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Select an object. > Modify panel > Modifier List > Object–Space Modifiers > Point Cache
Select an object. > Modifiers menu > Cache Tools > Point Cache
The Point Cache modifier lets you store modifier animation to a disk file that records only changes in vertex positions, and then play back the animation using the information in the disk file instead of the modifier keyframes. This is useful when the computation required for modifier animation becomes so excessive that it causes animation playback to run slowly or drop frames.
Another use for this modifier is to apply the same animation to a number of objects, varying the Start Time and Strength settings for each so they don't all move identically.
The Point Cache modifier is also available in a world-space version, for which usage is the same.
To use the point cache modifier:
Use one or more modifiers to animate an object. For example, you might apply a Bend modifier, and then set keyframes for the Angle parameter to make the object bend back and forth.
Click Play Animation.
If the animation is a good candidate for caching, the playback will drop many frames with Real Time Playback turned on, and will run slowly with Real Time Playback turned off.
From the Modify panel > Modifier List, choose Object–Space Modifiers > Point Cache.
On the Parameters rollout > Record Cache group, set frame numbers for Start Time and End Time.
If you plan to render the cached animation, and you'll be using motion blur, increase the Samples setting.
Click the Record button, and use the Save Points dialog to specify a cache file.
The software records the animation to the cache file. When finished, the cache file name appears in the Record Cache group, after "Active:".
If using a Point Cache modifier, in the Active Cache group, click Disable Modifiers Below.
This turns off all the object's modifiers below Point Cache so that only the cached vertex animation will appear when you play back the animation.
Click Play Animation again.
This time the animation plays back quickly and smoothly.
Contains settings for cached animation playback.
Start Time—The frame number at which the cached animation starts playing back. Using decimal fractions lets you start at a sub-frame setting when using a Frame:Ticks time display. Default=0.0.
Use Relative Offsets—Makes the Strength setting available. This enables offsetting the animated vertex positions relative to their positions as recorded. Default=off.
Note: When you turn on Use Relative Offsets and play back a cached animation with the modifiers turned on, the cached vertex positions are calculated relative to their positions as calculated by the modifiers. For example, if you record a Bend animation to a cache file, and then play it back with both Use Relative Offsets and the Bend modifier turned on and Strength=1.0, all vertex positions are doubled, resulting in exaggerated motion.
Strength—Affects the motion relative to the original animation. Available only when Use Relative Offsets is turned on. Default=1.0. Range=-10.0 to 10.0.
At 1.0, the animation plays back the same as recorded. With strengths between 0 and 1, the animation is relatively restrained. At strengths greater than 1, the animation is exaggerated. With negative Strength settings, the motion is reversed.
Enable Modifiers Below—Turns on all stack modifiers below the Point Cache modifier. Use this when you want to change modifier settings.
Disable Modifiers Below—Turns off all the object's stack modifiers below Point Cache so that only the cached vertex animation appears when you play back the animation.
Contains settings for recording vertex animation.
Active—After you save or load a cache file, its name appears in this field.
Record—Stores the vertex animation to a disk file. Click Record to activate the Save Points dialog, which lets you specify a path and file name for the cache file. Click Save to record the file, and then load it into the Point Cache modifier, ready for playback.
Tip: To change the path or file name, use Set Cache with a different cache file. This file must already exist, but you can record over it.
Tip: Set Cache—Loads a vertex animation from a cache file on disk into the Point Cache modifier. If the number of vertices in the cache file does not match the number of vertices in the object, a warning appears, but no error occurs.
Tip: Start Time—Sets the first frame for recording the vertex animation. Default=first frame of the active time segment.
Tip: End Time—Sets the last frame for recording the vertex animation. Default=last frame of the active time segment.
Tip: Samples—Sets the number of evenly spaced samples per frame. Increase this number when rendering with motion blur, which uses sub-frame sampling.
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