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If I say that the driving line is the x axis; up and down are z (the way the rider jumps), and y is the axis of coming from the camera through the rider, is there a way to get the bike and rider to rotate about the X axis? I realize you can make the illusion of this with the camera, but I need the real thing. The most basic way to put this is that I have a rider riding on a log and I want the rider, while riding, to rotate around the log until he is on the bottom of the log about the X axis. As long as the camera stays with him, it would be fine.
I don't think there is a way to do this, but would love to know if there were a way.
Thanks for you help.
FYI, Trials uses Y for height, not Z, so it's probably best to not mix them up. You can see what the axis in Trials (and most uses of a 3D axis) looks like here: http://tecfa.unige.ch/guides/vrml/vrmlman/img2.gif.
When you say rotate about the X axis, I assume that you want the rider to trace a circle along the YZ-plane (its X value does not change). In that case, I do not believe there is. Riders are attached to the driving line, and as far as I am aware can not be detached from that line. Unless you could get the itself to rotate in that manner, you couldn't do this rotation - and even then it would look bizarre as the rider would have to follow the line as it loops around the log.
Your best bet is to use the camera and some clever gravity and object positioning logic to simulate this rotation.
Edit: you might try glueing a dummy object to the rider or the bike, then rotating that about the X-axis. You might need to set the rider to 'invulnerable' during this rotation, and I'm uncertain how you would deal with the driving line. Let me know if you get it to work.
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Thanks for you help. I was thinking of a track that was a Mobius strip, and after playing around with it I just don't think it will be possible either, and I don't think camera tricks will cut it for it to actually work where you drive around the strip twice...
I take it you want this to happen whilst the rider is moving? It is going to be very hard, especially to make it look smooth but I can throw you one thought that you could try. There are those Bike Holders that can lock in the bike, if you can make the rider lock into that (Use Variation Events to change it between Drive in/Drive out and Locked) then you might be able to use that.Originally Posted by Slatonator
Firstly you want it to be invisible to at least give the illusion of him riding, be sure that it is set to the right physics type, it needs to still have Contact Collisions. If you can the use a Object position event to move the holder it will hopefully take the rider with him, but I'm not sure on this bit. If not then try putting directional forces on it to move it, you'll want to turn off global gravity and things like that to get it moving right.
Which ever way you do it you will need a smooth combination of varying its position on the Y and Z axis as you first described them in your OP as well as varying the roll (though it may be pitch or yaw.) That would control rotation around the log, a forward force on the X axis as you described it would turn it from a circle round it into a forward spiral round it.
If you can get either way to move the bike holder, taking the bike and rider (maybe invunerable) and you can get the smooth response you need from above then your final issue may lie with the rider not being able to leave the driving line. If this is true of the whole rider then I am afraid it will be game over for your plan, if however it is true of a specific point in the rider you would be able to make the riding line snake left and right (as if you were sat with your legs over the log looking down.) precisely along the route that the rider would follow as he spins.
Of course this means that I think in theory you would have to maintain a constant speed as you cross the log or vary the rotational set up speed by linking it into a rider gas data source.
All in all a pretty complicated long shot to try, personally I would suggest you go with camera trickery, but then personally I would give this a try if I was doing it just for the challenge.
Fingers crossed it helps.
EDIT: with regards to the snaking driving line, a different option would be to object position event the log and bike holder to also do this snaking for you, essentially wavering it above the line to keep the rider above it at all times.
