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I'm trying to create a chainsaw type of animation using bones. I may be approaching this from the wrong direction but I would like to create a chain of bones and have them follow a path.

I used the SplineIK constraint to create the shape but I'm not able to get it to animate correctly on the Bezier circle. enter image description here

This is about as far as I got, but I can't actually move the bones.

enter image description here

I'm able to get one unparented bone to move around the circle but never a chain of bones. Any advice would be appreciated! I really hope I can get this to work!

Thanks in advance

Duarte Farrajota Ramos
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Shane
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  • Check this http://blender.stackexchange.com/questions/8235/why-is-the-curve-modifier-deforming-strangely – Denis May 20 '15 at 03:00
  • It doesn't look like they are using bones. I'm trying to create a rig rather than use than apply an array modifier to a mesh. – Shane May 20 '15 at 03:05

2 Answers2

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Constraints

  • Consider a follow path constraint. Which can rotate objects along the curve.

  • The curve hugger bones can have parents but must NOT be connected. The cutting teeth can be connected to the hugger bones. I assume the geometric normal bones are cutting teeth.

  • I do not think Spline Constraint is favorable.
  • Consider a conform modifier. No rotation.
  • If you are really daring you might consider rigid body chain links. Some people consider these situations unstable.
atomicbezierslinger
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  • I just saw this today, great advice. I ended up doing exactly that last night. I attached a helper object to a path follow constraint. I then created separate bones for each helper. This solution is ideal because the bone actually rotates as it spins along the path. Thanks for the suggestion. – Shane May 20 '15 at 22:41
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This is what I did. The oval is a path. I attached each square object as a helper and offset them evenly around the path. Then I attached a bone to the helper. It's simple but I did the job.

solution to chainsaw problem

Shane
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