Sci-fi Conduit animation/posing question - 3ds max

Beluosus

Hey.
I've been working on a little project for photo-3d compositing. The ultimate goal is something along the lines of this sketch:
So far, I've modeled the wire/conduit/matrixy-connection-thingy to a point that I'm quite pleased with. The problem I've run into is that now that I have this straight, good looking model, I need to be able to make it curve appropriately. As I type I have it open, and I'm trying what I know. The catch there, is that I've got a limited knowledge (read: one college course, and some tutorials) and the usual google searches haven't turned up anything that's helped. Here's a shot of the model: I think it's pretty self-explanatory, but since I'd prefer to make things as clear as possible the first time, the wires in beige and pink can deform all they please, but the blue guard thingies need to stay shapely. (and no, I promise I'm not leaving them those colors :-D) Now I'm going to go back and keep trying. If I get it, good for me. If not, hopefully you guys can help me.

Thanks in advance :-)

oXYnary

Im not going to give a great explanation, but you need to make a chain of animation bones with the middle of the bone in the middle of each blue area, and the ends/joints in the middle of the pink areas. Then use skin modifier make all the blue areas attached to 1 bone only, and with the pink areas having a drop off between 2 bones with the middle of each at a 50/50 between each of the closest bones.

There is a few tuts in the 3dmax help that also help you get started with understanding what Im talking about here.

I realize Im not being step by step.

Beluosus

Step by step? no. Useful? very much. I'm off to try it out. Thanks a heap.

ScoobyDoofus

Per: How difficult is it then to animate the spline used to deform the mesh is the question?

fritz

nice

oXYnary

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nono, don't listen to oxy. He hates Americans and is always trying to make trouble for us.. that eurotrash.


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