Spiral Unrolling / Rolling Animation

[yesyes]

 

Can someone show me how to do the second animation within 3D environment of Houdini?

[konstantin magnus]

If you know VEX, you can use an attribute wrangle inside a solver. Here is a rough sketch..

Set up a (quadratic) spiral:

float rounds = (@numpt - 1) * 0.5;
float grad = 1 - ( @ptnum / float(@numpt - 1) );
float spiral = (rounds * $PI * grad);
@P.x = cos(spiral);
@P.y = sin(spiral);
@P *= grad;

Unroll the curve inside a solver:

int pt = int( ceil(@Time) );
float amount = ( radians(@Time % 1.0) * $PI * 2.5 );
matrix m = ident();
vector axis = set(0, 0, 1);
vector offset = point(0, "P", pt);
if(@ptnum > pt) {
    @P -= offset;
    rotate(m, amount, axis);
    @P *= m;
    @P += offset;
}

To get the wavy curve, merge it with a trail SOP running on the last point.

Useful links:

http://forums.odforce.net/topic/24056-learning-vex-via-animated-gifs-bees-bombs/

http://www.tokeru.com/cgwiki/index.php?title=The_solver_sop

Example file:

spiral_moving.hipnc

Edited October 14, 2017 by konstantin magnus

[mestela]

I'd looked at this problem a few weeks ago, got 90% the way there looking at some other odforce posts, this inspired me to finish it.

The idea is to first calculate the angle between each curve segment, then apply it in a for each loop so each segment is rotated by the total of all the previous segment angles, at the correct pivot point.

curve_unroll.hip

[yesyes]

Thanks, I will try to do this effect to rolls of different number of corners like hexagons etc

[Jesper Rahlff]

simple but elegant as always Matt!

[Noobini]

c'mon, Matt, you're soooooooooooooooo close to completing this challenge....could almost reach the finish line now....

 

[sweetdude09]

Here's my attempt! 
Plus bonus Gif!!! Also check my education thread for a curve roller! 

JR_AngleMinimizer.hip

Edited October 18, 2017 by sweetdude09
Forgot to address the curve roll thing :C