Matching bones to cloth simulation? (Need bone animation for flag)

[bksong]

I've successfully animated a flag using wind and cloth modifier but vertex animation is not allowed, so I have to use bones.

I have another copy of the flag but rigged it to bones this time. Is there any way to get the cloth simulation to affect the bones?

Feels like this should be simple but I can't for the life of me find any answers for this. 

[Anonymous]

Sorry to dig up an old post.

I am trying to do the same as the question above but can't find any info about it. I am a newbie to 3ds max so that's probably why.

The process I use ATM is very time consuming and I feel there has to be an easier and faster way.

1/ create waving flag with cloth modifier

2/ create bones for each vert of the flag.

3/ skin the flag to the bones

4/ use autokey  and move to each frame and snap each bone to it's vert. (Very time consuming).

What I would like to do is use Point Cache to save the animation and load it onto the bones so I don't have to move every bone for every frame. I just can't find any info on how to load Point Cache onto bones.

Someone I know has made a video in Maya showing what I want to do but, he has know idea how to do it in 3ds max.

I hope someone can watch the video and explain if what he does in Maya can be done in 3ds max and how to do it.

[lorddavius]

I'm just guessing here, but I believe it *could* be done with scripting? Not sure, not THAT good with scripting anyways, but I know some guys and will ask around.

[paulneale · Accepted solution]

No script needed. 

You will need two copies of the flag, Dynamic and Skinned.

Created Point Helpers at each vert on the Dynamic flag using an Attachment Constraint so each Point is stuck to the surface of the Dynamic flag. Create one root Point Helper where the flag pole would be and link all Point Helpers attached to the flag to the root helper. 

Now skin the Skinned flag to the point helpers that are attached to the Dynamic flag. 

When you export to FBX make sure you have bake animation turned on. 

[thor98_]

Hi

I have a similar situation as OP, I'm working on a hanging flag and am following your steps since it's essentially the same, just not a regular standing flag.

When I attached the point helpers to be positioned at each face, I had  to do it all manually and can imagine it'll be extremely tedious for models of higher verts - the current one is 32 only, and it took a good while to assign all helpers.

I'm hoping that you or anyone else have knowledge on how to speed up this process. 

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

There is a much easier way with cloth and Wind-Force shown here on youtube.   I have done similar with MassFx(mCloth)

[Anonymous]

And with less file size there is the Flex Modifier.

[vlad.tabacaru]

Works like a charm ! But is there a way to set position of the point to snap to a vertex of the flag ? To set it manually is a bit time consuming.

[lorddavius]

Bit late to the party, but you can script to mass use the Attachment Constraint and constraint those points to the simulated cloth object. Then it is a matter of skinning the other geometry flag to those helpers and export the fbx while baking the animation of the points.