Object Parenting Blender NL2 Compatible?

As far as I can tell it seems as tho animating objects such as ferris wheels from blender objects is currently impossible. Scripts do not recognize the parenting. Also, it doesn't import the separate scene object entities at the correct location unless every origin in the model is the same. Anyone have any idea how to make this possible? If not how difficult would it be for me to get lightwave for free? It works perfectly for lwo objects.

Just to let everyone know, Kyle Solane is making me a scripted animated double Japanese Ferris wheel for me and himself to use. Plus anyone who wants to use the wheel can use it if they ask him first.

If you don't mind jumping through a few small hoops (mostly just registering on the site), they offer a 30 day fully functional trial license of Lightwave. Creative use of email addresses could net you a couple of months worth.

If you are, or know someone in college, or that is an educator, you might could qualify for an educational discount. It's still $195, but $800 off is a pretty good deal.

You may be confusing Blender's unique method of exporting objects with world coordinates as a lack of "parenting". Blender is a bit weird. You need to apply the Transform and Rotation modifiers to each object to inherent the global world coordinate system before you export. Otherwise the objects will appear to overlap one another when you import the 3DS object into any other program.

But that's the thing. Each of a ferris wheels cars have their origins at the axis that they rotate, not at the center. While having the origins all around the rim works when exporting from lightwave, it doesn't for blender. If I apply the location, it sets the origin to the center, and I cannot set each chair to rotate along their individual axes.. If there is some work around to animating the chairs to follow the rim of the wheel and rotate independently that would be great.

Sounds like you now have the visible 3d wheel built? Can we all see a pic of the wheel? or is is just a part of the wheel that's made so far?

Originally posted by Kyle Sloane

But that's the thing. Each of a ferris wheels cars have their origins at the axis that they rotate, not at the center.While having the origins all around the rim works when exporting from lightwave, it doesn't for blender. If I apply the location, it sets the origin to the center, and I cannot set each chair to rotate along their individual axes.. If there is some work around to animating the chairs to follow the rim of the wheel and rotate independently that would be great.

I'm not an expert in Blender by any means, so maybe there's still a way to do this. But as far as I can tell, what you're trying to do with Blender objects isn't possible.

As I understand it, Blender does not differentiate between each object's local coordinate system and the scene's coordinate system. The object origin is a pseudo-origin of some kind that has relevance only in Blender. So you can never have an object with its own origin relative to the world's origin.

You can still build the Ferris Wheel using Blender. And you should still set the car's origins at the point of rotation. But you will not get the position on the wheel for "free". Instead you will have to hard code the position of each of the cars in the script.

Yup that's what I assumed. I'm thinking it might just work best to use lightwave free trial in the meantime..

How many days will it take you to build the wheel and all 20 flower styled cars? A week or so?

+the number of days I have to spend learning lightwave..

How long will it take for you to learn Lightwave?

dunno probably a few days

I found a good video for the sound of the wheel and the inside of the flower cars.