always download the latest 279.. it depends where you're at. $\endgroup$
    – Robin Betts ♦
    Commented Jun 26, 2019 at 16:37

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
7
$\begingroup$

The Material

A material is set up for the object, coloring an emission shader with an image in the object's UV space, through a Mapping node:

enter image description here

Unwrapping

If you're following a method something like this one, then you're just unwrapping flat surfaces, before they are modified:

enter image description here

  • There is a seam down every longitudinal edge, so it's just U unwrap, followed by rotating/scaling in the UV Editor.
  • Although the UV space has been set up to allow different text on every face, in this case the UV islands have been snapped over one another, so they all refer to the same region of the image.

Modifiers

After Twist and Bend modifiers are assigned as shown in the linked answer ..

enter image description here

Animation

Now the Location: X field of the Mapping node in the material can be keyframed between 0 and 1 to loop the translation of the UV texture space (trim the last frame, where X = 1 = 0, to get a seamless loop):

Here, the loop is shown without the animated twist: only the text is being animated across its surface.

enter image description here

Here, with the twist as well..

enter image description here

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$
5
  • $\begingroup$ Thanks a lot! I've tried quite a lot of different approaches now and most of them seem to rely on the simple deform modifier twisting or bending on an axis - but my version of Blender doesn't seem to have that option? Is it an addon that I need to install? $\endgroup$
    – Allan Kristiansen
    Commented Jun 26, 2019 at 15:16
  • $\begingroup$ @AllanKristiansen Not familiar with very old versions.. the method linked from here doesn't depend on a custom or object orientation for the deform modifiers.. just the selection in them of one of the world axes. The twist is achieved by hooking.. which rotates the mesh before it is deformed. Can you reach the modifier settings illustrated in the other answer? $\endgroup$
    – Robin Betts ♦
    Commented Jun 26, 2019 at 15:28
  • $\begingroup$ It's version 2.79? In the linked approach it's twisting on "axis, origin: z" and bending on "axis, origin: y" in the simple deform modifier module? When downloading your file, the twist and bend doesn't look like the examples you've shared here? $\endgroup$
    – Allan Kristiansen
    Commented Jun 26, 2019 at 15:34
  • $\begingroup$ @AllanKristiansen dang. Just downloaded my own file to check.. I hadn't included the keys on the empty which animated the twist.,, so have replaced the link. But everything else fine.. just different panels open? What version are you using? $\endgroup$
    – Robin Betts ♦
    Commented Jun 26, 2019 at 16:03
  • $\begingroup$ I'm using version 2.79. Yeah it's the same as the last file, but this time just with some keyframes. It isn't bending or twisting in the right direction. Just added an edit on my original question if that helps. $\endgroup$
    – Allan Kristiansen
    Commented Jun 26, 2019 at 16:07

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .