I created a 3D curve (e.g. a Viviani curve) and now I would like a simple 3D object to follow the curve and, at the same, change its orientation to face the curve direction.

Following the path is easy (just a translation matrix) but changing the orientation is more tricky.

I figured out that it will be a combination of rotations. I tried many methods but none of them seemed to work (D3DXMatrixRotationX/Y/Z, D3DXMatrixRotationAxis, etc.). At some point I think I hit the gimbal lock problem as the object went upside-down.

Is there any "good practice" of moving an object in the 3D space? If I have to use quaternions, no problem. I just need to know what options I have.

I'll also recommend the 'parallel transport frame' as an effective means of orienting an object as it moves along a spline. (Search the forums for that term and you should find plenty of info.)

Thanks for your help, both of you.

Some comments:

Buckeye:
The method you've described is very similar to the "Fixed Up" method, isn't it? It also uses a direction vector, an "up" vector, and a "right" vector. It's definitely worth giving a try as it seems to be simple enough for quick implementation.

jyk:
I've read the chapter from "Game Programming Games 2" about 'parallel transport frame'. It is explained very clear and I think I'll try this method first. I also had a look at the forum posts.

Although nobody mentioned quaternions I think they could be combined with both techniques. For example in the 'parallel transport frame' method quaternions could be used to generate smooth rotations between the frames. The "Game Programming Games 2" book suggests that.

Thanks again.

The 'parallel transport frame' method works like a charm. I followed the directions from the "Game Programming Games 2" book and I did not find any major obstacles.

There is only one caveat. The books says to set the initial frame to an arbitrary frame calculated using the Fixed Up method or the Frenet Frame method. The problem is that I can't find a DirectX 9 method that would create a frame given three ortogonal axes:

Fixed Up method (V is an arbitrary vector):

D = T / |T|
R = DxV / |DxV|
U = RxD

We have three vectors that describe three axes: D - direction, R - right, and U - up. What method should I use to create a matrix given these three vectors?

For the time being, I calculated the initial frame using the 'parallel transport frame' method but it's a bit overkill.

Any suggestions?