Need Chains under control!!!

[fungusmonkey]

Hey, I figured with the big-time brain trust we got going on here, someone would have to know a way to accomplish this:

I have a slave character that breaks free and uses the chains around his wrists as a variety of tools. He uses them as weapons, he uses them to climb, etc. Here's my problem.

When he's just running around I need to have the chains flail around realistically. This can be done with Motion Designer and hard-body, I'm told, but I haven't found a good setting yet. If anyone has done this, I'd appreciate tips on how to tweak the look just right.
Secondly, he has to use the chains. Which means I have to have some way to control where they chains go, who they hit and where, etc. all the while, the chains still have to look realistic. This isn't a character like Spawn where I can just hand animate the chains and chock it up to supernatural chains. Any ideas on this would be super super super appreciated.

Peter

p.s. Also, they'd need to wrap around a few peoples wrists, necks, etc, too.

[jeremyhardin]

i believe this is your answer. here's a link to a similar discussion.

http://forums.newtek.com/discus/messages/2/27683.html?1027190482

btw, if anyone gets this to work, could they explain how. I followed all instructions, but my hires object doesn't deform.

[fungusmonkey]

That makes it a little easier to do the chains when he's not throwing the chains around, but it might not help that much when I need to control where they go. I'd still have to hand animate most of the chain. I think MD_Scan only works for Motion Designer movements. Or can you capture any motion with MD_Scan?

I've been thinking more and more about maybe working something out where a null at the end of the chain controls where the tip end ups at and then having MD on top of that. I don't know. This is new territory for me. I usually hand animate EVERYTHING and it's really not very efficient or cost effective, so I'm trying to integrate more plug-ins into my workflow. Found a few I can't live without now, though :D

Thanks, though! Those threads cleared up a lot of MD's gray areas.

-Pete

[UnCommonGrafx]

YES!!!

That's what people don't realize: md_scan a string of two point polys and you can apply that to a multi-million point chain link!

It really does work a treat.

[fungusmonkey]

Weird...

Tried it out and I had some problems. I tried it with a string of one point polys and it wouldn't work. It kept saying that it couldn't match up the mesh or something. Then I made a little strip of cloth from 4point polys and that worked, but when the cloth would stretch or fold in, so did my chain.

My question: MD problem, or user error(aka "stupidity")???

Maybe MD_Scan needs a more exact match between your lores and hires meshes to work? Or is there a way to make the 4point poly react to gravity and bend and fold without stretching the individual quads?

Maybe somebody could create a scene with the one point poly string and a basic chain that I could download and pick apart. I'd appreciate it greatly...


-Pete

[UnCommonGrafx]

Based on the streams, LW8 will do it.

But, I would suggest a tube for the moment. That should work well for your purpose.

[fungusmonkey]

Hmmm, Never thought of using a tube. Good Idea!

What's the best way to keep it from shrinking in on itself, thus making the links of the chain shrink and grow? Increase substructure and compress stress? Lower stretch, stretch limit? I'm setting up my first render farm at the moment, but when that's finished I'll post an animated .GIF illustrating what I mean.

Also, should I make the divisions on the tube match up to the links of the chain for more accurate deformation? Since I'm still working on the storyboards, I don't know how close we're going to see the chains, so maybe a little bit of incorrect movement won't be noticed.... I hope.

-Peter


EDIT: STREAMS!??!?! Where can you see streams of LW8? You're probably talking about SIGGRAPH, though, huh? I've been wetting myself with anticipation for LW8... eww, too much information I guess. sorry.

[UnCommonGrafx]

Nope, not too much info. I think we're all stocking up on diapers and caffeine for the release date. ;)

Somewhere on this forum, someone announced that they have hosted and posted the streams from siggraph. Dave Warner's name comes to mind. Do a search on Siggraph and wade through. hehe.

It was good schtuff and might make you want to put this part of your anim off until you get it. :( :D