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View Full Version : Wave deformer controling the pivot and not the mesh.

corrupto
05-28-2009, 12:58 AM
This is not really a dynamics questions but I though yall might be my best bet.

I have an array of planes with a plane behind each of them. On the background plane I have a material that has it's transparency driven by the foreground plane. When the foreground plane moves -200 on the z, the back ground plane vanishes. I want to set up some kind of ripple effect and I thought a wave deformer would be an easy way of doing this. As it turns out the wave deformer only controls the shape and not the node/pivot point, which in turn controls my driven key.

Any thoughts?

Thanks
-M
Wick3dParticle
05-28-2009, 04:10 AM
Hi Corrupto.

If I'm understanding you correctly, you can solve that by simply setting a sine expression on each plane's transform node. Then offset the time for each expression to create that wave like effect.

~Ilan
corrupto
05-28-2009, 04:19 PM
Hey Ilan,

I had something like that set up. I just wanted more control. I do think you are right and I will end up making some nutty rig. I was hoping it would be as easy as applying a deformer!

Thanks for your time.

-M
Wick3dParticle
05-28-2009, 04:30 PM
hey mike,

What do you mean by more control?
Explain what you're after, and maybe we can figure it out.

~Ilan
corrupto
05-28-2009, 05:29 PM
It's kinda hard to explain what I am looking for but I will give it a shot.

Imagine having a wave deformer over a mesh and animating the sine so you have a nice wave animation. Then taking the deformer node/handle and rotating and translating that over the mesh, giving you the predictability of the wave but, then getting a randomness from animating the handle.

Also I was thinking, this all might be solved if I could bind the driven key to a vert. That way I could still use the wave deformer.
Wick3dParticle
05-29-2009, 07:52 PM
Yea, That would definitely require some planning...
Post your progress.

~Ilan
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