TOPIC LOCATION:     `Stage Editor`;     `Object Menu (Stage)`

PRECEDING TOPIC:    `Posn (Tween)`
FOLLOWING TOPIC:    `Align Channel`

Follow Path
Follow Path is used to create a position`timeline`where an actor can be
made to follow a complex motion path.  A path must already exist on the
stage.  The Follow Path info requester lets you set:

Start\End Frame
Start\End Frame sets the range of frames over which the actor will travel
along the selected path.

Path Name
Path Name sets the name of the existing path that the actor will travel
along.  When you add a path to the stage, you can find its name listed in
the left column of the`action script`.  You must type the name exactly as
it appears.

Children follow parent object
When this option is set, all objects within a group will follow the path
that the parent object follows; i.e.  a group of objects will behave like a
single object when following the path.


NOTE: Setting the acceleration values will incorporate Velocity into an
	 objects movement. Otherwise, the object travels at a constant speed;
	 the speed necessary to travel the length of the path during the 
	 number of frames that the object is following the path (as specified
      by the length of the path and the position timeline).

(AC) Acceleration frames
This option sets the number of frames over which acceleration will occur.

Starting Speed (units/frames)
This sets the object's starting speed; if set to 0 the object will
accelerate from a stopped position, otherwise this value is a speed
based on the number of units traveled within a single frame.

(DE) Deceleration frames
Sets the number of frames over which an object will decelerate along the
path.

Ending Speed (units/frames)
Sets the speed of the object at the end of the path.

Let's take an appropriate example of a car object traveling along a path.
Suppose the path occurs along 30 frames. We used `Show Path Length` to find
that our path is 300 units long (our normal, constant speed without
acceleration would be 10 units per frame).  We'll use the following
settings:  

Acceleration frames = 5 
Starting Speed = 0 
Deceleration frames = 10
Ending Speed = 0

This means the car would accelerate for 10 frames from a stopped position,
to the speed necessary to get to the first decleration frame.  Then, over
the last 10 frames, the car will decelerate to a complete stop.

NOTE:  `Show Path Length` is used to find the normal speed by using the
      formula:
	 
      length of path (pixel units) / # of frames in position timeline

     example: A 100 unit path set in a 10 frame timeline would give the
              object following the path, a normal speed of:

                             10 units / frame
