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Follow Last Segment is an automated motion tool designed specifically to let you attach new elements to an animation that is already completed.
With it, newly added objects or selected points will track horizontal/vertical positioning, rotation, and even scaling of another element that already has keyframed movement on the timeline.
What Is It Used For?
The main advantage of this tool is that the newly added element does not lose its own existing animation. Arttista intelligently combines both animation passes:
Primary object motion +
New element's own animation = Combined final
motion
Classic Use Cases:
- Surfer on a surfboard: The surfboard is fully animated gliding across waves. You draw the surfer afterward, apply the command, and the surfer tracks the board’s tilts while their hair keeps swaying via its own custom animation.
- Eyes on a head: You animated a full head movement and later realized you forgot the eyes. Simply draw them, place them in position, and set them to follow the head.
- Submarine propeller: A submarine moves and rotates through the scene. You add the propeller later, animate a simple spin on its axis, and use the tool to make it ride attached to the submarine’s rear.
- Others: Adding lights, shadows, clothing, accessories, hair, and decals to moving characters or objects.
How It Works (The Golden Rule)
Operation relies strictly on selection order. When selecting multiple elements, the last two points selected in the scene form an imaginary reference segment. Everything selected before those final two points becomes the content that follows the segment.
If this reference segment rotates or resizes during the primary animation, the attached object undergoes proportional rotation and scaling changes automatically.
Step-by-Step: Practical Usage
- Position the element: Go to the frame where the new object is aligned and positioned over the main object.
- Select the target content: Select all points and paths of the new object (e.g., surfer, propeller, eyes).
- Select the guide: Holding Ctrl, select two points on the main guiding object last (e.g., two points along the surfboard or submarine surface).
- Execute the command:
- On Windows/Linux: Press Ctrl + F5.
- On macOS: Press Alt + F5.
- (Or navigate to top menu Timeline → Follow Last Segment).
⚠️ Important Note: Follow Last Segment always operates from the current frame forward on the timeline. Any animation state prior to the frame where the command was applied remains unchanged.