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Edit: During an animation. I do not mean an extrude but animating the vertices of a mesh along a predefined path curve.

I have a mesh and a complex path curve. I'd like to make each individual row of vertices on the mesh follow the path. I don't know how to do this.

I currently have animall and standard latest version of blender. I can add any other extension i need to complete this task as it is crucial to the project i am making.

1) i have a custom path curve in two dimesional space (the third dimension is locked, static)

2) i have a mesh perpendicular to the path curve (mesh is in x - z and the curve is in y - x)

3) I want to make the mesh follow the path curve to get a nice animation of a piece of endless track rolling down a production line

enter image description here https://i.sstatic.net/OMCrM.jpg

Ignore the curve atm it's just a test curve. I want the mesh to deform according to the shape of the curve so i can fake the physics and make a fast and neat animation of a rather complex motion by making the path curve by hand.

I want the vertices of a mesh to follow the path (mesh deforms as it follows the path) with all vertices with the same Y coordinate moving in the same way.

edit: some styling.

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2 Answers 2

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Press SHIFT + “C” to center the cursor.

In Front View (Press “1”) Press Shift + “A” and add a plane. Tab into Edit Mode and press CTRL + “R” and add a healthy number of Loop Cuts by scrolling your Mouse Wheel. enter image description here

Tab into Object Mode and add a Bezier Curve by pressing SHIFT + A. Then Rotate the Bezier Curve 90’ on the “X” Axis. Press “R” “X” 90.

Select your Plane and add a Curve Modifier. In the Modifier Pane choose the Bezier Curve as the "Object"either with the “Eye Dropper” or enter in the name of the Bezier Curve. enter image description here enter image description here

Move (Animate) the Plane on the “X” Axis. enter image description here

A Bezier Curve with more segments and a Sub Surf Modifier on the Plane. enter image description here

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  • $\begingroup$ Thank you! I think that this will be perfect. I will try this myself. $\endgroup$
    – Blaž Žnidaršič
    Commented Jul 6, 2017 at 17:34
  • $\begingroup$ Interesting. Couldn't make it work, as each time I would try to move the object along the curve it would "break free" of the path into weird directions. I've had more luck with "follow path" constraint but I'm not sure this one can deform the mesh along the path $\endgroup$
    – MicroMachine
    Commented Oct 19, 2018 at 0:05
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Is this what u need. I understood from your question enter image description here

This u need to do Select the plane then the curve. Add more loop cut so that have smooth shape to the plane. And press ctrl+P and select follow path and play

How it works

enter image description here

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    $\begingroup$ adding more subdivisions to the plane will help make the shape follow the path as well. $\endgroup$
    – user1853
    Commented Jul 6, 2017 at 17:14
  • $\begingroup$ @cegaton yeah its just to understand. $\endgroup$
    – atek
    Commented Jul 6, 2017 at 17:16
  • $\begingroup$ I tried this but it didn't work as intended. Adding a curve modifier as suggested in the Dontwalk's answer did. With smooth shading i'm going to get the result i want. $\endgroup$
    – Blaž Žnidaršič
    Commented Jul 6, 2017 at 17:41
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    $\begingroup$ again, the key is subdividing the plane, else there is no deformation along the path. $\endgroup$
    – user1853
    Commented Jul 6, 2017 at 18:27

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