Helicopter Blades

Maya 2020 fundamentals - modelling the real world

Get halfway through a model and find it's an unworkable mess? Can't add edge loops where you need them? Can't subdivide a mesh properly? If any of this sounds familiar check this course out.

Watch

# 1 22-05-2003 , 05:01 PM

Registered User
Join Date: May 2003

Posts: 5

Just a quick question, how do I make some helicopter blades that spin and don't stop. I have been fiddling with the rigid body attributes and I have got the blades to accelerate but they eventually start turning the other way round which isn't so bad since the speed they are going at it isn't so noticable but then they slow down and stop before starting the cycle again. The bit with them accelerating is useful but I need them to keep going rather than stopping, at least long enough for me to finish the animation, it's 720 frames long if that helps you work out how to change it.

Quote

# 2 22-05-2003 , 05:09 PM

Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2002

Location: CCS, Venezuela

Posts: 3,363

They are not slowing down I think.

That´s actually an optical illusion of the blades, much like the spikes of a wheel that we know is turning forwards while we look at it going backwards.

It has to do with the eyes "refresh rate". user added image

adldesigner
Caracas, Venezuela
Hell .. not gone perse, but with a certainly lower post count per day.

Quote

# 3 22-05-2003 , 07:12 PM

Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2002

Location: St. louis Mo

Posts: 1,580

try writting an expression, should work pretty easily..

Please check
My (old) website!

Quote

# 4 22-05-2003 , 07:17 PM

Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2002

Location: St. louis Mo

Posts: 1,580

here is a test example, it was made in Maya 5.0, but i exported it as a ma, so it should be ok on 4.5 If it isn't let me know and I will write it out, THanks,
Brian
Hope this helps

Attached Files

expression test.ma (53.3 KB, 415 views)

Please check
My (old) website!

Quote

# 5 23-05-2003 , 10:10 PM

Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2003

Posts: 9

the expression:

pCylinder1.rotateY=time*300

what does that mean.

It will rotate in y 300 times the amount of frames in the scene, hmm I know what i mean but i cant explain what im thinking

Quote

# 6 23-05-2003 , 11:11 PM

Moderator
Join Date: Sep 2002

Location: London, UK

Posts: 3,198

"time" is time in seconds (a floating point number) so it'll rotate in y 300 degrees in one second...

Kari
- My Website
- My IMDB

Do a lot, Fail a lot and Learn a lot!

Quote

# 7 24-05-2003 , 10:03 AM

Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2003

Posts: 9

cheers mate, is that thing really going 300 times pers second...geezz

Quote

# 8 24-05-2003 , 10:44 AM

Moderator
Join Date: Sep 2002

Location: London, UK

Posts: 3,198

Hehe, no. Not 300 times per second. 300 degrees per second...

Kari
- My Website
- My IMDB

Do a lot, Fail a lot and Learn a lot!

Quote

# 9 24-05-2003 , 12:23 PM

Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2003

Posts: 9

hmm..how the hell did i not see that, cheers mate

Quote

# 10 26-05-2003 , 04:46 AM

Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2003

Location: Philippines

Posts: 94

try also this expression:
first add an attribute to your object name it RPM,

if (frame == 1)
{ object.rotateY = 0 ;}
else
{ object.rotateY += (( object.RPM * frame * 360 )/(30*60))/frame;}

now you can key when your object will stop or go faster or slower base on the value that you enter in RPM attribute.

i got this stuff in highend3d.com

------------------------------------------------
our decisions-not the conditions of our lives
determine our destiny.

Quote

Reply to this thread