Questions tagged [constraints]

Constraints are object features, they control in various fashions the object's transform properties such as its position, rotation and scale. Use this tag for questions pertaining to constraints and their usage within Blender.

Filter by
Sorted by
Tagged with
34 votes
1 answer
86k views

Constraint the camera to look at an object

In my scene I have a camera sitting at the origin. I would like to contraint it so that it always looks at the center of a given object. But the camera should not change its position. I found some ...
philipp's user avatar
  • 617
21 votes
3 answers
24k views

Is there a way to convert a constraint to a keyframe?

I have a model in Blender with a full rig, including IK bones. I also have a sword with two bones, on the top bone of the sword I have a set of constraints that copy the location and rotation of a ...
Goff's user avatar
  • 313
20 votes
3 answers
33k views

How can I make a plane always look at camera? [duplicate]

How can I make a plane always look at camera? Like in old videogames, like Doom or Wolfenstein, this kind of software used static images that always looked at the camera, is this possible to make on ...
beavoru's user avatar
  • 5,317
19 votes
2 answers
2k views

How do I rig a BB-8 robot?

I have made a BB-8 robot from the new Star Wars: The Force Awakens movie, now I want to rig it so the head will stay on top when I move the body. Here is some reference footage of what it looks like ...
David's user avatar
  • 48.9k
19 votes
1 answer
2k views

How can I make my gear simulation in the BGE work?

I have the movement and rotation restrained properly, but the simulation is not behaving like it should. both objects are rigid body objects. How can I make my gear simulation work?
X-27 is done with the network's user avatar
18 votes
2 answers
7k views

Kind of "apply" for a clamp to constraint?

I have a low-poly bridge model whose poles are positioned using Clamp To constraints and a corresponding curve: What I am looking for is a way to remove the constraints but to keep the position of ...
Kay's user avatar
  • 283
17 votes
3 answers
17k views

Add object constraint to a number of selected objects

I have a large number of objects, and I wish to add a Track to constraint to each object. When I select the group of them and then add the constraint, it is added to only the active object, of course....
Jason's user avatar
  • 1,623
16 votes
1 answer
9k views

Animate the parenting of an object

let's say we have a magazine, a gun, and hands. The magazine is parented with the gun. When I make an animation of reloading, I want the Magazine to be a parent of the hand, then after the magazine ...
Knuckles209cp's user avatar
14 votes
1 answer
2k views

Hook/parent/constrain to particle hair?

Is there any way to hook, parent, or constraint something to a vertex of a particle hair strand? Such as a hair accessory dangling from a braid that needs to move with the hair? Converting the hair ...
Ascalon's user avatar
  • 6,469
14 votes
5 answers
16k views

Three bones following a curve

I have a chain of three bones and I want them to follow a curve (bezier curve). I've tried to do this creating a bone constraint follow path but it doesn't work. I'...
Andrea's user avatar
  • 751
12 votes
1 answer
758 views

Would it be possible to create a new constraint "type" with python?

Obviously it is possible to add new mesh "type" with python in the list of create mesh. I think I read that it isn't possible to create a new "modifier" type with python. What about constraints type (...
Stan Paillereau's user avatar
11 votes
1 answer
7k views

How can we animate a ball rolling over a path?

So I have an complex smooth surface. I created a high resolution path curve and used a Shrink Wrap modifier to make it fit on my surface where I want it. I apply the shrink wrap. I can easily make ...
Chuck's user avatar
  • 1,090
10 votes
3 answers
2k views

Rigging an umbrella-like object

I'm trying to figure out the best way to rig this setup. I have several pipes arranged vertically, right next to each other. I want a rig where I can use a single controller to have them spread out at ...
Ascalon's user avatar
  • 6,469
10 votes
1 answer
850 views

How to animate an object so it follows the slope (normal) of another object?

I'd like to animate an object moving over a surface and have the object positioned so it follows the slope (normal) of the surface. Using a shrinkwrap constraint, the object will follow the change in ...
Ed Tate's user avatar
  • 5,146
10 votes
1 answer
1k views

How to access projected 3d tracks of the camera solver?

For further reconstruction of a shot, I'd like to access the 3d location of the projected tracks by the camera solver constraint in the 3d View for all frames via python. While searching through the ...
p2or's user avatar
  • 15.5k
9 votes
1 answer
44k views

How to IK rig legs

I have a simple character. I would like rig the legs so that I can easily control them. How can I IK rig my characters leg? .blend file
Vader's user avatar
  • 14.6k
9 votes
1 answer
9k views

Make Camera System Look at Empty

I have a camera System that is supposed to look at the empty in my scene. It should only move, not rotate. It should rotate in two parts. One, the actual sensor body...
Vader's user avatar
  • 14.6k
9 votes
2 answers
2k views

How can multiple Curves be used to control Camera movement?

I currently use a Track to Constraint to make the camera automatically point to an empty. In an animation the camera is moved along a bezier curve (follow path). How could I change the curve and ...
stacker's user avatar
  • 38.3k
9 votes
0 answers
205 views

Parenting a mesh to a particle [duplicate]

I have made a character with particle hair. The hair is dynamic and it works fine. I want to attach beads to a strand, so that it moves along with the strand of hair. However, I can not find the right ...
Alex's user avatar
  • 91
8 votes
3 answers
11k views

What is Inverse Kinematics?

Why do we need the Inverse Kinematic constraint in rigging? What is the benefit of it, what is a situation where I can use it and what does it do to the armature?
Mahmoud Elkout's user avatar
8 votes
1 answer
10k views

Pinpoint the area light to object

I've made an object and put an area light on scene. I want that area light points toward the object. I tried to put constraint and PARENT TO OBJECT but that doesn't rotate the light in that specific ...
vejn's user avatar
  • 601
8 votes
1 answer
4k views

Parent two objects, without the child getting moved by the parent

Is there a way to parent an object to another, such that the parent does not move the child when it moves? I thought of adding a "negative" Child-of constraint to compensate for movement by parent, ...
Ludwik's user avatar
  • 675
8 votes
1 answer
2k views

Why is the Track to constraint "legacy"?

The tooltip for the "Track to" constraint says: "Legacy tracking constraint prone to twisting artifacts". Why is it "legacy"? Has it been replaced with something else?
foobarbecue's user avatar
8 votes
1 answer
6k views

How to make an object's vertex follow another object

How do I make an object's vertex follow another object? (Not to be confused with: How to make the object follow another object's vertex)
gustavwiz's user avatar
  • 183
8 votes
1 answer
1k views

reorder modifier/constraints stack order in python

Is there any way to set a modifier or constraints index in the stack without using bpy.ops? The idea is to easily reformat the stack order of constraint. An example ...
Boris's user avatar
  • 605
8 votes
1 answer
277 views

Restrict dimensions of cables

I am creating an animated manual for a device that has an external cable connected to it. The cable has a length (1m) and a diameter. When I bend the cable, I would like to ensure that the length ...
Joerg's user avatar
  • 81
8 votes
1 answer
2k views

How to follow a path by curve points rather than length?

I am trying to visualise some physics simulations in Blender. The simulation result is a path that an object travels over time. I am importing the collection of points as a curve into Blender using a ...
HRJ's user avatar
  • 241
7 votes
6 answers
7k views

Changing ChildOf constraint influence to 0, but keeping the position it had as a child

I had a sword object rigged with a single bone, with a ChildOf constraint making it a child of a sheath (with an influence of 1). Throughout an animation i move the sheath, and the sword bone follows ...
John's user avatar
  • 71
7 votes
4 answers
16k views

How to copy constraints from one bone to another?

I've created some shapekeys driven by the bone controllers for my character. Then I gave constraints to the bones on the left side. Now I want to copy and paste them to the right side. Two questions: ...
Paul Gonet's user avatar
  • 33.3k
7 votes
3 answers
13k views

step by step description on how to connect two objects with a hinge constraint

Can someone point me to or give me detailed step by step description on how to connect two objects with a hinge constraint?I am not sure which is the target.. the one that actually swings or the ...
youkuya's user avatar
  • 113
7 votes
1 answer
346 views

Rotate an object in the confinements of another object? (Paddle, Oar)

So in my case I have an oar and a brace, that the oar goes into. I want to animate the oar in a rowing motion. However every time I rotate the oar it goes out of the confinements of the brace. Is ...
blender_noob's user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
4k views

How to get the physics engine to wraps a string around the moving part of a motor constraint?

I'm trying to simulate the physics of a string that wraps around a motor spool when the motor turns. The body of the motor and the shaft+spool defines a motor constraint, so a velocity can be applied ...
Cyril_J's user avatar
  • 105
7 votes
1 answer
4k views

Camera angle should follow path angle

(I'm a blender beginner but know a handful of techniques with other similar programs/systems) I've created a NURBS to make a tracking shot. Creating a follow path object constraint on the camera lets ...
dom0's user avatar
  • 173
7 votes
2 answers
3k views

rotate an object while it follows a path

I am trying to rotate the moons and Planets as they orbit their parent bodies. In a way that does not require the setting up of key frames – jwktrucker You guys have been very helpful and Thanks to ...
jwktrucker's user avatar
7 votes
2 answers
2k views

Set resting length for a generic spring constraint

I have a generic spring constraint between two objects. I am able to set the stiffness and damping of the spring, but I would also need to set what length the spring initial was. Blender now wrongly ...
Matsemann's user avatar
  • 331
7 votes
2 answers
3k views

Distance constraints between objects/vertices/edges

While precision modelling, I often encounter the need to use exact distances. Blender's keyboard input is fantastic for this. What I haven't figured out yet is how to keep distances between certain ...
blenderbee's user avatar
7 votes
2 answers
1k views

Linking cell fractured fragments together with Rigid Body Constraints set as 'breakable'

I am learning Cell Fracturing following this video. But just like Mr Jee in the comments section, my model breaks as soon as I play the animation in Games Engine. The author of the video talks in his ...
MicroMachine's user avatar
  • 4,601
7 votes
1 answer
3k views

How does 'local with parent' space work?

My question touches the mathematical side of Blender more than the modelling one. I am having a problem understanding how the 'local with parent' space in bone constraints works. I have looked ...
Marcin Roguski's user avatar
6 votes
3 answers
5k views

How can i edit a follow path constraint with the graph editor?

I made a follow path constrait with a curve, does it already have a linear interpolation so i can edit it on graph editor? i need the linear interpolation.
beavoru's user avatar
  • 5,317
6 votes
1 answer
9k views

Follow Path constraint moves object away from curve?

I added a follow path constraint the camera. I adjusted the start point of the path and the location of the camera so that they were very near, but once I set follow path constraint to the camera, ...
blender_begginer's user avatar
6 votes
2 answers
556 views

How to make non-linear movements with a Follow Path constraint?

I try to achieve a non linear movement with the Follow Path constraint. I linked my object to a bezier circle using the Follow Path constraint. It follows the circle with a linear movement, meaning ...
st22zy's user avatar
  • 73
6 votes
2 answers
8k views

Can IK constraint be setup so it respects constraints of affected bones

I'm trying to rig a robot arm where every bone can rotate only around one axis. It works fine when i position them one by one, but if I put an IK bone to control the whole arm, the limit rotation ...
user1015922's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
2k views

Planes rotating to face the camera, but only along one axis

I'm using planes as labels on a map over which the camera makes a path. The problem is that if I simply have flat labels they don't look good when the camera is low (blue dots in the animation). With ...
cybrbeast's user avatar
  • 2,388
6 votes
1 answer
751 views

How to make two points move along a path keeping a fixed (direct) distance all along?

You know how a train wagon moves on its tracks? If it takes a curve only the wheels stay perfectly above the track, the rest of the wagon might get offset a bit. This motion is exactly what I am ...
lajawi's user avatar
  • 325
6 votes
2 answers
3k views

How to stop Self Intersection of Model?

OK, so I am rendering a rigged hand model for a project. I need to create a constraint that will stop any model self-intersections. I've looked everywhere and can't find a solution. I need to stop ...
user avatar
6 votes
2 answers
2k views

Damped track : is this behavior expected?

A camera following a nurbs path and a damped track constraint : At several locations of the curve, the camera rotates curiously. But the tool tip of the constaint indicates "points toward a target ...
lemon's user avatar
  • 53.5k
5 votes
4 answers
2k views

Why does copy rotation constraint invert after 180 degrees

I'm try to rig a low poly clock for blender, so I added a copy rotation constraint so the minute hand would automatically spin with the second hand, but when I rotate the second hand 180 degrees, the ...
Conner's user avatar
  • 53
5 votes
3 answers
1k views

How to constrain two objects to face each other without a dependency cycle

Logically, to me, a Track To constraint affects and objects rotation to point it to a location. So if two objects are always trying to face each other, this shouldn't create a dependency cycle issue. ...
Blazer003's user avatar
  • 504
5 votes
4 answers
1k views

Follow Path: Set start point?

There's so many related questions i may have missed something. But i'm trying to set a series of existing objects that start with a pre-defined location. I want them to follow the same curve - but ...
G.H.'s user avatar
  • 321
5 votes
2 answers
729 views

How to map the X rotation of one object to the Y rotation of another object?

I am trying to make the X-rotation of one object directly affect the Y-rotation of a second object. I tried using the Tranformation Constraint, however I was only able to map the X-rotation of the ...
Maskerspie's user avatar

1
2 3 4 5
24