CGTalk - Rigging shoulder slung bag?

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Hezza

01-13-2006, 12:25 PM

Hi there,

I've nearly finished modelling/texturing my character and will be rigging him shortly. My question is what would be the best method to setup a satchell/bag that goes over the shoulder of my character and rests down by his hip (See red lines in picture). I don't want to bind it to the bones i'll be using for the main mesh as the strap across his chest would get some nasty deformation.

Would a chain of bones running through the strap work? how would i suspend them from his shoulder etc?

I've never really rigged anything past basic characters without any props.

Any help/pointers would be much appreciated

EDIT: Actually, it would be really nice if he was able to take the bag off himself, i assume this'd have to be done with softbodies and collision objects? Again, an area i've not really looked into but now's a good a time as any to learn

Hez
http://forums.cgsociety.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=88129&stc=1

M.E.L.

01-13-2006, 08:02 PM

create a root joint that you can parent constrain to his torso etc, you can create multiple constraints if you wish as a means of blending it.

Then just have a chain come off that root and down across the strap giving you the ability to bounce it around etc and follow the torso.

-s

Hezza

01-13-2006, 10:07 PM

I had a very quick play around and made a test file, i've got something looking half reasonable, but i've no idea if it would hold up when its actually on the character with other animation going on. I used 2 chains of bones running down from the shoulder along the straps to the bag with a spline ik handle on each, then just set clusters on the curve points and key'd them. As you said i can parent constrain it to the body and then just move the clusters when needed.

I did try using softbodies and what not but my knowledge of them is really lacking and i don't think i stood a chance.

I used the spline Ik to maintain the length of the strap, but it is abit cumbersome, i might just use normal bones.

Again, thanks for the pointers, if anyone else has any tips i'd like to hear then,

Little anim included. Xvid - Playblast.zip

Cheers
Hez

http://forums.cgsociety.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=88169&stc=1

yenvalmar

01-15-2006, 11:29 AM

try using spline IKs for the joints running through the strap, then convert them to hair curves, its a pretty cheap way to get decent dynamic motion through any spline in maya, its also easy to specify the body as a colission object and so forth. i'm usually pretty distrustfull of dynamic solutions as being time savers, but i've been really happy with the maya hair solver, it has all sorts of uses. for example i'm using it for a dynamic amplifier cable, ammunition belts, guitar straps, all sorts of things.

Hezza

01-15-2006, 02:32 PM

I had a another play around using the method you said yenvalmar and while it is pretty cool i reckon it'd be too difficult for me to actually use when the character is animated. My experience of dynamics is very limited and i was just exploring the possibilities really. In the test the strap was clipping through the test object and i couldn't get much control over it. It'd be cool if the strap didn't have to run so close to his body but i think dynamics are out the window on this one.

Thanks for the method tho, can definately see myself using it in the future for dangly things and what not.

Cheers again
Hez

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