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Unlike a Polyline path, the XY path modifier uses separate splines in the Spline Editor to calculate position along the X-axis and along the Y-axis.
— Right-click on the center coordinate control in the viewer or the Center X/ Y parameter in the Inspector, and then choose Modify With > XY Path from the contextual menu.
Adding the XY Path modifier to a Center parameter in the Inspector
At first glance, XY paths work like Polyline paths. To create the path once the modifier is applied, position the playhead and drag the onscreen control where you want it. Position the playhead again and move the onscreen control to its new position. The difference is that the control points are only there for spatial positioning. There is no Displacement parameter for controlling temporal positioning.
XY path modifier controls in the Modifiers tab of the Inspector
Instead of dragging in the viewer, you can use the controls in the Modifiers tab to create a motion path, while using the object’s original Inspector controls as an offset to this motion path. You can use the XYZ parameters to position the object, the Center X/Y parameters to position the entire path, the Size and Angle to scale and rotate the path, and the Heading Offset control to adjust the orientation.
Using an XY path modifier to animate a piece of text
Using the XY Paths in the Spline Editor
TIP: XY path and Poly path can be converted between each other from the contextual menu. This gives you the ability to change methods to suit your current needs without having to redo animation.
TIP: XY path and Poly path can be converted between each other from the contextual menu. This gives you the ability to change methods to suit your current needs without having to redo animation.
TIP: XY path and Poly path can be converted between each other from the contextual menu. This gives you the ability to change methods to suit your current needs without having to redo animation.
The Spline Editor for the XY path displays the X and Y channel splines. Changes to the path in the viewer or the Inspector will be displayed as keyframes on these splines in the Spline Editor. Unlike a Polyline path, XY paths do not include a Displacement curve. The speed of the object along the path is tied to the path itself and cannot be separated from the timing of the keyframes that define that path.
The advantage of the XY path modifier is that you can explicitly set an XY coordinate at a specific time for more control.
XY Path displays X and Y curves in the Spline Editor but does not include a Displacement control.