I'm faster than lightning!

Maya for 3D Printing - Rapid Prototyping

In this course we're going to look at something a little different, creating technically accurate 3D printed parts.

# 1 19-08-2005 , 10:28 PM

Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2005

Posts: 9

Ignore that cheesy line from Virtua Fighter, because actually I need help with maya lightning. I have this high poly insect character that has two antennae on it's head. I want to have a lightning bolt go across them, but since the antennae are attached to the mesh and thus are the same object, I can't add a lightning bolt. How can I solve my problem?

I tried adding two seperate cubes and then adding the effect, but I wanted them to follow along with my model when I animate it. However if I tried to group or combine the blocks with the model, the lightning detached from one block but stayed on the other, obviously needing to connect.

Is there anyway I can have one mesh and have the lightning possibly be connected to different faces, edges, or vertices on that same mesh?

Please help.

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# 2 20-08-2005 , 05:59 AM

Subscriber
Join Date: Sep 2004

Location: Waianae, HI

Posts: 1,275

No, it needs to be two separate objects. Recommend using a work-around... create locators where you want the terminators of the lightning to be. Parent the locators to the antennae. Create the lightning between the two locators.

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