Fluid cycles

[cableon]

Hi,

I might raise an already long-discussed (and solved ?) issue in ASP, but how do you prevent cycle vectorial motions from making that little stop before the loop starts again ?

I have tried a couple tricks, which do not seem to work. I might have forgotten something though, as I havent practised vectorial animation in ASP for a while, mainly using it as a makeshift 2D stopmotion tool :

1°) Easing in the motion of my object on the previous keyframe, and then easing it out again doesn't seem to change anything.

2°) Slowing down the motion of my object when approaching the last keyframe of the cycle by bringing the vectorial points closer to each other does not seem to affect that little stop either.

Does anyone have any other solution to offer please ?

Here is a sample sequence to illustrate my problem...

[slowtiger]

1. Set all keys to linear, especially if you do something mechanical (a rolling wheel etc).
2. If you do it like me and duplicate the first keyframe to the last frame of the cycle, make sure the cycle value is one less than the actual frame interval.

Example:
#1 key: wheel at 0°
#30 key: wheel at 360°
Set that key on #30 to cycle, value 29

[Víctor Paredes]

1. Set all keys to linear, especially if you do something mechanical (a rolling wheel etc).
2. If you do it like me and duplicate the first keyframe to the last frame of the cycle, make sure the cycle value is one less than the actual frame interval.

Example:
#1 key: wheel at 0°
#30 key: wheel at 360°
Set that key on #30 to cycle, value 29

I think it works more fluid when the value is two less than the frame interval (if I understood well the explanation), so, if the first keyframe is in frame 1 and the last is in frame 30, the cycle should go back to frame 2 instead 1. So you can set an absolute cycle with value "2" or relative cycle with value "28".
That way, the first and last keys (which are exactly in same position/rotation) only are showed once during the cycle.

[cableon]

Hey thanks!

Doesn't seem to change much here, though. Raised the absolute cycle value to 2, and then gradually up to 6 (at 24fps), with a slightly more visible, yet minimal effect : the little pause is still there -- and above 6 a little hitch starts to appear, as though the earth makes a little quantum leap or suddenly bounces into the future across some invisible portal.

Thanx again -- any other suggestion ?

[cableon]

Wait, a value of 3 seems to make a smooth enough transition in this particular case -- I'll keep to it, thanks Selgin!!