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I'm trying to animated a shoelace along a curve that spells out a word in cursive. I know the simplest way is to just keyframe an offset along the curve but I'd like to have the shoelace being a complete and wholly formed object rather than simply appearing out of nowhere.

My first thought was to use a soft body for the shoe lace (because if possible I'd like to keep a little jiggle and physics), and animate it along the path using hooks. I was going to put hooks at every major point along the curve and keyframe their strength so that as the soft body passed through each one, it would "switch on" and start holding that part in place until it forms the entire word.

Something tells me this isn't the most intuitive way to do it, though?

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  • $\begingroup$ I am one reader. What is your goal? I do not understand this phrase [I'd like to have the shoelace being a complete and wholly formed object] $\endgroup$
    – atomicbezierslinger
    Commented Nov 25, 2020 at 8:03
  • $\begingroup$ I mean that if you just offset a curve it's going to go from non-existent and slowly appear over the length of the curve. I want the shoelace to exist 100% in the scene from the start, and wind into the shape of the curve, not appear to "grow" into the length of the curve $\endgroup$
    – Tyrannosaur
    Commented Nov 25, 2020 at 9:33
  • $\begingroup$ Curve Modifier is being used, correct? Yes No? Multiple Curves are being used? You can state that in your question. Or a screen capture of your work or similar work can be shown to understand your starting point. $\endgroup$
    – atomicbezierslinger
    Commented Nov 25, 2020 at 16:31
  • $\begingroup$ I am assuming when you state [offset a curve] you mean .. using a Curve Modifier. If this is not the case please state so. Once that is clear this questions can be deleted by me. The Blender screen capture or simplification would be helpful to see. $\endgroup$
    – atomicbezierslinger
    Commented Nov 25, 2020 at 16:46
  • $\begingroup$ blender.stackexchange.com/questions/50396/… $\endgroup$
    – atomicbezierslinger
    Commented Nov 25, 2020 at 16:51

1 Answer 1

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When using a [Curve Modifier] the curve can have 2 portions. That is a starting portion and a final portion.

  • The starting portion could be a wound up visual of the shoe lace or other artistic vision
  • the final portion can be the cursive words.

This may or may not suit your artistic needs.

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  • $\begingroup$ My initial mock up was done in C4D and I was approaching it that way, with spline wraps, etc. and after looking more closely at the curve modifier I see that you're right. I could create a long path for my curve to follow in whatever shapes I want, all while maintaining the same dimensions (not growing along the path). Maybe a noise modifier on the graph can give the movement some of that "physics" feel where it's slightly bouncing and jiggling as a real shoelace would $\endgroup$
    – Tyrannosaur
    Commented Nov 27, 2020 at 23:22

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