Bending a Tube Puzzle

# 1 17-09-2011 , 05:43 PM

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Thank you for checking out this request for help......

i created a little video to explain what my Aim/Issue is
this because it was a lot of writing to get my explanation of the request clear

https://youtu.be/yYDUr_90zqo?hd=1

this is the link to the testfile.....

https://www.ieoie.nl/Maya/Bending_TestFile_Web.zip

Thank you for your time
hoping we can find a solution to my question

*
The Universe is larger then you ever can think, But smaller then the size of your imagination.

all are welcome at www.ieoie.nl

Last edited by ieoie; 17-09-2011 at 06:17 PM. Reason: video was not working

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# 2 18-09-2011 , 05:32 AM

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Hey mate, good to see you still at this. I'll take a look at your video in the morning. Hopefully I can help you out again.

Imagination is more important than knowledge.

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# 3 18-09-2011 , 10:51 AM

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in the video you didn't show what happens when you move the tube, but looking at your scene and trying to move the top group showed that there were double transforms. this might be your problem.

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# 4 18-09-2011 , 11:30 AM

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Hey mate, good to see you still at this. I'll take a look at your video in the morning. Hopefully I can help you out again.

Originally Posted by NextDesign

feel free to jump in.....
this time you have a test file with it.....
and have a clearer vision on what it will be used for...

last time i downloaded your tutorial and put it in my archive cause using hypershade to control objects is a very nice concept i did not want to loose...
and also think is something that is needed here....

it is not an easy one....
i tried and tried, and kinda gave up myself, so time to find some smarter people then me....;-)
cause the wish stayed

it looked in the beginning a simple task.....;-)

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The Universe is larger then you ever can think, But smaller then the size of your imagination.

all are welcome at www.ieoie.nl

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# 5 18-09-2011 , 11:40 AM

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in the video you didn't show what happens when you move the tube, but looking at your scene and trying to move the top group showed that there were double transforms. this might be your problem.

Originally Posted by honestdom

that is why i added the test file...

so when people are interested in solving this wih me, they can see what i did

this link shows an brave attemp of NextDesign
unfortunatly it did also work in the centre of the scene but nut when attaching it.....
https://simplymaya.com/forum/showthread.php?p=324005

hopefully someone knows a way to achieve what i envision.....
i have run out of options, but the wish for this tube stayed....

so if you have an own way of constructing such a tube....
feel free to share.....

keep in mind i would build a scene with a couple of hundred of these tubes
when i find the right answer to my request....

lotsa work is not the problem, nor is computer power
having a bending tube that is controled by two spheres is...;-)

*
The Universe is larger then you ever can think, But smaller then the size of your imagination.

all are welcome at www.ieoie.nl

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# 6 19-09-2011 , 03:24 AM

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I believe I've figured out a way how do to this. I'm quite busy tomorrow, but I should have something up by tomorrow night. My first tests seem promising.

Hang tight.

Imagination is more important than knowledge.

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# 7 19-09-2011 , 01:12 PM

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I believe I've figured out a way how do to this. I'm quite busy tomorrow, but I should have something up by tomorrow night. My first tests seem promising.

Hang tight.

Originally Posted by NextDesign

Aliridey....

i am hanging tight.....;-)

very curious aswell.....

thank you for joining me on this adventure.....

*
The Universe is larger then you ever can think, But smaller then the size of your imagination.

all are welcome at www.ieoie.nl

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# 8 19-09-2011 , 04:51 PM

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how are you applying the falloff to the cluster at the center of the pipe? I am just curious as I have not done any animation but can think of a dozen modeling uses for that.

I will be watching this thread I am curious about the mechanics of how you are doing this. I hope you will post the working files as I would like to tinker with it myself. I downloaded the zip at the start of the post but nothing appears to have been rigged yet.

"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." Sir Isaac Newton, 1675

Last edited by ctbram; 19-09-2011 at 05:08 PM.

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# 9 19-09-2011 , 04:57 PM

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how are you applying the falloff to the cluster at the center of the pipe? I am just curious as I have not done any animation but can think of a dozen modeling uses for that.

Originally Posted by ctbram

i do not know exactly what you mean

assuming you mean the tube does not get squashed at the top of the bending......

the tube is created by a nurbcircle that is extruded along a cv curve
the nurb circle is aimed at the centre sphere that pulls/pushes the bending

by doing it like this the tube gets squashed a little not much but it is not an exact perfect tube....

if this is not the answer you are looking for....
please elaborate or download the file and see for yourself.....

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The Universe is larger then you ever can think, But smaller then the size of your imagination.

all are welcome at www.ieoie.nl

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# 10 19-09-2011 , 05:30 PM

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Well there are two basic questions I have because I have not been following this from the beginning.

(1) Lets simplify things, say I have just a straight cv curve and I select all the cv's and create a cluster. The cluster is at the center of the curve and when I move it ALL the cv's move equally. But in your model they move proportionately (with a radial fall off) like the center vert has a wieght of 1 and all the verts to each side have progressively smaller weights.

(2) how are you squishing the curve from either end? You have a cluster at the end parented to a sphere and you move the sphere and the entire curve shortens like it is being scaled from a pivot at the opposite end.

I hope this makes more sense.

I have not done any animation and so the basic mechanics of how you are controlling the curve with the spheres is completely eluding me.

"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." Sir Isaac Newton, 1675

Last edited by ctbram; 19-09-2011 at 05:36 PM.

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# 11 19-09-2011 , 06:10 PM

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Well there are two basic questions I have because I have not been following this from the beginning.

(1) Lets simplify things, say I have just a straight cv curve and I select all the cv's and create a cluster. The cluster is at the center of the curve and when I move it ALL the cv's move equally. But in your model they move proportionately (with a fall off) like the center vert has a wieght of 1 and all the verts to each side have progressively smaller weights.

(2) how are you squishing the curve from either end? You have a cluster at the end parented to a sphere and you move the sphere and the entire curve shortens like it is being scaled with a pivot at the opposite end.

Let me know if this question makes more sense. I have not done any animation and so the basic mechanics of how you are controlling the curve with the spheres is completely eluding me.

Originally Posted by ctbram

this bending i learned from a friend
since i am learning maya mostly autodidactly i do not know all exact

but let me try to explain what we did....

we created a cv curve. 3 vertices
the centre one we have a cluster with an expression attached to
related to scale of the "group" of the clusters of 2 invisible cubes (these cubes vertices also became clusters)

parent the extrude to the left cubecluster and set pivot of the extrude inside the cubecluster

the expession tels the length of the extrude aswell as the centre vertex the movement

tube_1.scaleZ = SCALE_GROUP.scaleZ;
cluster7Handle.translateX = (SCALE_GROUP.scaleZ-1)*20;

so the curve does not gets squished
the extrude does

if you unhide all the groups and parts you see there is a curve that bends and stays the same length, but the extrude changes in length and recieves the bending value from the curve.....

if this answer is not sufficiant, i will ask my friend who brained it, if he has time to explain you, or if i am allowed to share his tutorial with you....

nowadays he is a maya teacher at a university....
a real genius for these kinda things....he has only very little time for me....
thats why i asked this on this forum aswell

*
The Universe is larger then you ever can think, But smaller then the size of your imagination.

all are welcome at www.ieoie.nl

Last edited by ieoie; 19-09-2011 at 06:16 PM.

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# 12 19-09-2011 , 06:28 PM

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Ah now I understand. I have another project that I need to get done but I plan to tinker with this as time permits because the math of it intrigues me.

Thank you.
Rick

"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." Sir Isaac Newton, 1675

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# 13 19-09-2011 , 06:38 PM

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Ah now I understand. I have another project that I need to get done but I plan to tinker with this as time permits because the math of it intrigues me.

Thank you.
Rick

Originally Posted by ctbram

alridey.....
i'm happy to help a little where i can.......
my maya knowledge is limited and am gratefull to have a forum filled with teachers....

the solution to my question does not have to be as is in the file
it has to be functioning in my test file.....

how it is achieve is not important....
that it works is.....

NextDesign has found a different solution for my bending question once.... but it also did only work in the centre of the scene
when attaching it to my animated spheres it did not work properly....
he had a solution by the use of driven keys....

thats why i now made a more clear example video about my question and added a testfile so people can test their idea's

and also he is thinking again on finding a workable solution.....

so if you like to dive with us in this adventure.....be welcome...;-)
please watch the youtube link carefully and download the test file to know exact what is needed here and are able to test your idea....

i'm completely out of idea's so all brains i welcome......

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all are welcome at www.ieoie.nl

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# 14 19-09-2011 , 07:05 PM

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isn't it just an extrude with construction history intact. the cluster is on the curve and the curve is deforming the cylinder not the cluster.

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# 15 19-09-2011 , 07:18 PM

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isn't it just an extrude with construction history intact. the cluster is on the curve and the curve is deforming the cylinder not the cluster.

Originally Posted by honestdom

yes you are 50% right....

the curve controls the bend of the extrude
and the cluster bends the curve

so the cluster indirectly deforms the extrude

feel free to download the file and unhide all, check the expression
together with this thread you can see how it is done exactly.....

please do not be offended....
this thread is meant to find a working solution, not to discuss the dot on top of the i of the not working one.....
please keep focus....

thank you....

enjoy....

*
The Universe is larger then you ever can think, But smaller then the size of your imagination.

all are welcome at www.ieoie.nl

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