Ropes and other hanging stuff
 

Yeah, I need to make ropes. Best way to do that?:rolleyes:

There are 3 easy ways i can think of off (i'm definetly sure there are more ways...but these are all i could think of :))

You could simply take a cylinder and move around the vertices to get the desired shape, this might take the longest time...but it is probably the easiest.

You might also try to attach a lattice to the cylinder for better looking deformations.

The best way would probably be by making a nurbs circle. Then making a path curve in the way you wish to make the rope. To finish it up you do an extrude on the circle based on the path curve...giving you your "rope"

Hope this helps

Last part of what Elemenopee said, but befor you extrude, and AFTER you draw your curve:

1. Make it a soft-body, then ad springs, ad gravity, and turbulence.

2. Then extrude:)

Or, if it does not need to be animated, just draw using the ROPE PaintFX brush:)

Well, almost...
How to make those paths?

create-->cv curve tool

or

creat-->ep curve tool

either achieves the same result, comes down to preference when choosing between the 2

Okay, but it is on the ground. No way to change that?

yes.. move the controle points.. just like other things. It puts it on the ground in the perspective view.. or like in the midle of the air only in X when you make one in the side view..

just seclect to view the CV's like you would the vertix on a poly. thin move them whare you want with the move tool. You can select all of it to get it in the ruff place you want thin tweek from there..

keep inmind when you extrude the circle along the path, the more CV's you have in the corners the smother it will make the bends.. don't put to many points.. but keep it in mind.. like its not a good ide to try to make a sharp 180 tern with only 3 points if you plan to extrued.. the tube will end up looking pinched.

Well, got it baby...
Now, when adding gravitiy and stuff,
how to let the rope being stucked on a
certain point, or in my case, two points?

what is it exactly that your trying to accomplish? Is it just going to be a still shot? or an animation? If it's an animation...what do you want the rope to be doing

I mean it is pretty difficult to help you when we have no idea as to what you are trying to do exactly.

Yeah, sorry buddy.
I have pylons, big pylons, you know, and know I want to strain
a rope, actually a high-voltage line (don´t know if that was right),
from a to b.
And it would be nice, if it would swing in an animation.
But I don´t want it to fall down or break or something. Not for
the moment. ;)

Erm.... Help.... :(

I haven't done it but hear are 2 sugestions.. look over all the threads in dynamic's on this board.. and animation. You might find the ansers there..

the other thing is for something that will not streach any. make a couple of qubes in a strait line. pasive ridged bodys for the end qubes that will be atached some whare. Active ridged bodys for all the inbetween ones. Use pin constraints under the dynamics menu, betwean each. Apply gravity to the qubes. now the qubes will be hiden in the render.. make a tube of some sort for your power lines.. and there are more than a couple of ways to atach the vertex or CV's to each cube for deformations..
this is what I can remember from simler post.. use at own risk.

Hi Bryce :-)

As Pony said, u can make it a soft body, and control the 'dynamic' particles adding values for it's reaction to dynamic fields like Gravity.

Look at this tutorial on how u make 'Soft Bodies' and controle the particles on the soft body, and when u have done the Tutorial; apply the same principles to your robe.

Instead of keyframing ur robe - apply fields to ur particles. ( I know - it does'nt sound logical right now, but it will all make sense to u, when u have seen the Tut. :-] )

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Good luck :-)