Rolling Cube along a path in C4D using math and Xpresso

A couple of days ago I came across this video of Maxon Training Team (channel that I recommend you follow):

This tutorial shows techniques for rolling a cube along a path using XPresso and the new Nodes system. The result is good and in certain situations it can be fine, but it is not precise, it is an approximation. I tried to look if there was a mathematical solution to the problem but in my short search I found only these other methods of solving the problem:

This is another fast and effective approach that leverages the internal physics of C4D.

Here, on the other hand, a solution is offered to obtain a mathematically precise rolling, but it would probably be difficult, to deny me if I am wrong, to adapt it to make the cube follow a path other than the straight line.

So I thought I’d solve the problem mathematically so that the cube can follow a path along a spline. But first I want to show you a short example video where I used my own preset.

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Realbook with custom pages

If you need a book with a custom pages, for example with rounded corners or with thickness and so on, just follow these steps:

1.

Realbook_layer

Go to the Layer Manager and make the hidden layer visible.

2.

custom_page
Create your own geometry for the page (with rounded corner, with thickness, …)  and make it child of the Piano geometry. Adjust the position and the dimension (depend on your poligon).
3. Now disable the Piano geometry.
4. Return on the Layer Manager and hide the layer again.
5. Duplicate the page.
6. Finish.

How To Concatenate Two Bend Deformers

With this tutorial that I prefer to call exercise I hope to give you the opportunity to explore a topic often poorly treated:
The Matrix (not the movie)
The prerequisites are a minimum of knowledge of trigonometry, a little bit of geometry and XPresso. It is not for all, but trust me, it is a simple task.
Since I have received some requests on how to concatenate the Bend Deformer automatically I planned on doing this exercise by providing the project file, so you can see everything in detail without having to write anything.  But it would be more interesting to redo from scratch all the things.

Demo video:

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