Introduction

This is a version of the existing mcjTracer plugin which adds the ability to display animation paths

In case there's bugs in the new version, i leave the old version(s) of mcjTracer as they are

https://sites.google.com/site/mcasualsdazscripts2/mcjtracerds45

and

https://sites.google.com/site/mcasualsdazscripts/mcjtracer-the-line-thing

mcjTracePath the companion script that creates paths for mcjTracer

http://sites.google.com/site/mcasualsdazscripts/mcgtracepath-for-mcjtracer

also, to make your animation life easier get the setInterpolation script

http://sites.google.com/site/mcasualsdazscripts/setinterpolation-for-ds2-3

Installation

you will find the plugin at the bottom of this web page in the "attachments" section

mcjTracerDS45V2x32.dll for Daz Studio 4.5 32 bits

mcjTracerDS45V2x64.dll for Daz Studio 4.5 64 bits

this dll must be placed it in your Daz Studio 4.5 plugins folder

typically

the 32-bit version of the plugin ( mcjTracerDS45V2x32.dll ) goes in C:\Program Files (x86)\DAZ 3D\DAZStudio4\plugins

and the 64 bit version of the plugin ( mcjTracerDS45V2x64.dll ) goes in C:\Program Files\DAZ 3D\DAZStudio4\plugins

Old School Use ... Tracing Objects and Figures

Please refer to mcjTracer for DS4.5's manual for instructions concerning the display of objects

https://sites.google.com/site/mcasualsdazscripts2/mcjtracerds45

Tracing Animation Paths

Select the node to be traced

Example: we select a Null node named "tip", this node is parented to Aiko3's index tip

create the mcjTracer node

using Daz Studio's "Create" menu

Select the mcjTracer node

using the Daz Studio's Scene tab

Enable the Track Mode

in the Daz Studio's Parameters tab you should now see the mcjTracer node Parameters

go in the "Track" category and turn "Track Mode" on

Enable the "Per Animation Frame" option

by default the mcjTracer displays the path of the target node only if the target node has keyframes

but in our example, It's Aiko3 which will have keyframes, the "tip" node is simply following Aiko3's hand

Starting to get something

we see the tip's path but it's a dashed line

Turn on the "Treat Vertices As One Long Line" option

in the Geometry section

Got it !

i changed the mcjTracer trace surface color to red and increased the Edge width

modulating the line width

in the Track section of the mcjTracer parameters, turn on the "Use XScale as Width Control" option

animate theXScale of your target node ( in our example, the "tip" node )