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and full parametric setup with tracer (could be created also small xpresso to make relationship between number of helix turns and count of matricies points) Tubes around tube loop_bezo_param.c4d

I like your thinking. I've constructed an Xpresso rig that parametrically describes this kind of orbit. It still is NOT a totally parametric solution for CATNAP. CATNAP in order to use this: Play with whatever parameter you like in the main Xpresso Tag (2-Body Orbit). Let the animation run until the last frame. (Use the Go to Next Frame button to make sure you don't miss it unless you have the Loop Animation disabled) At the last frame use the Current State to Object command on the Tracer object. Close Spline on the new object. Select the first and last points and make them smooth. @Igor can we put this file somewhere for people to find ? Do we have a repository for useful nodes/rigs/models ? Torus Orbit.c4d

Nice one, learn something new everyday. Brilliant setup @bezo.

Instead of bend could be used Spline wrap... (for helix needs to be used formula x*360 to be sure start and end point of spline hold the same position) Tubes around tube loop_bezo.c4d

Oh, and forgot to say - when you open that file, add a phong tag to the unsubdivided spring to fix that faceting on it - it got removed during the unsubdivide, because it is a sculpt process, which doesn't use / need them. If that isn't smooth enough for closeups you can put it under SDS, but you won't need more than Level 1, and should set that in the Render SDS level, but ZERO in the editor level, because we don't want to be adding back all the polys we just removed that were slowing it down ! CBR

Not really your fault here I think. It could have grown beyond the complexity of what is possible / reliable in the program ! And even if that is not the case it is perhaps not reasonable to expect someone with under 3 years in the program to be able to deal with situations quite this epic ! I would be happy to help solve this, but am hesitant to offer some paid exploration until I KNOW I can get to the answer - the last thing I want is to spend 4 chargeable hours trying to get there, and then we still don't... However, some good news while I consider the issue... If we Unsubdivide that main spring, and then dissolve every other one of the radial loops we fix the scene speed thing in a single move, and now we can get 75 fps, which is much more reasonable in seeing what is where, when. This also reduces scene size from 125 MB to 11, which zips down to 4, thusly... GOVERNOR 00 PREP R25 V18 C4DCAFE V7 CBR.rar So that's problem one of several solved. I am thinking about the other ones ! CBR

I feel a certain responsibility to help with this because I think I came up with the original rig a while back, which has since been made more complex and had other elements and parts added to it. It's certainly very complex now, and not helped, as you note, by a) viewport performance (xp calculations mainly) and b) looping an area not at the start, meaning the program takes a frame or 2 to catch up with where it is meant to be in the animation. And all this makes diagnosing the issue / suggesting a workaround / alternative method most challenging. I haven't found an answer yet. I would agree with previous posts recommending faking it if I thought that was going to be possible, which I don't. This is not a fixed camera as I understand it, and there is simply nowhere to hide any transition points in any of the objects concerned that won't be seen from some angle or other. And whilst attaching nulls to the holes in the Governer Arm seems initially promising, the question remains as to how those nulls would be also attached to the various parts of connected models in a way that could move a group of points at the end of each spring or armature without affecting the natural look of the overall deformation imparted by the keyframed FFD controlling the spring length and shape, which is very specific, curves with the central arm, and must maintain that during animation as it stretches and contracts. Very very difficult. CBR