Looking for a (maya) script that takes a model and deforms a flat version to the given curvature.

artquest

Hiya all! I'm curious if anyone knows of a maya script that will do something similar to the first few images on this link(called flow deformation). Basically it takes a model and deforms it to a specific curve that you have setup. The closest thing I've been able to find for maya is get bent but that doesn't let you use a specific curve. I think it just uses bend deformers.

http://moi3d.com/3.0/whatsnew.htm

throttlekitty

I did something a little like this a while back and here's what I came up with:

A curve matching your current shape that you'll manipulate CVs on later when deforming.
A plane perpendicular to the curve, and extruded along it with segments cranked way up. It should encapsulate what you want deformed, and doesn't necessarily need to be a quad shape, whatever's best for you.

Use the extrude node as a Wrap deformer on your object. Wrap isn't perfect but you should get fairly smooth results.

Unless you're looking for something like the sphere magic, that won't work with this method.

artquest

Thanks throttlekitty. I've managed to come up with a janky but working method to bend along a curved wall of any degree curvature. the process looks like this:

- Select the curved geometry, duplicate it and move the duplicate to world origin. 
- use a bend deformer to flatten your curved strip of polygons into a flat plane.
- model another detailed object and place it sitting on your flat plane.
- create a blendshape from your flatplane to your original curved object.
- wrap deform your fancy object onto the blend shaped plane
- move the blendshape to 1 and delete your bend deformer.

and now you have a curved version of your high poly wall.  In my case I had to match the curvature of a blockout I recieved and merge it back into the original object. I do like the curve extrude idea though. I will probably try that next time.

Klaudio2U

If you use latest Maya versions...did you try Curve Warp?  
It can do everything as flow in Moi3D...except that projection on the sphere thing. 

You can just convert edges of your object to curve and then just use Curve Warp to make your objects deform or flow along the curve.

throttlekitty

I missed this one in the updates somehow, my first test with it was pretty iffy, but I think I see now. It's a much nicer version of what I described above. Thanks Klaudio.