In this demonstration Hristo Velev takes you through creating an animated chain inside 3ds Max. Everything from modeling the chain, skin wrapping it to a control object, and using cloth to simulate the dynamics are covered.
I've gone through the tutorial twice, but all my chain does when I simulate is fall (like a melting animation). It doesn't swing. Can you provide any help on this? Any ideas what I am doing wrong? I have a snapshot picture of what is happening, but don't know how to send it to you. Can I upload the picture anywhere?
I think your problem could that you've missed adding the 'welder' modifier in the control object, or some cloth setting. Check out for the welder modifier, and assign the 'default' preset to your control object in the cloth properties, and see if it resolves the problem.
I did find out that the problem was in the Welder setting. I had the welder applied, but the toggle was set to "normal face" rather than "
vertices". Once I changed this then it worked fine. Thanks for the input.
I,m having a problem with shell plugin. when I adding shell on the welder, than i,m seeing the plane like wireframe and even when i,m rendering it but when i shutdown the shell it get back to normal, am I doing something wrong? please help
Make sure your welder modifier is set to 'vertices' and your shell modifier is set to inner .2 and outer .2 like in the video. If the problem persists, you can post up a scene for me to check out.
Thanks for your reply, it working, but the problem is now when i,m adding the path deform binding at the end and press pick path than is not picking anything, I think it cuz the Ctrl_chain_animation is already convert it to editable mesh.
For the path deform to pick a spline, it needs to be a spline, no matter what is under the modifier. Make sure you have the spline visible and selectable, it's gonna pick it.
Anonymous
November 6, 2009 - 12:46pm
oh god ...
Anonymous
March 30, 2010 - 12:22am
very good
Anonymous
June 5, 2010 - 4:06pm
Very cool. I learned a lot and it worked first time. Excellent.
Curtis (not verified)
April 17, 2011 - 11:38am
I have built a very similar scenario with a project of my own. I have followed the steps through to hitting simulate. For some reason when I hit simulate the elements that aren't preserved seem to act against gravity and propel themselves vertically. Not sure exactly why this is occurring, could it be to do with different unit settings?
Thanks.
@Curtis - sounds like your globals are different - check out the gravity in the cloth modifier. And yes, the scene scale is important too, in all simulations.
Curtis (not verified)
April 18, 2011 - 7:51am
Thanks a lot. I seemed to fix the issue I had before by assuring the welds were done correctly I tested the chain in a single document of its own and works fine, when importing into a scene with other geometry and following the cloth steps the chain seems to melt.
Here's an image that may help.
It might also be helpful to know that I have scaled the chain geometry. Are any of the values used, i.e. offset in the cloth modifier, scalable. Thanks again.
Curtis (not verified)
April 18, 2011 - 8:20am
Update: It seems to happen between after using the path deform. Tried cloth on the basic chain and works fine, however once I get it to follow the spline the "melting" seems to happen. When creating the spline I have normalized it to get a consistent form.
Sorry for the repeated updates, just trying to work through this problem.
Thanks
It looks like you want to do sometihng like a rope ladder? Probably you should use another approach, especially if its close to camera.
Curtis (not verified)
April 18, 2011 - 10:03am
Thank you for replying again. When I have it working properly it will be a façade of a structure made from chains. When the structure rotates slowly the chains will sway and move. I have narrowed the issue to the matter of scaling. Using all the values in the video, when imported into my scene works fine when using the cloth. However, once I scale the geometry of the chain by 500% and use cloth, it appears to melt again.
You should not be scaling anything, when doing simulation or any animation actually. Use the reset xform tool then collapse to base level the scaled objects - this makes the scale 100%, and keeps the current state of the objects.
Curtis (not verified)
April 18, 2011 - 1:49pm
That is great. Thank you very much. Seems to be working fine now. Much appreciated.
wzd45gft (not verified)
April 19, 2011 - 9:27am
Hi, I want to set an array of these up within a scene and have them respond to wind. I have referenced them so that they retain the same values such as the preserved vertices at the loops. However, with this being a reference (or an instance) when the wind affects the master, it effects the rest in the exact same way (their movement is copying the master.) Is there any way to set up the situation for one, array it, and then they all behave to the wind uniquely. I tried to make the arrayed geometry unique, however this erased the referenced preserved groups. Thanks.
Back from vacation I meant - make one big cloth object, simulate that.
xcm (not verified)
October 27, 2011 - 7:20am
Awesome Hristo!!
Thanks for that!
pedrok (not verified)
November 19, 2011 - 6:16am
Help me plz
I`v problem. When I starting simulation result is bad. http://i1224.photobucket.com/albums/ee374/intelmerom/chaos.jpg
Welder modifier were added to control object. I checked all setting of objects but I`dont know what`s wrong. Can somebeody a bit help me?
Thanks
I have tried in ms design 2012, I have followed you but when came t cloth modifier ... there are no "groups" to make them steady there. There is no GROUP option in cloth there. Every year they move menus and options like they are insane, ALL except Adobe group. I am sick to search for moved options and moved menus every year because a moron decided it without any reason, just to mess up things.
Aamir wali (not verified)
December 23, 2011 - 6:48am
hi,
Dear sir or madam im very happy and very great thanks full to you ur web is very help full for cg artist.and charctar animation and rigging toturails thanks
Your Trouly,
cg arirst
Aamir wali,
Actually at that point I'm just creating it. The rigging comes later, with the skin wrap.
Anonymous (not verified)
December 25, 2012 - 3:42pm
This is probably an incredibly stupid question (I just got the program and I know absolutely nothing about it), but how exactly did you assign a control object? All I see is you creating a plane inside the chain link...but while the eclipse is still selected. And for the life of me, I can't get that to happen. I'm not sure how you're getting the 'create' box to appear in the middle of your screen, I've been using the one at the top...perhaps that's my problem? Any help would sincerely be appreciated.
Shopping Cart
shouroujin
why i only see 00:44?
Riki
hmm, it should be 12:46 long. What browser are you using?
Riki
Could you take a screenshot and make a support ticket with it?
cetrian
pretty cool tutorial, i've learned a couple of nice tricks, thank u very much!!
xseson23
Where can I find the plug-in clone, i,m using 3ds max 2010.
I have check the site of Itoo software but I think they dont have,..Please help
I,m stack
Riki
You can get the plugin here:
http://www.itoosoft.com/english/menu.php?id=download
It says it works for 2010 and I personally tested it on 64bits and it worked for me.
xseson23
Thanks Riki for this quick reply, it working
Riki
Thats great, hope you enjoyed it
iplay
Having problems
All i get is server not found rtmpe://eat3d.com//freestreaming
Using Fire Fox on 64bit xppro
Skeet12
I've gone through the tutorial twice, but all my chain does when I simulate is fall (like a melting animation). It doesn't swing. Can you provide any help on this? Any ideas what I am doing wrong? I have a snapshot picture of what is happening, but don't know how to send it to you. Can I upload the picture anywhere?
Thanks!
Riki
You could upload pics to a site like photobucket and paste the url.
Sounds like you didn't bind the verts correctly before hitting simulate.
Skeet12
Okay. Here is the url to photobucket with the image loaded. Hope this works. http://i565.photobucket.com/albums/ss94/MR_SRS/Chain.jpg
Glacierise
I think your problem could that you've missed adding the 'welder' modifier in the control object, or some cloth setting. Check out for the welder modifier, and assign the 'default' preset to your control object in the cloth properties, and see if it resolves the problem.
Skeet12
I did find out that the problem was in the Welder setting. I had the welder applied, but the toggle was set to "normal face" rather than "
vertices". Once I changed this then it worked fine. Thanks for the input.
xseson23
I,m having a problem with shell plugin. when I adding shell on the welder, than i,m seeing the plane like wireframe and even when i,m rendering it but when i shutdown the shell it get back to normal, am I doing something wrong? please help
Glacierise
Make sure your welder modifier is set to 'vertices' and your shell modifier is set to inner .2 and outer .2 like in the video. If the problem persists, you can post up a scene for me to check out.
xseson23
Thanks for your reply, it working, but the problem is now when i,m adding the path deform binding at the end and press pick path than is not picking anything, I think it cuz the Ctrl_chain_animation is already convert it to editable mesh.
Glacierise
For the path deform to pick a spline, it needs to be a spline, no matter what is under the modifier. Make sure you have the spline visible and selectable, it's gonna pick it.
Anonymous
oh god ...
Anonymous
very good
Anonymous
Very cool. I learned a lot and it worked first time. Excellent.
Curtis (not verified)
I have built a very similar scenario with a project of my own. I have followed the steps through to hitting simulate. For some reason when I hit simulate the elements that aren't preserved seem to act against gravity and propel themselves vertically. Not sure exactly why this is occurring, could it be to do with different unit settings?
Thanks.
Hristo Velev (not verified)
@Curtis - sounds like your globals are different - check out the gravity in the cloth modifier. And yes, the scene scale is important too, in all simulations.
Curtis (not verified)
Thanks a lot. I seemed to fix the issue I had before by assuring the welds were done correctly I tested the chain in a single document of its own and works fine, when importing into a scene with other geometry and following the cloth steps the chain seems to melt.
Here's an image that may help.
http://i1140.photobucket.com/albums/n577/mzdi8jc5/upload.jpg
Thank you very much for your help
Curtis (not verified)
It might also be helpful to know that I have scaled the chain geometry. Are any of the values used, i.e. offset in the cloth modifier, scalable. Thanks again.
Curtis (not verified)
Update: It seems to happen between after using the path deform. Tried cloth on the basic chain and works fine, however once I get it to follow the spline the "melting" seems to happen. When creating the spline I have normalized it to get a consistent form.
Sorry for the repeated updates, just trying to work through this problem.
Thanks
Hristo Velev (not verified)
It looks like you want to do sometihng like a rope ladder? Probably you should use another approach, especially if its close to camera.
Curtis (not verified)
Thank you for replying again. When I have it working properly it will be a façade of a structure made from chains. When the structure rotates slowly the chains will sway and move. I have narrowed the issue to the matter of scaling. Using all the values in the video, when imported into my scene works fine when using the cloth. However, once I scale the geometry of the chain by 500% and use cloth, it appears to melt again.
Hristo Velev (not verified)
You should not be scaling anything, when doing simulation or any animation actually. Use the reset xform tool then collapse to base level the scaled objects - this makes the scale 100%, and keeps the current state of the objects.
Curtis (not verified)
That is great. Thank you very much. Seems to be working fine now. Much appreciated.
wzd45gft (not verified)
Hi, I want to set an array of these up within a scene and have them respond to wind. I have referenced them so that they retain the same values such as the preserved vertices at the loops. However, with this being a reference (or an instance) when the wind affects the master, it effects the rest in the exact same way (their movement is copying the master.) Is there any way to set up the situation for one, array it, and then they all behave to the wind uniquely. I tried to make the arrayed geometry unique, however this erased the referenced preserved groups. Thanks.
Hristo Velev (not verified)
You'll have to go with one single cloth object, and assign the groups there
Or set it up once, then just copy over, resimulate.
wzd45gft (not verified)
Sorry a little unsure what you mean by those.
Hristo Velev (not verified)
Back from vacation
I meant - make one big cloth object, simulate that.
xcm (not verified)
Awesome Hristo!!
Thanks for that!
pedrok (not verified)
Help me plz
I`v problem. When I starting simulation result is bad.
http://i1224.photobucket.com/albums/ee374/intelmerom/chaos.jpg
Welder modifier were added to control object. I checked all setting of objects but I`dont know what`s wrong. Can somebeody a bit help me?
Thanks
Glacierise
Looks like you have some pieces not welded, you might want to increase the threshold of the welder.
Glacierise
Looks like you have some pieces not welded, you might want to increase the threshold of the welder.
pedrok (not verified)
I try increase value of threshold, but result is still same.
Glacierise
Post your scene, I'll look at it when I have the time.
pedrok (not verified)
Here you are.
http://i1224.photobucket.com/albums/ee374/intelmerom/chaos02.jpg
try change "falloff, dist.infl., face limit" without good result.
http://i1224.photobucket.com/albums/ee374/intelmerom/chaos01.jpg
try change "weld: verts/normal" without good result.
http://i1224.photobucket.com/albums/ee374/intelmerom/chaos03.jpg
I leave default settings. try change value form 0,1 to 100, and result is still same.
I really do appreciate your help
Thank you very much
Anonymous (not verified)
I have tried in ms design 2012, I have followed you but when came t cloth modifier ... there are no "groups" to make them steady there. There is no GROUP option in cloth there. Every year they move menus and options like they are insane, ALL except Adobe group. I am sick to search for moved options and moved menus every year because a moron decided it without any reason, just to mess up things.
Aamir wali (not verified)
hi,
Dear sir or madam im very happy and very great thanks full to you ur web is very help full for cg artist.and charctar animation and rigging toturails thanks
Your Trouly,
cg arirst
Aamir wali,
Hebbe (not verified)
Where do i put the clone.dlm file?
Anonymous (not verified)
In your 3dsmax\plugins folder
Glacierise
In the 3dsmax\plugins folder
Anonymous (not verified)
Hello, around 1:40 to 1:46, the plane becomes the control_object for the chain, what hotkeys did you use, or how else can I do this?
Glacierise
Actually at that point I'm just creating it. The rigging comes later, with the skin wrap.
Glacierise
Actually at that point I'm just creating it. The rigging comes later, with the skin wrap.
Anonymous (not verified)
This is probably an incredibly stupid question (I just got the program and I know absolutely nothing about it), but how exactly did you assign a control object? All I see is you creating a plane inside the chain link...but while the eclipse is still selected. And for the life of me, I can't get that to happen. I'm not sure how you're getting the 'create' box to appear in the middle of your screen, I've been using the one at the top...perhaps that's my problem? Any help would sincerely be appreciated.
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