I built it in Vegas Pro 11. Track one is the parent and trax 2 -7 are the child tracks (I built it by by following the directions from a youtube tutorial). I use track 1 (parent track motion) to rotate the entire cube but can't quite figure out how to rotate around the center of the top and bottom faces. It rotates off center now. Hopefully, there is a setting for the XYZ settings to lock the center axis.

When you're moving something around with 3D track motion that you want to make a shape out of (like a cube), in each track's motion the XYZ center for your whole object is 0,0,0. So if you want a cube you place your front/back sides at 0,0,-360 & 0,0,360 respectively. For the left/right side you rotate 0,90,0/0,90,0. You move them to -360,0,0/360,0,0 respectively. For the top/bottom rotate -90,0,0/-90,0,0 & move to 0,-240,0/0,240,0 respectively.

NOW, you go in to the 3D parent track motion window & move your cube there around.

Thanx Happy Frair. I need a little more help and assume I make changes under the heading of "Orientation".

I went into the front side's track motion and under the heading of "Orientation" I tried to change the "Z" to 360 but it won't stay (I assume 360 is essentially equivalent to "0" and that's why it reverts back to "0"). FYI my front side "Position" settings for XYZ are 0,0,-500. Are the changes supposed to be made under the "Orientation" heading?

Thanx, Frederick

Orientation only goes up to 360, but 360 & 0 are the same thing.

To spin something around more then once use the Rotation.

Still confused. I generally know how to make it spin in the parent track but it isn't spinning around the preferred axis. When I spin it with the "Top" view and XYZ all locked, it spins but the axis wanders.

It's like the north and south pole wander and don't stay in place. I want the cube to spin around the imaginary pole that would go thru the center of the top and bottom faces of the cube (like a cubic piece of cheese with a toothpick thru it). It's hard to describe in words but thanx for helping.

You must unclick "edit object in space" in the parent track window.

You then can move the axis to the desired position.

The problem is you may have built the cube with the centre of the parent track not centre of your cube
So you have to create another parent track deselect edit object in space = cube in parent track controller. deselect enable rotation = round arrow.

Then right click on top view and select restore box
Then in each top, left, front offset the centre point to the correct centre point so with you I would be round about move in the left window centre point up half way to cube top and front move left halfway to edge of cube. So what you are doing is offsetting the cube incorrect centre to the centre of the new parent track

In the new parent track do your rotation as the wrong centre point is now in a new container with the correct centre it won’t matter as you are using the new parent track

If you are doing a lot of this type of thing get Scattershot 3d plug from Vasst it will do this correct every time with one click.

Thanx, I'll give it a try. OK I tried Scattershot and it seems to do the kind of things I've always wanted to do, and very easily. I'm trying it out now. Why isn't this type of thing included as a part of Vegas???

I know this is an old thread but I'm taking a chance someone will be willing to help.

Unfortunately I'm having the same problem and don't understand your proposed solution.

Here is a link to the veg file, where I'm simply using colors to represent the sides.
https://app.box.com/s/zytihiomx34csbetz4x0j60bewa2voqm

I'd also like to overlay text over each cube and haven't been able to figure that out either.

Try this project.

Pay attention to the Track Motion Fields Rotation Y and Z Offset.

.

"[I]I'd also like to overlay text over each cube and haven't been able to figure that out either.[/I]"

That might be easier if you put text over the video in a separate project and nest that project into your rotating track project.

If the text is supposed to look like it's "printed" on the cube using a text FX with background would be easier then compositing. Or making an image in an external program.

Here's an example of text in a nested project.

In the nested project replace the .png block faces with your video and edit the text to suit your fancy.



It's not work when I do videos of my grandchildren. It's the same as doing audio projects with my favorite funk groove.

I know it's not but it LOOKS like the text is sliding while it's rotating! :) That's just because it's video with static text and it's all rotating.

I see what you mean. It's more pronounced where "Donald Duck" is over a diagonal line with the camera moving slightly.

Thanks guys for responding with examples! I had only received an email regarding John's first post, but no notifications of any others which is strange.

I see that your examples are not using a parent track to control cube movement, but instead each Track Motion must be adjusted manually. Sure seems like a lot of extra work than simply manipulating a parent track? Having to use a nested project for each side just to get some overlay text also seems like the long way, rather than a media generator separate track? You guys are most likely experts so I'm sure there are some very good reasons why the long road is the better one. I've watched some YT videos showing the use of parent tracks. This one is the most detailed tutorial I could find.



Is it just me, but Vegas 3D Track Motion perspectives aren't as intuitive as they look on the surface? Specifically, even though the default axle position looks exactly centered, in reality it is not. If it was actually centered, then the movement I'm looking for would in fact be the default. Offset in my mind would be offset from a baseline of centered axle, so all XYZ points at zero.

Here's another attempt this time trying to combine media generator text on track above side
https://app.box.com/s/z2a6aajmjepk9s7vrukjmodj6n2bnncq

"[I]You guys are most likely experts so I'm sure there are some very good reasons why the long road is the better one.[/I]"

I'm retired so I can do things the hard way and it doesn't matter.

I was cleaning up my desktop and wanted to post this before I forget.
I watched the tutorial that you referenced and created this project from the step-by-step instructions. I used the 1000x1000 pixel dimensions that you used in your project. I replaced the generated media with colored .png files out of pure stubbornness. If you replace the .png files with your own media you get .