Introduction to Maya - Modeling Fundamentals Vol 1
This course will look at the fundamentals of modeling in Maya with an emphasis on creating good topology. We'll look at what makes a good model in Maya and why objects are modeled in the way they are.
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1
03-11-2011
, 03:50 PM
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Help with bending/flexing a basic model
Can I first say that i'm very new to the world of Maya so please forgive me if I come across stupid as i'm still learning. Ive been struggling for days now on maya 2011 to try and bend a basic model that I constructed in google sketchup. I've even tried bending another basic shape which i built in maya to see if i needed to construct it in that program to see if it would make a difference but that won't seem to work either. The model that i need to bend is simply 2 parrallel girders which are attached by a cross section at both ends - so its basically just 4 rectangles (2 long and two short which joins them up at the ends) - I need to rotate this around and record the animation which i have figured out (pretty much) but when the rotation comes to a stop i need to bend the middle of these girders as if an imaginery weight were hanging off it and is then taken off - basically so it flex's and then returns to its normal position. I've looked into lattices and i have tried to use one with a 5 point division so that one set of lattice points are right in the centre of the girders and i can move these so it looks kind of what i would like it to do but it doesn't seem to move my model at all, the points just move around it. I tried building just a single rectangle in maya and trying it out on this but yet again the lattice points move but the model retains its shape so i can't create the bend i need - i'm sure i'm missing something obvious but i just seem to be going round in circles - can anyone help? Like i say i'm a novice on this program at the moment so please explain in idiot guide mode otherwise my heads likely to explode!!!!
Thanks in advance
Mark
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03-11-2011
, 03:59 PM
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04-11-2011
, 11:07 AM
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Hi there Dave, thanks for taking the time to answer my question - could you explain how to add more polys? Do i need to build the model with more parts or can i just add some into the model? Once thats done is using the lattice tool the best option for me to use to achieve my goal?You need to add more pollys to allow the bend deformer to work...........dave
Thanks again for your help
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04-11-2011
, 12:18 PM
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04-11-2011
, 02:58 PM
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04-11-2011
, 04:50 PM
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Thanks for all your replies - Adding some more divisions seemed to do the trick in allowing me to bend my rectangle using the lattice tool so I'm almost there! (thankyou for your help) - but I couldn't manage to get Maya to animate the change from the original shape (which i tried to put as keyframe 1) to the bent shape which I tried to put as keyframe 2) - The image doesn't animate at all it just stays as the bent shape. Is it possible for maya to create the information for the transformation from what is just essentially a before and after shot so that i can record the animation or is it not possible with the method i'm using?
Apologies if i'm being dumb about this!!!!
P.s i tried to use the bend deformer as well but I can't figure out how to make the rectangle just bend in the middle so I may not be able to use that method as it may be too complicated for me
Mark
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04-11-2011
, 05:14 PM
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I'd also recommend doing some basic maya tutorials (in the help files) to get a handle on some of the more common tools and techniques.
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07-11-2011
, 11:00 AM
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Hi again all - thanks again for your help - sorry i've been away for a couple of days so haven't had a chance to thankyou all. As requested heres a couple of links to the model (to show how it looks in 3d) and one image has the bend directions that i'm looking for - hopefully the images will show up in your browsers. for the middle bend I ideally need the end points of the model to stay relatively stationary just so the bend in the middle is flexing and then returning to its original position.As Stwert said to add pollys, could you show use a shot of what you want to bend that should help choose the best tool to use..........dave
I'm going to try and play around with the bend deformer today to try and wrestle it under control!!!!!
I'll then need to figure out how to build the model in maya as my current import from sketchup doesn't look like it wants to play ball at the moment!!!! One problem after another!!!
Thanks again for helping me out with this - heres the image links
https://i796.photobucket.com/albums/y...5annotated.jpg
https://i796.photobucket.com/albums/y...acrane_127.jpg
Mark
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07-11-2011
, 11:51 AM
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"A Darkness at Sethanon", a book I aspire to model some of the charcters and scenes
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07-11-2011
, 01:43 PM
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Cheers for that - I thought that might be the case so have started looking through more tutorials today to figure out the best way to build it etc in Maya - Through the youtube videos i've looked at i'd be alright if i had to build an icecream or a wineglass!!!!!! Hahaha - The search continues!Some advice mate...I use sketchup STRICTLY for accurate geometry in buildings mostly...when you export as a DXF or OBJ it will ask you how many triangles etc per face...I dont know if a zero input will give just the one face. Personally that shape would be easier to make in Maya mate...then use deformers to achieve what you want. I have exported from sketchup to Maya and it gives really crap geometry man....avoid it if you can.
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Cheers again
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08-11-2011
, 02:46 AM
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"A Darkness at Sethanon", a book I aspire to model some of the charcters and scenes
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09-11-2011
, 11:37 AM
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Thanks for your post - i've since had a mini breakthrough (or should that be breakdown!) I created the basic model in maya used your tip of combining the objects and managed to figure out the orientation for the bend deformer (which was the biggest hurdle) to make it bend in the direction I need it to - i.e down - but the pivot point is at the middle of the beam so that part stays level and its the two ends that bend upwards so it doesn't look like a weight is being hung off the middle it looks like weight has been taken off the ends and they are curling upwards! Any suggestions of how to make the middle sag and the two ends stay where they are so that I can animate it?Just create a cube....in the option box you will be able to subdivide it....I would try 6 divisions first up...then all you need to do is scale it to the size you require....CTRL D to duplicate etc....then apply a bend deformer...see how that goes. Of course combine the mesh before you applty a deformer
cheers bullet
I'm getting closer! bit by bit!!!!! Thankyou for all your patience with me!
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09-11-2011
, 02:16 PM
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09-11-2011
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21-11-2011
, 10:28 PM
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