Motion Paths

Reference

Editor

3D Viewport, Properties

Mode

Object Mode

Panel

Properties ‣ Object Properties ‣ Motion Paths

Reference

Editor

3D Viewport, Properties

Mode

Pose Mode

Panel

Properties ‣ Armature ‣ Motion Paths

Menu

Pose ‣ Motion Paths

../_images/animation_motion-paths_example-object.png

An animated cube with its motion path displayed.

The Motion Paths tool allows you to visualize the motion of points as paths over a series of frames. These points can be object origins and bone joints.

To create or remove motion paths, it is necessary to first select the bones. Then:

  1. To show the paths (or update them, if needed), click on the Calculate Path button.

  2. To hide the paths, click on the Clear Paths button.

ملاحظة

Remember that only selected bones and their paths are affected by these actions!

The paths are shown in a light shade of gray for unselected points, and a slightly bluish gray for selected ones. Around the current frame a glow indicate the direction of movement: blue towards future frames and green towards the past. Each frame is displayed by a small white dot on the paths.

The paths are automatically updated when you edit your poses/keyframes, and they are also active during animation playback. Playing the animation affects the paths only when the Around Current Frame option is enabled.

Options

../_images/animation_motion-paths_panel.png

The Motion Paths panel in the Armature tab.

Paths Type

Type of range to show for Motion Paths.

Around Frame

Display paths of points within a fixed number of frames around the current frame. When you enable this button, you get paths for a given number of frames before and after the current one (again, as with ghosts).

In Range

Display paths of points within specified range.

Update Range from Scene (Clock Icon)

Updates the display frame range from the scene frame range.

Frame Range Start, End

Starting and Ending frame of range of paths to display/calculate (not for Around Current Frame onion skinning method).

Frame Range Before, After

Number of frames to show before and after the current frame (only for Around Current Frame onion skinning method).

Step

Allows displaying one point for every n frames on the path. Mostly useful when you enable the frame number display (see below), to avoid cluttering the 3D Viewport.

Calculation Range

The method to choose the upper and lower bounds of Motion Paths.

Scene Frame Range

Calculates Motion Paths for the entire Scene or Preview frame duration.

Selected Keys

Calculates Motion Paths for the range of the first selected keyframe to the last keyframe.

All Keys

Calculates Motion Paths from the first keyframe to the last keyframe.

Cache/Bone Cache From, To

These are the start/end frames of the range in which motion paths are shown. You cannot modify this range without deleting the motion path first.

Calculate

If no paths have been calculated, Calculate Paths will create a new motion path in cache based on the options specified in the pop-up menu or the Adjust Last Operation panel. Note, if the current context is an Armature calculating the objects motion paths, and not the bones, this operator will calculate the motion paths for all the bones within the armature as well.

Start, End

These are the start/end frames of the range in which motion paths are shown. The start frame is inclusive, so if you set Start to 1, you will really see the frame 1 as starting point of the paths...

Bake Location

Which point on the bones is used when calculating paths. Only available for bones while in Pose Mode.

Heads

Calculates the path position of the bone's heads.

Tails

Calculates the path position of the bone's heads.

Update Paths

In the case a path has already been calculated, this operator will update the path shape to the current animation. To change the frame range of the calculated path, you need to delete the path and calculate it again.

Clear Paths X

Clears paths on all objects/bones or just the selected ones when holding Shift.

Update All Paths

Recalculates the motion paths for all visible objects and poses.

Display

Frame Numbers

When enabled, a small number appears next to each frame dot on the path, which is of course the number of the corresponding frame.

Keyframes

When enabled, big yellow square dots are displayed on motion paths, showing the keyframes of their bones (i.e. only the paths of keyed bones at a given frame get a yellow dot at this frame).

+ Non-Grouped Keyframes

For bone motion paths, it searches the whole Action for keyframes instead of in groups with matching name only (this is slower).

Keyframe Numbers

When enabled, you will see the numbers of the displayed keyframes, so this option is obviously only valid when Show Keys is enabled.

Lines

Toggles whether the lines between the points are shown.

Thickness

Line thickness for motion path.

Custom Color

Use custom color for this motion path.

Example

../_images/animation_motion-paths_example-armature.png

An example of a motion path of an armature.