Walk on Path Add-on Guide

Overview

The "Walk on Path" add-on is a powerful tool in Blender that enables you to animate objects (like an armature's bones) along a Bezier curve path. This guide walks you through the process of setting up and animating a character or object to follow a curve, with options for fine-tuning and baking the animation.

Prerequisites

• Blender version 3.0 or higher.


• Basic knowledge of Blender’s interface, armatures, and animation.


• The "Walk on Path" add-on installed and enabled (via Edit > Preferences > Add-ons).

Step-by-Step Process

Step 01: Select Targets

• Purpose: Identify the armature and key bones to drive the animation.


• Actions:
  
  1. In the 3D Viewport, select your armature object.
  
  
  2. Go to the "Nascore_Tools" tab in the Sidebar (N key), under "Walk on Path".
  
  
  3. Click the eyedropper next to "Armature" and pick your armature.
  
  
  4. Switch to Pose Mode (Ctrl+Tab > Pose Mode).
  
  
  5. Select a "Master Bone" (e.g., root or spine) and click the eyedropper next to "Master Bone".
  
  
  6. Select a "Sub Bone" (e.g., a foot bone) and click the eyedropper next to "Sub Bone".
  
  

Step 02: Generate & Adjust Curve

• Purpose: Create and configure a Bezier curve for the animation path.


• Actions:
  
  1. Click "Create S-Curve" to generate a 15-meter straight Bezier curve aligned with the Master Bone.
  
  
  2. Optionally, pick an existing curve using the "Bezier Curve" eyedropper.
  
  
  3. Adjust "Twist Mode" (e.g., Z Up or Minimum) and "Mean Tilt" to control curve orientation.
  
  
  4. (Optional) Pick a "Ground" object (e.g., a terrain mesh) with the eyedropper.
  
  
  5. Click "Wrap Curve" to add a Shrinkwrap modifier, snapping the curve to the ground.
  
  

Step 03: Curve Smoothness

• Purpose: Refine the curve’s shape for smoother animation.


• Actions:
  
  1. Click "Add Vertices" to subdivide the curve, adding more control points.
  
  
  2. Click "Smooth Curve" to even out the curve’s shape.
  
  
  3. Click "Decimate" to reduce control points if needed (adjust "Decimation Ratio" first).
  
  

Step 04: Calculate Leg Distance

• Purpose: Measure the Sub Bone’s travel distance to set the curve’s animation duration.


• Actions:
  
  1. Set "Start" and "End" frames (e.g., 1 and 2) to define the bone’s movement range.
  
  
  2. Choose the "Axis" (e.g., Y) for distance calculation.
  
  
  3. Click "Calculate & Set Curve" to compute the distance and adjust the curve’s "Path Duration".
  
  

Step 05: Bone Groups Management

• Purpose: Organize bones into groups and apply path-following constraints.


• Actions:
  
  1. In Pose Mode, select bones to group.
  
  
  2. Click "Add Group" (or Shift+Click to add to existing groups).
  
  
  3. (Optional) Click "Create Bone Hierarchy" to make individual groups for each selected bone.
  
  
  4. Click "Follow Path" to create Empties and constraints, linking bones to the curve.
  
  

Step 06: Animation Parameters

• Purpose: Fine-tune the animation timing and offset.


• Actions:
  
  1. Adjust "Path Duration" to change the animation speed along the curve.
  
  
  2. Modify "Offset" to shift the starting position of Empties along the path.
  
  

Step 07: Fine-Tune & Bake

• Purpose: Adjust keyframes and finalize the animation.


• Actions:
  
  1. Select bones or Empties and click "Sticky Forward/Backward" (Ctrl for backward) to copy transforms frame-by-frame.
  
  
  2. Click "Bake Bones" to bake the animation into the armature’s action.
  
  
  3. If needed, click "Revert to Original" to undo baking and restore constraints.
  
  

Step 08: Cleanup

• Purpose: Remove temporary objects created by the script.


• Actions:
  
  1. Click "Delete Script Entities" to remove Empties, curves (except the selected one), and baked actions.
  
  

Tips

• Use the "Show Help" toggle in the panel for quick guidance.


• Save your file before baking to avoid losing work.


• Test small frame ranges (e.g., 1-10) before full animation.

Troubleshooting

• Curve not aligning? Check the Master Bone’s orientation and adjust "Twist Mode".


• Bones not following? Ensure "Follow Path" was applied and Empties are reset.


• Errors? Verify all selections (armature, bones, curve) are valid.