Can you get reactor to create soft body dynamics on a Pflow particles?

#7

hmm…I wonder if this is possible to do, so it looks like the papers react to the air.
another thing you could do to try to fake it is to use the mesher compound, and then add a noise spacewrap deformation to the mesh…

#8

yeah, but again, the deformations wont match the movement of the paper. Dynamics of some sort or definately needed…I wonder if flex would work…

Ill post a scene shortly…

#9

Here is a wip…im not concerned with the fact that the cloth isnt stiff enough on the paper, im just concentrating on the motion for now.

I tried the Pflow baker, and it works nicely, but reactor isnt keeping the sheets initial motion. As soon as i calculate reactor, it replaces all the keys, so its basically the same as this method.

Is there anyway of gettign reactor to work alongside position keys? Maybe by adding multiple controllers…

http://savefile.com/projects/808668990

Its a max 2009 scene

#10

Posted a new file, got the paper looking a bit better…now i just need to get it to fall down and not outwards…and then stiffen the paperhttp://www.savefile.com/files/1694532

#11

If you bake out the particles from frame 0 to frame 10 you need to start your reactor sim at frame 9. It will “Eat” the last baked key and replace it with a reactor created key, so hold/saving the scene is a good idea b4 simming.

#12

Interesting idea Jordan :slight_smile:

#13

I dont understand how that would work though. It will only pick up the keyframes from the first 9 frames and then just float down. I need the swaing noisy motion throughout.

#14

I GOT IT!

SIMCLOTH! Thank you simcloth. It lets you use space warps to control the cloth. Working well so far, ill post later on.

#15

Here you go guys, in case anyone is interested. Simcloth saved the day, i forgot what an easy and fast plugin it is. Love it.

http://www.savefile.com/files/1697957

Thanks all for your for your help and im happy to send out a scene if anyone wants it, msg me

Marc

#16

hey, awesome you got it to work. Would it be possible to upload a small preview or something? I’m two max versions behind you :wink:

#17

Excellent, nice work:)

#18

Sure, there is a preview up, but i did it in max2008, so you will need to use that if you want to open it. Ill post the scene as well, hold on.

Its a shame i spent 2 days trying to figure it out with Pflow and Reactor, and in the end managed to do it in 30 mins with simcloth and a few space warps.

There are 3 in total, one general turbulence one, wind speed set to 0. One wind with a falloff on it to push the papers off initially as they needed to look like they were being pushed and finally a drag force that kisks in at frame 40 and slows the x axis speed of the papers so they dont continue and go off screen.

Max scene should be up in ten minsn if anyone is interested in downloading it.

Marc

#19

here you go:

http://www.savefile.com/files/1698398

#20

looks very good man! :slight_smile:
so no pflow use there, right?

#21

Thanks!

No, no Pflow used.

#22

lets not forget bobo´s link objects to particles script!

  [http://www.scriptspot.com/bobo/mxs5/pflow/pflow__MovingObjects.htm](http://www.scriptspot.com/bobo/mxs5/pflow/pflow__MovingObjects.htm)

second screen is the exact same script without using space warps to link…

third one is using the noise geomety deformer and a particle system for falling money…might be interesting for u…the animated force influence gives nice kinda turbulence and irregular forces to them. i would use box3 for such a stunt tho or a script. just right click the force and select “Use Script Wiring” and select influence.

kind regards,
Anselm

#23

Ummm…but these sheets of paper wont bend and flex independantly like my cloth ones do. or am i missing something? i dont think you could ever get a result similar to the one i wanted without using some form of dynamics.

Good script though. Very handy

#24

I hope my question does’nt create controversy here, but how is simcloth diferent than reactor cloth (better/worse, in what terms?)

Also, is simcloth still free (heard it went open souce) and if yes, where can I download it (max9 here)?

Thanks guys, but I was looking for a loooong time for a plugin like that for Max… just couldn’t do it with reactor so this is the reason for my 1º question. :stuck_out_tongue:

#25

Well, animate your paper as u want it to move/behave :slight_smile: the particle system simply links them to the pivot of a particle and transforms it according to the particleTM.

#26

Well, for one thing, i couldnt do what i wanted with reactor. I wanted space warps to affect my cloth and in Reactor, thats not yet possible. With simcloth it was easy as pie. i have always liked simcloth, for one, its free and its very fast and very very easy to use. I dont tend to use it though, unless for special things like this as reactor is also excellent.

But for quick cloth sims and dynamics definately give it a try.

Go to maxplugins.de to download it.