Attach a CV Curve to an Existing Object?

[Anonymous]

I am creating a 13-meter long snake-like dinosaur for a museum exhibit. I created the mesh so it is in a straight line thinking I would deform it after to give it some curvy poses. I used the sine deformer and it *looks* reasonably ok but two things I'd like to change. 1. I'd like to create more random curves and, 2., more importantly, the deformers seem to try to leave the geometry aligned as before the deformation. The snake is aligned on the x-axis so the edge loops that circle the body are parallel to the z-axis. After deformation to a sine wave shape those edge loops are still parallel to the z-axis. And the problem with that is the texture for the underside also has lines also parallel to the z-axis, however, on a real snake those lines remain perpendicular to the tangent of the long-axis when the snake wriggles.

So, I am trying to attach a cv curve to the snake and then try creating the curves in the snake mesh by manipulating the cv's. But, I cannot figure out a way to attach a cv curve to an existing object. Is there a way to do this? I have seen videos that extrude along a cv curve then manipulate the resulting object with the cv's, so I hope there is something similar I can do with an existing object.

I have attached a couple screen shots showing the straight version with edge loops visible and the sine wave deformed version. Note how in the latter the edge loops are still parallel to the z-axis.

Thanks,

Greg

[hamsterHamster · Accepted solution]

As you can see, the snake's head also deforms. Is that ok? If your answer is no, then I would suggest reconsidering the deformation method.

What you can do is to:

1. create a chain of joints;

2. bind the snake to that chain;

3. create splineIK for that chain;

4. apply nonlinear Sine (and maybe Wave too) to the curve. You can adjust the intensity and transformes of both nonlinears to achieve the randomness you wish.

Get really familiar to their attributes on a separate object before you do it on snake's spline. For naturalistic animation you might wish to make the head part moving as little as possible.

If you still need more random snake waves then it is possible in many ways, including clusters, blendshapes and dynamic curves. And, more complex shapes you want your snake to be bent means more joints in the joint chain, not less than 10 anyway.

[Anonymous]

Thank you! That worked perfectly!

Greg

[mihirsbcc]

there is a tutorial online rigging a snake in Maya, extremely detail process.