How to Make an Object Follow a Curve Path in Blender?

Making an object follow a curve in Blender, often referred to as a path, is a common animation technique. This involves using a curve object as a guide for another object's movement.

To achieve this, you typically prepare a curve to act as the path and then apply a constraint to the object you want to move.

Step-by-Step Guide to Setting Up Object-on-Path Following

Here are the steps to make an object follow a curve path in Blender:

1. Add Your Objects:

   • Add the object you wish to move (e.g., a camera, a vehicle, a character). You can use Shift + A > Mesh and choose a primitive or load your model.
   • Add a curve object that will serve as the path. Go to Shift + A > Curve and select a curve type like Bezier or Path. Path curves are often preferred for animation as their evaluation time (for animation) is normalized from 0 to 1.

2. Shape the Curve (The Path):

   • With the curve object selected, enter Edit Mode. According to the reference, "Now go to edit mode and move the vertices of the curve to bend It." You can select vertices (or control points) and use the G key to grab and move them, R to rotate handles, and S to scale handles (for Bezier curves) to shape the curve into the desired path.
   • Exit Edit Mode by pressing the Tab key.

3. Select the Object to Follow:

   • "Go back to object mode" (if you were in Edit Mode).
   • "and select the train." (or your chosen object). Ensure the object you want to move is selected.

4. Add the Follow Path Constraint:

   • With the object selected, go to the Object Constraint Properties tab in the Properties editor (it looks like a chain link).
   • Click "Add Object Constraint" and choose "Follow Path".

5. Target the Curve:

   • In the "Follow Path" constraint settings, locate the "Target" field.
   • Click the eyedropper icon and select the curve object in the 3D Viewport, or click the dropdown arrow and choose the curve from the list.

6. Configure Constraint Options:

   • Forward Axis / Up Axis: Define how the object's local axes should align with the path. This affects the object's rotation as it moves.
   • Follow Curve: Check this box if you want the object to automatically rotate its local Y axis to follow the direction of the curve. This is usually desirable for vehicles or cameras.
   • Animate Path: This is a crucial option for animating movement.
     • If checked, Blender provides an 'Evaluation Time' setting (or 'Offset' for non-Path curves) which you can animate to move the object along the path over frames.
     • If unchecked, you would typically animate the object's 'Offset' value manually. Using 'Animate Path' with a fixed duration (e.g., using Shift + A > Curve > Path and setting frames) is often easier.

Summary Table: Key Steps & Concepts

Step	Action	Details / Reference
1. Add Objects	Add Object & Curve	Prepare the moving object and the curve (path).
2. Shape Path	Edit Curve	Enter Edit Mode for the curve. "move the vertices of the curve to bend It."
3. Select Mover	Select Object	Exit Edit Mode. "Go back to object mode and select the train." (or your object)
4. Add Constraint	Add Follow Path	In Object Constraint Properties, add "Follow Path".
5. Set Target	Link Object to Curve	Select the curve object as the constraint's Target.
6. Configure Animation	Adjust Constraint Settings	Use 'Follow Curve' and animate 'Offset' or 'Evaluation Time' for movement.

By following these steps, incorporating the method from the reference for shaping the path and selecting the object, you can successfully make an object follow a curve path in Blender.