Animating a chain?

[Jozvex]

Hi, instead of using bones, just make all the chain links and then apply rigid body dynamics to them.

It works!

[dmcgrath]

Wont that cause distortion on the chain parts geometry.

I think the better way would be to Make a splineIK and then apply the dynamics to the control points on the IK curve. Its easier than it sounds, but it will still take some practice.

[jschleifer]

I've had great results using MayaCloth and then attaching the chain geometry to the cloth using button constraints.. or if the cloth stretches too much, use the cloth, then use splineIk, deform the spline with the cloth (wrap deformer), and parent the chain links to the joints.

[Jozvex]

Originally posted by dmcgrath
Wont that cause distortion on the chain parts geometry?

I can't see why it would, rigidbodies are rigid, they don't deform.

Here's a link to a zip file containing a Maya 4 scene of a chain made with dynamics.

http://www.geocities.com/jozvex/files/chain.zip

Right click on it and choose "Save Target As"

Open it up, press play and you'll see that it works really well.

:)

[dmcgrath]

the link is used up for the hour, yahoo, i guess. but you're right, *smacks forehead*RIGID body dynamics. I feel a little stoopid.
:drool:

i would like to see the link when it works again. is it an animation?

[Jozvex]

Used up??

I can still save from it, though it's been a while since you tried.

It's just an animation with the chain swinging around because of gravity.

Try saving it again, don't actually go to the site.

[dmcgrath]

Yeah, I did try the save target as, but it wouldnt let me then, but it worked this time. I think that yahoo limits the amount of access time on the website per page, per hour or something like that. But I got the .mb now, really nice work. Cool to see how it works.

Nice job man. :thumbsup:

-dan

[Jozvex]

Ah cool you got it,

The only tricks are:

1.You have to make sure no links are intersecting.

2.You need to turn up the accuracy settings in the rigid solver, because the links are so small.

Lowering the first two values in the rigid solver increase the accuracy.

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