Stairway to Heaven - Deforming groups - Simply Maya User Community

# 1 10-12-2012 , 03:40 PM

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Stairway to Heaven - Deforming groups

Hey Maya-friends and Pros user added image

I am currently stuck with a problem in Maya.

I need to deform a group of different groups.

I have a Guitarfretboard that is build of 3 groups.(as in the pic)

What i want to do is create kind of a "stairway to heaven".
So i would need to deform the whole group and make twirls and ups and downs, like a railcoaster.

The best way that i found to do that is to set a lattice on the group. But then when I deform the lattice points the single groups wont hold together anymore and start to seperate and mess up.

I hope you can help me

Appreciate it a lot user added image

Thank you!

Phil

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# 2 10-12-2012 , 07:05 PM

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I dont think it will work the way you are trying to do it, you are better of grouping each single head stock together then parent that to the long thing then create a skeleton down the long thing and skin it................dave

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# 3 11-12-2012 , 11:01 AM

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Thank you dave for your help!

Every Headstock is grouped together. So the Headstocks are one big group already if thats what you mean.

What exactly do you mean with skeleton and how do i skin it.

Thank you very much!

Phil

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# 4 11-12-2012 , 12:56 PM

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No you need to brake the groups up (one headstock one group). See link for skeleton..............dave

https://www.animationartist.com/2003/...y_tutorial.htm

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# 5 11-12-2012 , 02:54 PM

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Ouh alright. I'll try to do it with your suggestion, thank you dave!

Would that be the only (good/accurate) way to do this?

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# 6 11-12-2012 , 02:56 PM

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Ouh, and what am I supposed to do with the metal frets that are lying on top of the neck?

Should i combine them with the Fretboard or group them?

Thanks

Phil

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# 7 11-12-2012 , 04:42 PM

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Parent them to the board or I think you can combine them. I would not group as you will end up having the same problem as before.............dave

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# 8 11-12-2012 , 06:08 PM

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It might be simpler to combine everything and then use a lattice or a wire tool deformer or both.

If you want to get the skeleton route then it's still easier to combine everything and then add a skeleton and skin it.

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

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# 9 11-12-2012 , 06:10 PM

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Makes sence Rick was not sure how much deforming would happen to some of the meshes, not sure I would use the wire deformer can get funny results..............dave

Edit:Stairway to heaven I think Im near the top...........LOL

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Last edited by daverave; 11-12-2012 at 06:15 PM.

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# 10 11-12-2012 , 10:42 PM

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I tried to combine everything together. The thing is that this takes an eternity and after that everything is lacking.

Also I tried to Combine the metal frets to the woodneck before and then with the lattice i had the same problem:

The wood would deform nice but the frets seperated and went apart.

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# 11 12-12-2012 , 07:33 AM

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Try to ungroup before combining then delete history...............dave

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# 12 12-12-2012 , 11:47 AM

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Hey Dave I ungrouped everything and combined it.

It lacks like hell but even if it wasn't lacking, still the different object will drift apart from each other :/

I guess i'd have to try it with that skeleton

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# 13 12-12-2012 , 01:25 PM

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You will have to parent the other parts to the nearest bone............dave

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# 14 12-12-2012 , 08:14 PM

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I am not sure what you are doing. This model consists of the bridge, 18 frets, and 36 of the post thingies.

I simply deleted all history, combined everything, and used the wire tool deformer to shape it. As you can see nothing is pulling apart. There is going to be some distortion which is unavoidable. I could just as easily have used a lattice.

There is also no LAG. I can move verts of the control curve as fast as I can and things move smoothly.

If you are getting LAG, and things are "flying" apart then it sounds like you have history on things, or have things grouped and are getting multiply translations.

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

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# 15 12-12-2012 , 10:36 PM

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Hey ctbram user added image

Thanks for the help.
Thats just how far i got, as well.
I can deform everything with a lattice. The problem is that also in your deformation things are "drifting" apart.
When you compare the first part of your bridge (where everything is how it's supposed to be) with the 6th part and basically all parts that are going up the objects wont hold together anymore.

They are no more connected. The pillars are flying.

You see what my problem is?

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Stairway to Heaven - Deforming groups

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