Converting an Object's Translation to a Path

You can use the Create Path Convert Position Fcurves to Path command to convert part or all of an object's existing translation animation into path animation.

TipWant to do the reverse and convert path animation to translation? Plot the position of the path-animated object, then apply the result to the object or as an action in the animation mixer. See Plotting (Baking) Animation for more information.

To convert an object's translation to a path

Select the translated object.
Choose Create Path Convert Position Fcurves to Path from the Animate toolbar.
In the Convert Position Animation to Path dialog box, enter the Start Frame and End Frame to set which segment of the function curve will be used to create the path. Any animation before the Start Frame or after the End frame will be discarded.
Enter the desired interval between keyframes as the Step.

Softimage creates the path with knots based on the object's location at the Step interval. For example, if the start and end frames are 10 and 20 and the Step is 5, the curve will be created with knots based on the object's location at frames 10, 15, and 20.

If you want a keyframe on every frame, use a Step value of 1.

NoteBecause the path is a curve, an extra knot will be created after the first one and before the last one.

Softimage replays the chosen segment of the animation and creates the new path.

Tip

If you have a large number of keys on the resulting curve, you can use the Modify Curve Clean command on the Model toolbar to reduce the number of points while keeping the curve's general shape.

You can also use the Create Curve Fit on Curve command which creates a second curve instead of modifying the first one.

See Surface and Curve Modeling for more information on these commands.

To modify the path timing, see Modifying the Path Timing; to modify the path curve itself, see Modifying the Path Curve or Trajectory.
To remove the animation, see Removing Path or Trajectory Animation.