Need some tips about ropes

hiredblade

I have been working on a ballista project recently, and I am having problems with the ropes of it.
I would like it to be wrapped around the pulley, like a real one would do. How am i supposed to accomplish this?
Animating splines? Bones?
What would a professional would do to make this?

And as another example, think about an animation with a kid loosening his shoelaces. Cloth simulations would suck for that too.

Any help is greatly appreciated.


P.S. Hope this thing is in the right section.

hiredblade

No answers, so I solved the problem on my own. If anyone searches the same;

As I found out, splines and path deform modifier, gets the job half done.
Howewer there is another problem.



So, the cord wraps around the pulley, but its start point is not fixed, and it would look like it's sliding around the pulley even if the pulley rotated.

However, I found out that people does not notice this problem. It could be easily hidden from the camera anyway. But still, i still wonder how would a professional do the thing. that would be my 3rd ballista project I guess.

Result of the second ballista project:

Bek

I think the result is quite good, not many players would notice the inconsistency.. and this is for Mount&Blade yeah? Is the solution not as simple as moving the start of the rope inside the pulley cylinder, or covering it with something? It would appear more 'fixed' then?

hiredblade

Well, first one was supposed to be for a mount and blade movie (which is shown in the first post), but not an ingame thing.
The second one, works by mathematical equations, and i dont think a game engine could handle those in real time.
And by being fixed, I dont think that i meant what you understood. A real cord wouldnt release from the pulley on the wrong side.

I just sometimes have trouble explaining myself in depth, as I'm not a native english speaker. Sorry about that.

polyamorous

Can't you animate the spline so it moves in the other direction as the start of the rope, giving the illusion that it's fixed?

hiredblade

Alright, here is what it should look like;



@polyamorous; yes, i thought about that in the beginning, but it would be a complex animation. I'm looking for a way to simplify that.

polyamorous

I don't get it, why do you use two splines? And why do you make the helix turn? You should not make the helix turn, just animate the deform along path parameters to make the rope travel along the spline.

hiredblade

That was just a demonstration for what i am unable to do.
The way you described is the way i already used in my second ballista project.
But i'm not satisfied.

polyamorous

What if you link the helix part of the spline to a helper and the other extreme to another and animate.

http://www.mediafire.com/?fpme6c4kkg6afor

hiredblade

Well, that does not help me. What you suggested works the same way as mine.
Like a snake wrapping itself around a tree. This is not the case.

Since I cannot make myself more clear, what about observing a real one?
Perhaps something like this.

polyamorous

hiredblade wrote: »

Well, that does not help me. What you suggested works the same way as mine

Not exactly, look again.

hiredblade

Hmm, i guess i will need to take another look.
Thanks for taking the time to explain.

hiredblade

New result;



Thanks for the help polyamorous