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Geemge
11-01-2006, 07:36 PM
Hi, I'm fairly new to both reactor and MAXscript but I was hoping to use them in a project. My idea is to create a tree (polygonal modeling) and make it an unyielding object, and then have leaves grow and have a life limited based on a timer, and then fall off the tree and float to the ground with reactor.

I was also thinking of setting up a particle system for weather or at least some wind.

I am not looking for a code hand out here, but just trying to get pointed in the right direction. I have C++ experience so I'm sure going to scripting won't be that hard of a learning curve.
If anyone could point out some functions i'd use, like random # generator, how to create new objects based on a stored reference copy, and how to make reactor know when an object is ready to fall based on a conditional statement in maxscript, and when to apply weather effects to a falling or now ready to fall object, it would be a great help.


Thanks a lot for any input!!

Also, is there anyway to create OOP classes of your own in maxscript to allow addition of custom variables and member functions?
Geemge
11-01-2006, 10:37 PM
Okay, I've learned a fair deal just reading through the basics in the Reference. My original post was when I was stuck on a Mac in a lab so I didn't have access. I can see why many tutorials don't exist, because Autodesk did a kickass job documenting.

Anyway, I think at this point, is there a way that I can start / stop reactor physics on specific objects based on a time constraint per individual object? I guess a trick might be to change the mass once they're ready to start moving, or just activate them? However, if I'm running a script to do this, how can I capture that in keyframe and or at render time?
Deadalus
11-02-2006, 02:57 AM
just throwing idea here.
how reactor react (?) with object who have a mass of 0.0 ? if they arent affect i think if could be interessecting "keyframe" their mass

-another idea
use Pflow to generate tip and other predefine location for your leaf.
have the pivot set a the base of the leaf and keyframe scale so they "grow"
and using an offset key ( the life of the leaf) to start the use of the mass. or maybe a gravity-spacewarp

That an interessting project


-D-
Geemge
11-02-2006, 05:25 AM
Thanks for the input, but I am a little confused...

Well, if an object has a mass of 0.0 and is in a rigid body collection (a container for objects to be used in the physics calculations), then it is merely a static object that does not move, since all physics equations with mass would end up being zero. Likewise, when previewing, you cannot right click them or move them. Anyway...

use Pflow to generate tip and other predefine location for your leaf.
have the pivot set a the base of the leaf and keyframe scale so they "grow"
and using an offset key ( the life of the leaf) to start the use of the mass. or maybe a gravity-spacewarp


Do you mean that I should first create the objects at a pre-defined location using particle flow, and then have them slowly grow as if time elapsing and the leave is literally growing (using a scale keyframe), but then ...? Not sure about the offset key or as to how I would use it.

I was actually thinking that, using maxscript I could just set the leaves to active from inactive under their reactor object properties, when they're ready to fall.

Thanks for the input! I was sort of leaning toward doing something like that with the scale keyframe idea, I think implementation might be the hardest part in this.
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