Help creating a dynamic cable on a Mech

[ronberchin]

I'm creating a detailed a high poly detailed Mech in Maya 2016. I need to create several hoses/cables that will move/articulate as parts of the Mech move. Say, for example a hose attached to the two ends of a piston that will flex/stretch as the piston moves...or a cable the connects across a leg joint. 3dsMax has a nice little tool to create hoses/cables that are "dynamic". Is there a straightforward way to do this in Maya? I have a lot of cables and hoses on the model.

thanks for any help you can provide

[cornelh · Accepted solution]

Hi ronberchin

There are several ways to create a chain or rope like effect in Maya, yet it does require some setting up, and It it is not as straight forward as the 3DsMax hoses/cables tools you are mentioning.  There are a few users that have created some very neat solutions for this very thing, check this one out I saw on Lester Banks website.. http://lesterbanks.com/2015/01/dynamic-chain-setup-tool-assists-setting-rope-like-rigs-maya/  

Here are some other resources you can take a look at as well:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0kcIT_DuHE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ey5bLJUeWAg

let me know if this helps out.  Happy New Year!!

[Florian.Coenen]

Hello,

there are several ways to do that.

I would either use a spline IK, where you are building up an IK using a spline, or using Ncloth can do a dynamic cable as well.

Just search for "dynamic cable Maya" or "Spline IK Maya" on youtube for example and you will get many tutorials for that topics.

I hope this is helpful

Regards,

[ronberchin]

Thanks so much. I'll definitely check these out. As I don't plan to actually animate the mech, but will pose it, I think I need a solution that doesn't require dynamics/animation to work...

[ronberchin]

Thank you so much. I think the IK spline is the way to go as I don't plan on animating the mech, only posing it, and I need the hoses to react accordingly.

[ronberchin]

I think I probably misspoke when I asked about creating dynamic cables,
because I guess the solution I'm looking for is more static than
dynamic. I want to pose the mech and have the the cables move with the
various articulated parts they are attached to, but I'm not actually
animating anything. But I think there are elements of the suggestions
you provided that have set me on the right path. So, I thank you very
much. I kinda figured it might include joints...but some enterprising
and very bright people have created scripts to make that process
somewhat easier, and given the number of cables I envision, that's a
good thing. But wow, compared to 3dsMax this is really going to be time
consuming.
Thanks again for the suggestions.
Ron
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[cornelh]

I'm glad we could help in some way.  You can also check Creative Crash for more Maya scripts that do the same.  Some are free, and others are at a very cheap price.  They might save you much needed time..