Motion Path Animation Dialog Box

Specifies settings for a motion path animation and creates an animation file.

ANIPATH (Command) Find

With a motion path animation, you can specify that the camera remains in one place, but pivots to follow the path through the drawing, or that the camera itself moves along the path.

Create the path object first and then select it as the camera path or the target path. A path object can be a line, arc, elliptical arc, circle, polyline, 3D polyline, or spline.

When you create a motion path, a camera is automatically created. If you delete an object that you specified as a motion path, the named motion path is also deleted.

Note: The Animations panel is hidden by default. To display the Animations panel: In 3D Modeling workspace, click the Visualize tab, then right-click and choose Show Panels Animations.

List of Options

The following options are displayed.

Camera

Link Camera To

Links a camera to a static point or a motion path in a drawing.

Point

Links a camera to a static point in a drawing.

Path

Links a camera to a motion path in the drawing. A path can be a line, arc, elliptical arc, circle, polyline, 3D polyline, or spline.

Pick Point/Select Path

Selects either the point where a camera is located or the path along which a camera travels, depending on whether Point or Path was selected.

Point/Path List

Displays a list of named points or paths to which you can link a camera.

Target

Link Target To

Links a target to a point or a path.

If the camera is linked to a point, the target must be linked to a path. If the camera is linked to a path, you can link the target to either a point or a path.

Point

If the camera is linked to a path, links the target to a static point in the drawing. The camera will always face this point as it moves along the path.

Path

Links the target to a motion path in the drawing. The camera follows the curve of the path.

Pick Point/Select Path

Selects either the point or a path for the target, depending on whether Point or Path was selected.

Point/Path List

Displays a list of named points or paths to which you can link the target. To create a path, you can link a target to a line, arc, elliptical arc, circle, polyline, 3D polyline, or spline.

Animation Settings

Controls the output of the animation file.

Frame Rate (FPS)

The speed at which the animation will run, measured in frames per second. Specify a value from 1 to 60. The default value is 30.

Number of Frames

Specifies the total number of frames in the animation.

With the frame rate, this value determines the length of the animation. When you change this number, the Duration value is automatically recalculated.

Duration (seconds)

Specifies the duration (in sections) of the animation.

When you change this number, the Number of Frames value is automatically recalculated.

Visual Style

Displays a list of visual styles and render presets that you can apply to an animation file. For more information, see VISUALSTYLES and RENDERPRESETS.

Format

Specifies the file format for the animation.

You can save an animation to an AVI, MOV, MPG, or WMV file format for future playback. The MOV format is available only if Apple QuickTime Player is installed. The WMV format is available and is the default selection only if Microsoft Windows Media Player 9 or later is installed. Otherwise, AVI is the default selection.

Resolution

Defines the width and height of the resulting animation in screen display units. The default value is 320 x 240.

Corner Deceleration

Moves a camera at a slower rate as it turns a corner.

Reverse

Reverses the direction of an animation.

When Previewing Show Camera Preview

Enables the display of the Animation Preview dialog box so you can preview the animation before you save it.

Preview

Displays the movement of the camera for the animation in the viewport. If “When Previewing Show Camera Preview” is selected, the Animation Preview dialog box also displays a preview of the animation.