Okay, I'm in dire need of help.

I need to animate a slake like creature. But I have no time or patience to animate and rig every little part. I know it can be done MUCH easier. Basically I need to animate and pose it like that of Tank Treads (or train model following a curved path). unfortunately I haven't a clue how to do that. Every tutorial I find is either:

-Missing
-Too Old
-Without volume (video)
-Too fast (video)
-Too Complex
-Different language.

 I (along with MANY others) need to know how to create such animations and models.
I thought I had it but glitches/errors keep happening.

Here's what I've done so far (that does not always work when I try it).

1-Create model > Subsurf > Covert to Mesh and delete original
2-Apply an Array Modifier
3-Add an Empty and applied the mesh's Object Offset (in the array modifier) to the Empty.
(This tends to only create larger versions)
4-Created a Curve (Path option will not let me exclude)
5-Applied mesh to Curve (through Curve modifier)
(I've tried applying the Array to the length of the curve but removes all but 3-5 array copies).

Even not set to 3D, the path has the same effect to the array. If I move certain points of the curve/path it moves the glitch up or down the path.

Please Help! :(

http://www.renderosity.com/mod/gallery/index.php?image_id=1862362

I've had trouble with that myself, for me it was related to the objects flipping direction on the 3d path.  There was a tutorial on tank treads in blenderart magazine #19, I didn't read it carefully but there was an animation of it that was really smooth, didn't seem to have this problem.

Try the following simple procedure:

Select the curve and switch to edit mode.
Add a Hook with empty (Ctrl H -> 1).
switch to object mode and turn the curve (ONLY the curve) until the knot disappears.
Apply the hook modifier in the editing buttons
Now the empty can be deleted.

thats it

Thanks, Walross.

 Unfortuantly that does not  work for me. It just causes more issues. :(

Something like the attached file?

what file? :(

Yeah, I guess this board does not support attached BLEND files.

Makes it hard to help...

just rename it to .txt or something and upload :biggrin:

Coords have file lockers for such purposes, too.  If you send it to me I can put it in there.