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View Full Version : Flexible metal tube - From a Noob

grubmg
02-07-2007, 09:53 AM
Greetings all!

I have been using blender for a few months now, and I am planning on making a short animation. For one of my characters I am trying to create a flexible metal tube, kind of like what you find on a removable shower head (many metal rings that fit on each-other).

I have tried many differant ways: armatures, dupliframes etc., but with no apperant results. The tubes will act as flexible arms for a robot-like character, so they have to be long and... well... flexible.

Could someone please guide me on this? I can't seem to work it out on my own...

Thank you,

-grubmg
Yecire
02-08-2007, 12:25 AM
Do some searches (try Google and BlenderArtists forums) for Array Modifier and Curve Modifier.

One of those should do help you get what you're after.




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Consideringthepickle
02-08-2007, 11:41 AM
If you want these arms to be controllable both as flexible tube like extensions and via armatures to control them as arms would you might want to take a look at Bassam Kurdali's video demo of "Squash and Stretch Rigging". That should be what you're looking for if you're talking about arms or legs that stretch and flex.

I'm pretty sure this is the right one, although Bassam has done quite a few video demos so it could be one of his other ones: http://blender.org/cms/fileadmin/bconf06/1_CharacterAnimation.avi.torrent

Hope that helps. :)
grubmg
02-12-2007, 01:26 PM
Thank you for your advice!

Here is what I have already been able to do (This is the AiBiCi monster, a pun on the Automata):
http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/3395/abcmonsterdz9.jpg

The legs are arrays with curve deformations. For each vertex in the deform curve I connected a hook as to connect them with the armature. It is going well, except for some difficulties in controlling the armature with all the twists.

The two I's on the side of the B are going to be laser cannons, though I don't know yet how to do that... That is, how to make them shoot lasers...

Thanks for all your help...
-grubmg
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02-12-2007, 01:26 PM
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