I’m working on a project where I need a strand of DNA that is rigged with a ribbon rig to be able to unwind partially. The DNA itself needs to be able to be twisted around other objects. My DNA model will reflect the form of actual DNA to the extent that it is more complex than the “twisted ladder” model we’re all familiar with. The strands spiral around each other in a complex way, not simply twist. If they DID simply twist, I’d probably use curve warp and a nonlinear twist on some curves that had the geometry attached. The cool thing about curve warp is that you can “point” objects that are warped toward another curve. I have rigged DNA as a strand before, which is pretty straightforward, but I’m at an impasse from trying to make it unwind at it’s center.
I’ve included some images that I’ve drawn up to show what I mean to achieve, below.
