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View Full Version : Animating an object stuck to a surface

dlanier
02-13-2009, 03:10 PM
Hello,

I have an ocean with waves that make move its vertices. I have a boat on it and I would like the boat to move automatically when my ocean moves.

Is there a way to do that under 3ds Max and Maya (I am looking for solutions under both software...) without using a dynamics engine ?

Or how do you do that usually, with dynamics ?

Thank you.
Regards,
GrogMcGee
02-13-2009, 03:50 PM
If not using a dynamics engine, I'd animate locators that move up and down and side to side following the basic rise and fall of the water and then use them to drive the boats movement.
dlanier
02-13-2009, 08:38 PM
Hello,

Thanks for your answer. However, I can't do that as I want an automatic solution.
If you change the ocean shape, you will have to change the whole animation... which I don't want.
Regards,
KielFiggins
02-13-2009, 09:38 PM
I would group your boat, geometry contrain (maya) the group to the ocean surface. That will keep the boat on the surface. And will allow you to keep an animation on boat while the waves move or change.
GrogMcGee
02-13-2009, 10:28 PM
How is the ocean being animated?

The simple solution is to use a built in dynamics engine like maya's open water. But that's no fun and you imply that you'd like a non dynamics solution.

If it's an animated texture then perhaps use the same animated texture to drive the movement of something which then drives the boat.

I'm guessing that something that can be keyframed is driving the movement of the verts which could be used to drive the boat as well in some fashion.
wwswimming
02-15-2009, 03:48 PM
in Max, the Skin Wrap modifier will do what you are asking.

http://area.autodesk.com/index.php/tutorials/tutorial_index/objects_following_a_deforming_surface/

"objects_following_a_deforming_surface"
dlanier
02-16-2009, 01:29 PM
Hello,

Thank you all, I have now a lot of solutions to try.
The ocean is animated by a procedural texture which we have developed using physical oceanography.
Regards,
Brighton
02-17-2009, 12:02 AM
Hello,

Thank you all, I have now a lot of solutions to try.
The ocean is animated by a procedural texture which we have developed using physical oceanography.
Regards,
Maya does have the Geometry constraint, which can be nested in a Rig. Its quite useful for keeping stuff attached to a mesh, but works better with higher subdivisions. As it has a tendency it stick towards Verts.
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