Blobby strings of goo

# 1 10-02-2004 , 12:37 PM

Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2004

Location: Bristol, UK

Posts: 12

Hi folks, I am trying to set up strings of blobby saliver, the sort you might get in the corner of a dinosaur mouth.

I have rigged some dynamic bouncy curves that move with the animals mouth. - All working great so far.

Now I need to place blobby particles down the curves so that when they touch, they blob together.

What I need to do is to have one particle object with an expression that will place my particles along the length of more than one curve.

I have tried writing an expression to move particles along a curve, but I can't get the pointOnCurve thingy to work inside an expression.

My code include the following lines, which maya doesn't seem to like.

particleShape1.position = `pointOnCurve -parameter 0.5 -nt -top 1 curve3`;

I guess you can't do that sort of thing with expressions.

If anyone can help or knows another way to place place particles from one particle object onto multiple curves then I would be eternally gratefull.

PS. setting multilpe goals with the curves doesn't work as it trys position each particle as an average position.

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# 2 10-02-2004 , 01:48 PM

The Maya Mountain
Join Date: Aug 2002

Location: Seattle, WA

Posts: 8,245

hmm...

so, are you using any sort of emitter? Or are you placing particles directly. If you're emitting from curve or something like that, you should be able to tell the different "emitters" to use the same particle object. I would think that would cause them to interact with each other.

I've not tried what you're attempting, though, so I'm not sure.

I have seen someone do a pretty good job with saliva strings and what he did was use actual soft-body objects with a saliva shader in the addition of blobby particles as the "spit" that drips off and shoots out of the mouth.

-Mike
The Maya Toolbelt

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# 3 10-02-2004 , 02:23 PM

Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2004

Location: Bristol, UK

Posts: 12

Hi Mike, thanks for your quick reply.

I have tried emitting from both curves, but the particles just get left behind when the curves animate.

I need them to stick onto the curves as the curves are bouncing around.

Does anyone know anywhere where I can find plenty of examples of particle expressions?

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# 4 10-02-2004 , 02:46 PM

The Maya Mountain
Join Date: Aug 2002

Location: Seattle, WA

Posts: 8,245

heh, I'm really not sure to tell you the truth. I'll have to experiment later.

One possibility, although I think it might look funny, is to have your particles emit with an extremely low lifespan, so as the curve moved, the particles are constantly being replaced. Might be hard to get to look right, though and it might look like it's shifting around.

-Mike
The Maya Toolbelt

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# 5 10-02-2004 , 03:34 PM

Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2004

Location: Bristol, UK

Posts: 12

Fantastic, It works!

By emitting from multiple curve and setting the lifespan to be a frame. The particles cling to the curves, I don't think the shifting around of the particles should be a problem if I use enough of them.

You are a genius!

Thankyou

Jeremy

I will post a render when done!

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