Normal to Surface

The Constraint->Normal to Surface command in the Actor and Motion modules constrains the y-axis of an object to the direction of a constraining polygon mesh object's surface normal to which it is closest.

This constraint is useful for making an object remain perpendicular to a surface, usually when the surface is deformed or shape animated, such as a ship sailing over a section of choppy water.

Note:

You can use this constraint in conjunction with the Object to Cluster constraint to constrain the object to the same polygon or set of points.

Procedure

1. Select the object to be constrained.
   
   Tip:
   
   You may want to choose the Show->Normal command to see the object's normals. If the normals are pointing in the wrong direction, choose the Effect->Inverse command in the Model module.
   
   
2. Choose the Constraint->Normal to Surface command.
3. Pick the constraining object. This must be a polygon mesh object.
   
   The constraining object flashes red.
   
   
4. Right-click to end the mode.

The constrained object's y-axis is repositioned in the direction of the surface normals of the constraining object. As you move the constrained object, its y-axis readjusts its direction to match the normals that are closest to it.

Last updated 03-apr-1998