Animate Vertex Position?

[Crazy Homeless Guy]

...has anyone had luck animating the vertex position of objects? If I have the object selected, I can animate the positions of the vertex without a problem. Scrubbing back and forth, or hitting play in the viewport show the animation.

 

However, if I unselect the object, it does not animate. Not sure why.

 

The object in my screen should be growing larger, and smaller via vertex animation. But as you can see, when the object is not selected, it only moves into place, without growing.

 

In the past I have done this type of animation with scaling, but would rather use vertex positioning.

 

http://www.phase22.com/misc/cgarchitect/Vertex_Animation/vertex_anime_1.wmv

 

 

Edit:

 

Here is a second video, only closer up this time. The first shows what happens when I scrub with the object selected. The second shows what happens when I scrub without the object selected. The entire movement is only 4 frames, that is why it is so choppy.

 

http://www.phase22.com/misc/cgarchitect/Vertex_Animation/vertex_anime_2.wmv

 

Thanks,

ts.

Edited June 18, 2009 by Crazy Homeless Guy

[Claudio Branch]

I used to have the same issue, but I use Morph Targets now.

[SandmanNinja]

I'm thinking it's because a vertex is a sub-object. I don't think you can manipulate a sub-object if the main object is not selected. It's as if it's remembering the vertex number but cannot access it if the main object doesn't have focus.

 

Just a guess.

 

You could use particles/pFlow, or as Claudio suggests, Morph Targets.

[Crazy Homeless Guy]

I will probably stick to scaling, slice plane animating, and multiple objects shifting in and out. At least for now. I am putting together an animation similar to one I did in the past, and only have a couple of days to finish.

 

http://www.cgarchitect.com/vb/27568-project-development-animation.html

 

Thanks for the feedback though.

[luckymutt]

Are you on v2010? Perhaps it is a bug.

On 2009, I have no problems animating on the sub-object level whether the object is selected or not.

Check out the curve editor and see what it says for the object's Master Point Controller.