Animate flat box folding

[northwoods]

Hi, I'm trying to animate this flat box into a folded box. The problem is that I am unsure how to customize the pivot points to rotate the flaps. The side flaps have to be "grouped" for the first part of the fold, and then ungrouped to fold the top adjacent flap. Is this possible in C3D?
Thanks!

 

[ZooHead]

The Edge Rotate tool should do that.

Also if you double click on the center ball on the Transform Tool it turns blue.
Then it is decoupled and you can click anywhere that turns blue to set the tool there.

Then double click again to lock it in.

 

[northwoods]

Awesome thank you! I didn't realize the transform tool could be moved arbitrarily.

Sorry one more question... Can you please point me to a thread or video tutorial that explains how to set up keyframes? I have not done this before. I know the steps I need to do, just not familiar with the timeline or how to set the time and recording of an translation.

 

[ZooHead]

In the built in help system there is an animation section to start with.

 

[northwoods]

You right. I should have looked there first. Thank you!

 

[ZooHead]

Happy to help.

 

[Helmut]

* Just a simple set up created by edge rotation and point recording.

PS:
* To bend a part of the flattened out box upward follow these steps:
1 Perform a Record Points (red Record Key on the bottom left plus right mouse button) to store the flat topology
2 Select the part of the pattern to be rotated.
3 Call the command Edge Rotate and set the angle to 45°
4 Select the edge which is to serve as a “hinge” and drag the mouse until the rotation is 90°
5 Repeat for the 4 sides
6 Perform a Record Points to store the new geometry
7 When bending the remaining top flaps, just select the single panels
* You must not alter the basic topology when using the Record points command. Do not add points or edges, as this will invalidate the F-curve which has been created.

 

[Richard Groot]

The Edge Rotate tool should do that.

Also if you double click on the center ball on the Transform Tool it turns blue.
Then it is decoupled and you can click anywhere that turns blue to set the tool there.

Then double click again to lock it in.

Game changer. Thank you!

 

[frank beckmann]

"Edge Rotate" works without Gadget Mode; select polygons you want to kink - go "Edge Rotate" - hover over corresponding edge - click&drag.
Helmut´s setup is a wicked shortcut, because with Point Animation the vertices are taking the shortest way from A to B and don´t keep the size of the polygon.
I´ve already covered a box folding here.