Custom Paths in Twinmotion | Twinmotion Documentation

With the Custom path tool, you can animate multiple static or animated objects along spline-based Custom paths that you create and customize.

The Custom path tool is a component of the animated paths tools in Twinmotion, and is located in the Paths tab of the Populate panel.

The Custom path tool in the Populate panel.

You can populate Custom paths with objects from the Twinmotion Library, including the Animators, or with any static or animated object you import into Twinmotion. Custom paths support multiple objects on a single path, and any transform you apply in Twinmotion to the objects (position, rotation, and scale) before you link them to the paths are preserved.

Objects can be distributed on Custom paths using different placement options and with configurable anchors (pivot point or local bounding box). You can also control the orientation of objects along the paths, and snap them to the Starting Ground or have them follow any elevation in the path.

Supported Asset Types

You can create Custom paths with any static or animated asset you import into Twinmotion, and with the static or animated Twinmotion Library assets in the following categories:

Vegetation (excluding Landscapes)
Objects (excluding Water, Decals, Sounds, and Materials)
Lights
Megascans
Sketchfab
Characters
Vehicles
User library
Animators
Tools (Notes, Section cubes, LED wall, Static motion blur, Cycloramas, Reflection probes)

Creating a Custom Path

To create a Custom path, do as follows:

Open the Populate panel by clicking Populate in the footer.
In the Populate panel, click the Paths tab, then click the Custom tab.
To start creating a path in the scene, click the Pen tool.
With the Pen tool, click in the viewport once to create the first spline point, then drag the mouse and continue to click to create the points and segments of the path.
When you create a Custom path, a placeholder object is automatically added to the path. The placeholder will be replaced by the first object you add to the path.
For more information about working with splines, see Splines in the Animated Paths Overview page.
Link the objects to the path using either of the following two methods:
Method 1
- In the Scene graph, select the objects you want to link to the path and move them directly under the Custom path entry.
Objects parented by the Custom path.
Method 2
1. In the Scene graph, select the Custom path.
2. In the Properties panel, click Editing tools to expand the section, then click the Link icon.
  The Link icon in the Editing tools section.
3. In the scene, click each object you want to link to the path.
  Linking objects to the Custom path.
  By default, objects are projected on the path onto the spline point located nearest to them, but you can select other placement options. For more information, see Placement in the Main animation section below.
Customize the path using the options in the Properties panel. For more information about the properties you can modify, see Custom Path Properties.

Custom Path Properties

Properties of a Custom path in the Properties panel.

Play Modes

You can work with Custom paths in Preview mode, Collision mode, and Sequence mode.

Preview Mode

Preview mode is perfect for creating and previewing Custom paths for real time simulations. You can use the controls in the Playback mode section, and pause the animation at any point to capture images and panoramas from that location.

Sequence Mode

In Sequence mode, Custom paths are included inside cinematic keyframed sequences that you create with the Sequence tool.

Collision Mode

In Collision mode, the animation of Custom paths is event-driven. You can control when the paths start animating according to the proximity of the paths to one or more collision triggers.

Option	Description
Collision triggers	The Custom path animation plays only if one or more of the following collision triggers are inside the Trigger zone. Camera: The viewport camera. Pedestrians: The pedestrians in Character paths. Vehicles and bicycles: The vehicles and bikes in Vehicle and Bicycle paths. Custom path actors: The objects in other Custom paths.
Trigger zone	Defines the area where a trigger needs to be before a Custom path starts playing. By default, the maximum trigger zone area is 5000 cm, but you can override this value. Options: 100 cm to 5000 cm

Option

Description

Collision triggers

The Custom path animation plays only if one or more of the following collision triggers are inside the Trigger zone.

Camera: The viewport camera.
Pedestrians: The pedestrians in Character paths.
Vehicles and bicycles: The vehicles and bikes in Vehicle and Bicycle paths.
Custom path actors: The objects in other Custom paths.

Trigger zone

Defines the area where a trigger needs to be before a Custom path starts playing.

By default, the maximum trigger zone area is 5000 cm, but you can override this value.

Options: 100 cm to 5000 cm

Editing tools

Tool		Description
Link		Links the object you select in the scene to the Custom path. When an object is linked, it is parented by the Custom path and animated along the path.
Unlink		Unlinks the object you select in the scene from the Custom path. When an object is unlinked, it is not parented by the Custom path and not included in the path.
Move parent		When you click this icon, you can move the position and orientation of the Custom path (the parent), without moving the position and orientation of the objects (children) linked to the path.

Playback mode

Playback mode	Description
1	Goes to the starting point of the Custom path (depending on the option you select in Movement), then pauses the animation.
2	Plays the Custom path animation.
3	Pauses the Custom path animation.
4	Rewinds the Custom path animation to the starting point (depending on the option you select in Movement), then pauses the animation.
5	Goes to the end point of the Custom path (depending on the option you select in Movement), then pauses the animation.

When you work with Custom paths in sequences, the playback mode is disabled. In sequences, you can control the playback of Custom paths using the playhead on the timeline, or the playback controls of the sequence. For more information, see the Sequence Controls section in Sequences.

Main animation

Setting	Description
Movement	Defines how objects move on the Custom path. From start: Objects move from the starting point of the path to the end point. To start: Objects move from the end point of the path to the starting point.
Placement	Determines the placement of the objects on the Custom path. Relative: Objects follow the trajectory of the path but are not anchored on the path. Their original positions and orientation in world space relative to the path are preserved. Projected: Objects are projected onto the spline points located nearest to them on the path, which determines their starting position on the path. Random: Objects are assigned a random position on the path.
Children origin	Defines how objects are positioned (or anchored) on the Custom path. You can use the bottom or center of the invisible bounding box that surrounds the object, or the pivot point of the object. This can be useful for objects that have misplaced pivot points. Down: The bottom of the object's bounding box is used as the anchor point. Center: The center of the object's bounding box is used as the anchor point. Pivot: The pivot point of the object is used as the anchor point.
Z offset	Determines the vertical offset of the objects relative to the Custom path. By default, the value is 0 cm. Options: -10000cm to 10000cm
Time offset	Offsets the starting positions of the objects on the path by percentage. Options: 0% to 100% Random seed icon. When a Custom path has more than one object, clicking the random seed icon randomizes which object on the path is positioned at the start of the path. Continue to click to cycle through each object on the path to select which one you want at the start of the path.
Follow	Positions the objects towards the front to make them front facing while they follow the path. By default, this option is selected.
Keep upward	If selected, objects on the path are positioned in an upright position relative to the path. By default, this option is not selected.
Stick to floor	If selected, objects on the path are always anchored to the Starting Ground as they move along the path, even if the path (or a segment of the path) is positioned above the Starting Ground.

Loop and timing

Setting	Description
Loop mode	Controls what happens when the Custom path animation reaches the end of its playback. Once: The animation plays once from the start point to the end point, and then stops. Loop: The animation plays continuously from the start point to the end point. Oscillate: The animation loops forward and backward continuously between the start and end points. Loop modes are not available for Custom paths inside sequences.
Speed	Controls the speed of the objects as they move on the path. Speed unit You can set the speed at which objects travel along the path using the following speed units: cm/s: Centimeters per second m/s: Miles per second km/h: Kilometers per hour MpH: Miles per hour
Start delay	Sets the delay, in seconds, before the animation starts playing from the starting point. Options: 0 s to 60 s This option is not available when you edit sequences. In the Sequence tool, the start delay is determined by the position of the path on the timeline.
Inter loop delay	Sets the delay, in seconds, between each animation loop. Options: 0 s to 30 s In Sequence mode, the inter loop delay is calculated by frame number.