Max8: Wrapping a chain mesh around an object.
mod
So I have this mesh:
I want to take this and wrap it around my character's arm. I'm having trouble finding the right modifier for this job. Most of what I've tried alters the mesh of each link in odd ways. So the chain isn't able to keep it's form. Anyone else ever run into this problem, or have a solution/tips for me? Thanks. :]
I want to take this and wrap it around my character's arm. I'm having trouble finding the right modifier for this job. Most of what I've tried alters the mesh of each link in odd ways. So the chain isn't able to keep it's form. Anyone else ever run into this problem, or have a solution/tips for me? Thanks. :]
Replies
Make each bone the size of a link.
Weight each link 100% to the corresponding bone.
Wrap the bones around the model.
You could PROBABLY go as far as linking the bones to a cloth helper, using it to get the nice wrap.
I guess I was looking for an easy way out of this, heh.
Didn't bother weighting it if I could achieve the pivot point with a faster way. Each link was its own object and I grouped the entire chain together.
Don't get too caught up in trying to make the orientation of each link perfect. I didn't... and it works fine. There's a point where that stuff really doesn't matter.
Ultimately, part of the chain wraps around his forearm and hand, and turns into a spiked weapon of sorts. So, I'll need to revisit this in a few weeks to get this to animate properly. I'll probably have to end up setting up an IK chain for this. But, for posing purposes right now the SplineIK Solver did it's job. I appreciate the help. :]
Dreamer: I want 5 million hoses going from the back of the head to each finger and toe!
Modeler: I think we can get that done if the hoses run along the body.
Dreamer: HAHAHA good one, No. They are free floating and have a mind of their own acting like a shield sometimes. Oh and here is a giant vat of goo strapped to his back but it doesn't have a lid so it slops goo all over the place. The goo is acidic so it eats thru the hoses, but they grow back. Now get crackin' I have to put another coat of wax on my porsche before my lunch date with that porn star I'm dating.
Modeler: 1) She's a hooker, the same one you got me for my bachelor party. 2)Good luck with that... I'm going to find a place where the people don't eat rice cakes sprinkled with heavy metals.
umm-yeah where was I?
Apart from that you could have tried to use the spaghetti feature of the Advanced Painter Script to paint a spline that conforms perfectly to the surface of the arm, then use the path deform on it. I've done that to get roots and ropes to drape/grow on top of objects, works great. It saves you from having to try and line up a spine perfectly. Since it makes a spline you can always tweak it after you paint it to clean it up or smooth it out.
Reactor is a nightmare to use, I use it quite a bit actually and keep hoping it will get an overhaul. In this case you would pull your testicle hair out trying to get it to work. It would never wrap around the arm for you. It might drape over it like a limp noodle ok, but never wind around without crapping itself 20 times over.
Alex
(took about 1 minute)
Not sure if you can rotate every other mesh to 90 degrees (although you might be able to, I haven't checked), but it would be easy to just make 2 links at 90 degrees to each other and use Spacing on them individually with the same settings.
You could use the spacing tool like MoP suggests, then after you've got all the links created, select every 2nd link (maybe in the Select by Name tool) and rotate them on a local axis/pivot point center 90 degrees. It would take care of the rotation all at once.
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that wouldn't really work, as the links should follow the direction of the path, as in the image above.
Hopefully Im not confusing anyone further
I didnt get good results until I made the chain closer to the surface, and set the falloff of the skin wrap to .001