Blender Animation using Constrain function

1. Introduction To Constraint in Blender: Hello everyone. My name is suraj. Welcome to the amazing series of Blender application on skillshare.com. The basic animation process in Blender start with keyframing. Just like moving object, rotating, or scaling. Using a keyframe is difficult and sometimes it becomes confusing also. So to make the process easy, we use Constraint. Constraint is located on the viewport right side of the property menu tap. All these constraints you see on the screen are very useful with the combination of the keyframe. E.g. if you want one object to change its location from one point to another point, and at the same time the other objects rotate. Yes, we can do it using the keyframe, but by using this constraint, we can do this task very fast and easy. So in this class we will see some of the important and useful constraint. With some examples. The class are very easy and simple language. Videos are very short and explained very clearly. You will also get a supporting file for downloads and practice. Constraints are the basic of the advance and emission process. Every blender user must know about it. I hope created this small intimate story using keyframe and constraint. You can watch this after the end of this video. 2. Copy location: Copy location. First option in the object constraint is the copy location. Copy location is the most basic and useful term to understand the importance and how constraint function works. Copy the question means any object in the view port, we can influence or control its location using another object. For example, home magnet influence, other metallic object, which results in displacement with respect to the magnetic field. We may also call it the object's parent or connecting to object. Let's see in detail. Now we have a two objects in the viewport. Select the cube and from the property section, or one constraint menu. From here, select Copy location. Copy location has a simple interface. First, it asks the target object. So select another object in the viewport. It result cube, getting the new location, which is exact to the selected target location. And this is the copy location. A cube getting a new location, which is exact to the selected target object. And this is what copied location constraint does. It will copy the target object location. Now let's select the cube and try to move. But you can see we're not able to move the cube from its location because its location is depend upon this triangle object, which is also our target object. Now, if I select the triangle and press D to move it result both triangle and the cube able to move with each other. This is how copy location works. Now, practically, we do not want this object attached to each other in such a way to separate both of them. First select the cube. Look at the copy location constraint. Here, click on offset. Now, the cube is placed slightly away from the target object. And it is also independent to move manually to the desired location. Move the object to any point. Then select the target object and move to any direction. It will show that the cube also followed the target object location. In this way, we know how to connect the copy location between two objects, x. If x is, by default, all three axes, x, y, and z, are enabled, which means object can be moved freely in all direction. And we can also constrain it to any specific axis. Below it is the inward, which means the location of the main object will be exactly opposite to the target object. Let's constraint to the x-axis. On both inward. Also. Know if we move the object in X axis direction, then the object will move in work or in the opposite direction. The same, it will work in all direction, free moment. Last option is the influence. Influence by default is set to one. Which means if we move the target object, then the main object will have the exact same displacement. But if we set it to hop, that is 0.5. And then move the target object. You'll notice the movement or the tin in the location is the hub of the target object. In this way, we can fit influence value from range 0 to one. And this influence value will affect the location displacement of the main object. 3. Copy Location Example: We know how the copy location works. Let's see some examples which will help you to understand some of the basic animation work. Now, we have two vehicle on the viewport. If we key frame the first green color vehicle from point a to B and play the animation. It will move in-between these two points. It is a very simple process to move an object between the two points. Now, we also have a second red color car. And I also want to move this car in inverse direction with reference to the first vehicle. Yes, we can keyframe this vehicle, but we will use the copy location. Select the red car, apply the copy location, and select the target object as a green vertical axis and inverse section select all x, y, and z axis. Now, play the animation. You can see that both the vehicle move inwards at the same time. The advantage of using copy location is that we can control the influence value. By default, it is one. So a red car and the green car, boat travel equal speed and distance. Let's decrease the influence value to the hub, that is 0.5. And again, play the animation. Now it result, the main green Baikal distance and speed remains the same. But the red car speeds slow down and the travel the half of the distance. In this way, you can try the different influence value and position of the object to get the desired result. Using copy location. 4. Example 2: Let's see another simple example using copy location. Here in the window, which has three glass panel and slide smoothly falling one-by-one, open and close direction. So first, let's understand the mechanisms. How these three blocks with slide in such a way that all three rushed at the same location. First select the middle window and apply copy location. Then in the target, select the third window. Now, we only want the movement in the y axis. So select only phi. Also click on the offset and influence value to 0.5. If the main object gets displaced from its location, just readjust to its original location. Now, if you move the target object to the y-axis, then you can see the smooth movement between windows, which replicate the window open and close action. Similarly, you can again add a copy location to the first window in the same process. Then the same movement work for other side window. Sliding. 5. Copy Rotation: Welcome to the second topic in the constraint menu. Now we will see the copy rotation, which is similar to the copy location here in the viewport to object present amine and the target object. So select the main object, then add a copy rotation, then stained, and select the thickened at a target object. Keep all the axes selected. And then now select the target object and try to rotate in any axis. The same rotation you can see on the main object. And it is a simple function or the copy rotation to replicate the target object rotation. Let's see another example. We have two circular select yellow ticks and apply copy rotation. Click on the blue digs at Target. Then just rotate the target peaks. The main decks will replicate the rotation. Now we will combine the copy location and copy rotation. Again, select the main Yellowdig attic copy location. And select the target object. Then keyframe the location of the target object to some other distance. Then if you play the animation, both the object will change its location. But you can't see any rotation on the object. So we will also key-frame the rotation to the target object selected. At a frame one. Then open object properties are *****, rotation is on y-axis. So if I change the y-axis value, then the theme will effect on both the objects. Now, I will set the rotation on y-axis to zero degree. Then I will click on the keyframe icon. Then the same key frame added at a frame, one on the timeline. Now move the timeline cursor to the frame ten. And in the object property, set, rotation value to the 20 degrees and add a keyframe. Again, move the timeline to the 20 frame and set the rotation to the 45-degree. Same. Repeat up till the frame 60. As you play the animation. Both copy rotation and copied location work together. You can even adjust the influence value to get the different result. In this way, we can create a variety of combination to get a different desired results. Let's see another interesting example using copy rotation. In viewport, we have two doors which house separate rotation with respect to their origin point. Now select the door, add a copy rotation constraints. Select door number two as a target object. It researched that the both the door rotate in the same direction at the same time. It is simple. Let's try another way. If you closely look at the copy rotation menu. Here, just below the inward is the mix option. Click on it. By default, it is set to replace. Changes to add. Initially, you will hardly notice any change. Now select the first door, shift, select the second door. Then press Control P and parent object. Now, if you rotate the second door, you can clearly see the rotation difference between the doors. Again, if you change the mix value from add to replace, then the door will rotate straight. In add function. Door rotation will be in the view type. 6. Example : First example is simple moving vehicle in which location changes and wheels also rotate. So first, we have to select any one of the wheel and apply copied location. And also select other wheel as the target object. Then keyframe the location and rotation. By pressing I and played. Both the will follow in the same location direction. Now at a copy rotation to the first wheel and also select the same target object. Then take the target will rotation axis. In my case, it rotate on x-axis at equal distance between the frame. Set, any degree of rotation. Keyframe, it. Repeat the process until the object location. Now, after playing the animation, you can see that copy location and rotation work at the same time. Now just duplicate the first twill and placed at the back side. Now all four wheels are working equally. Then just add the upper portion of the wheels and the wheels are moving, but the upper body is steady at the same place. To fix that, select the upper body and add a copy location. Then select the thickened. We'll add the target object. And now everything works fine. We have a simple moving vehicle with rotating wheel using a copy location and rotation. This is something crazy render you can create using copy location and rotation. Yes, much more creative output we can create. Animation is a combination of various technical process. So stay connected to explore the upcoming classes. More about constrained in an emission. 7. Copy Scale: Copy scale. Tow get in the viewport, select isophere and add copy scale. Then select cube as a target object. The function is simple. If you scale the target of tip, then the second object also gets scaled It work in all axis direction. In the copy scale menu, bar option is given, which is similar to the influence value. Objects scaling power will affect as the increase or decrease its value. Let's see another example. How we can make 30 increasing object profile and emission. Here is the set of objects in line. Select the second object, ad, copy skill, and select the first object as a target object. Now set up our 20.5. Next step. Select the third object and add a copy skill. Again, select the first object as it target. And power to 0.6. In this way, select every nest objects and always select the first object at that target. And increment the power by 0.2. Then finally, select the first object and scale in that axis. It result gradually scale of each object. We can keyframe the first object, then it will animate smoothly. This example showed the combination of copy location, rotation, and scale. You can practice a variety of examples using this constraint function. 8. Limit Location: Limit your question is very interesting and useful function. Whenever we add a copy location to the object, then it follows the target object to an endless point. But by using the limit location, we can define minimum and maximum rate of location. In this example, let's apply copula cushion to read cube and blue cube as a target object. Now, if you move the target object, then read Q, follow limitless with the target object. Then by selecting the red cube and a limit location just below the copy location. In the limit location, minimum and maximum limit is given our location chain on the y-axis. So select Y-axis on both. Initially set it to zero. So read queue is that the 3D cursor? Now, if you move the target object on y-axis, main object remained steady at one place. Now enter the new value, minimum to maximum set to three. Now, if you move the blue object to the y-axis, then the main objects move 1-3. But the target object is free to move. Let's at minimum 23 and maximum two-six. It result object restricted between the 3.6 value. In this way, How limit location function works. Similarly, limit notation works. In this example, copy rotation applies to this object. And also limit notation is set to z axis with the limit of minimum degree and maximum 60 degree. In this way. In this way, the main object rotation is limited and the target object free to rotate. In this example, we have used a copy skill and a limit skill. It results in a small animation output. In the viewport to object, one red color, shape, and second green color. I assume it has a green garden. Select the red object at the main object and add copy skill, and select green as the target object. Now, if we scale a green object, the same rate object Fill effect. Now, adding the limit skill, select all x, y, and z axis on both minimum and maximum. Keep all the minimum value to zero. Next, the maximum value. Let's set x axis to six. Y2, 12 to 16. When you scale the target object on the x-axis, then the red object will scale up to value six on the x-axis. Similarly, green object scale on the y-axis, then the red object will limit it to them. We'll point value. Finally, keyframe, the green object scale to the timeline on x and y axis. Then if you play the animation, then it will look something like this. Which means green object scale more than the red object. But the red object is limited between the values provided in the limit scale. Maintained volume, maintain volume constraint. It is a similar to the copy scale, but in the some different manner. We have a cube in the viewport. First, directly apply and maintain volume. By default, y-axis is selected and volume is set to 1 m. Now, if you scale on y-axis, the volume gradually reduce and length increases. Now to understand it better, let's add a another cube. Then apply copies scale and set newly added Qb as a target. Then select the target cube and scale in the y-axis. You can clearly see the difference between the normal scale and maintain volume. In volume, again, three modes are given. Strict, uniform and single axis. So just copy the main object thighs. Then at the same time, you can see the different mode of the maintain volume. This is a simple example to use the maintain volume, how topic object passes through a small cap and then back to its original shape. 9. Limit Distance: Limit distance is the one of the interesting and useful constraint. In the viewport to object sphere and the cube. Selected cube. Then add a limit distance and select a spear at the target object. Now, if you try to move the main object, then it will move in the limited distance only. That is the value mentioned in the limit distance constraint 2.3. Now, this distance is counted from the center of that target object. The origin of the main object. Limit distance, allow this object to move in within the diameter only. You can manually adjust the distance value. Also. If we try to move the target object, the main object also follow at the provided distance. Now, limit distance how three types, inside, outside and inside port, selected the target object and the main object can pass through each other. And also the main object follows the target object. Outside mode. Selected the main object to remain steady and only react when the target object, that is its surface, and it cannot pass through the target object. Surface mode selected. The object follows the main object, and the main object cannot be parsed inside the target object. Now, look at this example. It is created using a limit distance, which killed this cool animation. It is a simple, just add a few queue in an array. Then select second queue at limit distance, and select the first object as the target. Set edition value to three. Similarly, select third object and second object at a target. And the distance value six. In this way, every next queue at a limit distance and increment the distance by three. Finally, select the first object. And when you move, it will do such a movement in all the cubes. 10. Transformation : Up till now, we have seen copy location, rotation, scale and others. There are certain limitation in these constraints, such as if we want copy location to also affect the rotation of the object. At the same time. It will not work. Only location to location and scale to scale will work. Similarly. To combine the different constraint function at once. Transformation is the best constraint for the complicated and the mechanism between the two objects. Let's see by the example. In the viewport, we have two objects, first and second cube object. Now we wish that when it moves backward or forward, at the same time, this will also rotate. This type of function is possible using transformation constraint. First, select the wheel. Then at transformation constraint. Just like all other Kirsten here, also, we need to define that target object. So select the cube as a target. Now, transformation constrain how to function. First is mapped from second, map to map from referred to the target object and mapped to refer to the main object. First, map from which is applied to the target cube object. This menu has all functions such as location, rotation, and scale option. Now, we want that location should change on the x axis. I will set minus Phi, minimum and maximum ten, which means the Q will change its location between this value. Now the second map to apply it to the main object field. Here also, the same option is available for transformation. I will choose rotation. R will rotate on that axis. So set a minimum to zero and maximum to 180 degree. Back to viewport. Select the cube and move on the x-axis. The cube is changing location, but v is not rotating. So look at the map two option. Here in the rotation tab. We have given rotation value to Z axis. But here is one more extra option. That is that source axis. Again, how x, y, and z axis to select what is source axis. In the viewport. Target object location changes on the x-axis. Also, we need that when an object moves on the x-axis, the wheel must rotate on the z-axis. X-axis is our source. Hence, in the source, hence in the zip source, X is select x. Finally, when you move the object, we will rotate. One more thing. In the Location tab, we have specified minus Phi, minimum and maximum ten. So if you look at closely at this point, object only rotate until minus file location. After that, it will stop. Same 10-meter object again, rotate. Within this range, both location and rotation work at the same time. If you want the wheel to rotate beyond this range, then Annabel, extra polluting. Now, the wheel is free to rotate on the x-axis in the finite range. This is another example how location, jane and rotation work with the same setting on their transformation. Let's try to change the source of the main object. Previously. We'll rotate when the object moves on the x axis. Now we will change the object location on the z-axis and then try to rotate the V on the viewport, select the wheel in the transformation costume. Go to map from here on the z-axis, set -5.10. Now adopted on the z axis. Still, there is no moment on the wheel. Because we need to change the source axis. Look at the map function in the rotation tab, change to z axis because our movement is on the z axis of our main object. Now, when the main object change its location on the z axis will rotate perfectly. In this way, you can try a different axis to modify the Eurozone. 11. Example: Let's see some simple example to use transformation constraint. First, add nut and bolt on the viewport, which are freely available in the blender inbuilt add-on. We want such a movement that a bold move up and down and not should we rotate at the same time? First select the bolt and keyframe, the change in location, movement. Then select the nut and add transformation constraint. Select Bold at the target object. Now in the map from the Location tab, we need the z axis location. First to get the minimum value. Select the bolt, and move up till it reaches the nut. In the downside. From the Location tab, it show minus ten. Put the same value in the minimum tap. Keep maximum value to zero. Then map to function on the zed axis rotation. Keep any rotation degree. I haven't. 620 degree for the fast rotation keeps source to the red axis and done. Now, play the animation and it will work as accepted. The next common and useful example is rotation. This example show the mechanical tradition of the veal, be the change in location. First, we have a wheel on the viewport, thickened, add a empty queue. Then select the fill and empty. Apply pair object. Really spared with the Mt. Select the V and at transformation constraint, select the empty tube at the target object. The target and honor to the local axis. Map from option is the cube location, the location on the y-axis. So Q, any value to minimum and maximum map to refer to the rotation of the field will rotate on the x-axis. On the x-axis. So on the x-axis, maximum value to 360 and the source change to the y-axis. Wheel is rotating with the change in the location, but the rotation is appearing unnatural. This is because of incorrect location value. We need the circumference of the wheel for a carrot, mechanical to tissue. Here is the circumference formula. Here we need the radius of the wheel in the dimension tap will diameter is shown. That is 2.4 divided by 2.1. 0.2 is our radius. Enter this value here and we get the circumference valued at is say on point to just enter this value two on the y-axis in the maximum TAP. Now finally, when you move the empty, then the wheel rotates in the perfect width. Once we have the rotation on the wheel, then we can pair any object on the wheel to get our require animation. Look. 12. Clamp to: Up till now, we have seen the transformation constrained. In the constraints section is packing in tracking sub-menu start with the clamp. Clamped too, is an interesting function which is similar to the follow curved path. For a division. We will see how basic objects used to follow the curve and desert in the animation. Simple follow path animation. To make this type of animation. Just add any object at the center. Then add a circle, scale it, and reposition it. In edit mode, select any vertex, press Shift, and click on cursor to select it. Then add any object. It will perfectly snap to the vertex of the circle. Finally, select the object, Shift hold and select the circle. Press Control P and click on, Follow the Path. Now just click the space button. The object will start following the circular path. We can control its speed and keyframe the value from the current property path animation. Second method, select the cube, go to the object property relation option. Here, parent object. Select the circular curve as the parent object. Now, the object and the core are parented, but when you play the animation, it will not work. So select the curve, go to the curve property year. In the path animation, we can keyframe the value and the same. It will work. Now back to the topic. Clamp. Clamped too, is located in the constraint menu into tracking leashed. In the viewport, we have a Bezier curve and cube. So select the cube, go to Constrain menu at clamped to option. Here in the target, select this curve. After selecting the target object, it will snap to the girl instantly. Not a cube will not move automatically by pressing space bar. We need to press the G and move the mouse. Then it will follow the curve. In the clamp menu, x, y and z axes is given to select, just keep it in auto mode. Then finally, keyframe, the location of the cube from first to last tenth. Then press Space button to play the animation. Then it will work as excepted. Know what is the difference between the clamp to end the normal follow path function? Here in the Viewport. Both example are given first 20s created using the follow-up path option in the object property. And second, by clamped too. In normal follow-up, what function object movement is affected by the change in the curve. If you see it closely, you can easily notice the difference between the movement of our object. And on the second example, clamped to function, the object move without any distinction, does to plane movement along the path in the constraint is follow path. A very good constrained to use the object and allow it to follow in the carpet. In the viewport, we have a curve and the cube. Select the cube At follow path constraint. Then select the curve as the target. Now look at the Follow the Path Menu. Click con animate path, and press space button. It will start an emitted along the. Now the object is following the global exit path of the curve. But when you click on Follow curve, its position will change to the local axis. And it followed perfectly with the curved direction and its moment. Look at this forward axis. From here, you can change the forward facing axis of the object with reference to the curve x, y, and set clicking on any of this object will perfectly line to the curve axis. Second is the curve radius, e.g. in edit mode, if you select any of the vertex of the car and press S and scale the fence of the curve and then enable the curve radius. You will notice that the object also gets scaled at a particular point where we applied the scale object. Object value decide the initial position of the object on the curve. From wheat object will start animating. You can define manually this offset value and position the object on the curve. To start animating. Launched in the fall apart is how to control the magnitude of the object's following the path. In this question, I found it a little bit confusing to adjust the speed. Let's see how you may find some better way to handle it. So first select the car, then Open Graph Editor in the new window. You will find a graph. Just look at the right site. Here, click on modifier. Just now, just focus on two value coefficient, which is initially zero. And changing this value displays the object on the viewport following the curve. Second, it's the x value. Default is one, which is the speed of the object. If I set it to 0.5, then the speed of the object reduced to half. In this way, by adjusting the x value, you can increase or decrease the speed of the object. I will suggest you must practice this graph section because it might be difficult to explain each details in this part. 13. Track to: To constrain in the viewport when Q and the cone, we want that this code should target any access to the cube only, which means any movement of the cube location change or rotation cone should track its moment. For this, we use the track to constrain. So select the cone added to constraint. Click on the queue as a target object. Now, if you try to move the cube, then the cone will track its position in any direction. From the track axis, you can easily change the axis of tracking x, y, and z up x's will make any of the x's constant on the upside. And the other two will be able to change. This type of constraint is very useful in camera tracking. In the viewport, I have a cube rotating with reference to the circular curve. Add a camera at the center. Selecting the camera, add a track to constraint. Select the cube as the target. Then to the right axis, the facing to the cubed. Now, done when you play the animation, that camera will continue to track the cube rotation moment. Adding track to constraint to the camera is very useful for the free hand movement of the camera, which will constantly focused on the object with the movement. 15. COMING SOON...: A detailed video class coming soon, how this animation made using constraint and keyframe. So stay connected.