Cables and Wires OH MY!??

[Arnold Grove]

Hello all,

 

For my church I have a sort of free project going. (boy how'd that happen?) I need to create many many cables and wires running across a stage in all directions. Some are coming from the plugs in the wall and others will come from a mixing console, winding all over the floor and over to a mic stand, ending up hooked to the mic of course.

 

Im having loads of fun with lofts and wires in Max 9. Its so easy a cavemen can do it. And the twist function is killer...Im going crazy twisting wires and cables with different colors.

 

Im also using a simple splines and setting the thinckness for the more simple cables in with render option.

 

My question; is there a way to have the cables react to each other as in the real world instead of having them crash into each other? Some lay across, some need to look wrapped up in a circular pattern, etc. Also manually setting positions is time consuming.

 

When Im using the simple spline/render method, I have to reposition my "cable" so its laying on the floor properly and not cutting half way through as a result of changing the thickness.

 

thanks folks!

[Ky Lane]

You could use reactor, but i doubt you'd be saving yourself any time or effort really.

[Claudio Branch]

 

My question; is there a way to have the cables react to each other as in the real world instead of having them crash into each other? Some lay across, some need to look wrapped up in a circular pattern, etc. Also manually setting positions is time consuming.

 

 

Reactor will do it. I used it recently to model a link-chain piled onto a floor. The drawback with Reactor is that it will be time-consuming and you may not get the results you want in a rendering or animation.

 

You will have much more control if you first create a path for each cable to follow and then use the Path Deform (World-Space) modifier. I am working on an animation similiar to what you are describing for your project, but instead of cables, I am animating rebar.

 

Here is an old thread where I also discussed using the Path Deform modifier:

 

http://www.cgarchitect.com/vb/27314-3dsmax-unwiding-coil.html

 

Once you get the hang of it, it works very well...

[amer abidi]

Caludio.. I LOVE that image! =) so cool!

[Claudio Branch]

Thanks Amer,

 

It was done with Reactor and I used Mental Rays' Car Paint shader for the links.

 

BTW Arnold, you might want to explore Reactor Cloth for the cables.

[SandmanNinja]

I love Reactor.

 

I did a flag pole once, with a flag flapping in the wind and the rope tugging against the flag pole. (Sadly, lost in a windows crash of '07)

 

Nice image, Claudio!

[Tommy L]

 

(Sadly, lost in a windows crash of '07)

 

 

Alas, alack, I remember that crash. Everyone remembers that crash. I lost everything in the famous Great Windows Crash of '07.

[Arnold Grove]

wow claudio that is simply kick ass! Any reactor tutorials around that might fit this bill?

 

One thing Im fuzzy on though;

 

You will have much more control if you first create a path for each cable to follow and then use the Path Deform (World-Space) modifier

 

If you draw your path where you want the cables...why use the path deform? Wouldnt it be the same just using the render spline option?

 

thanks for your help!

Edited August 29, 2008 by Arnold Grove

[Arnold Grove]

Alas, alack, I remember that crash. Everyone remembers that crash. I lost everything in the famous Great Windows Crash of '07.

 

 

and me grandfather jumped out the window too

[Claudio Branch]

 

Any reactor tutorials around that might fit this bill?

 

One thing Im fuzzy on though;

 

You will have much more control if you first create a path for each cable to follow and then use the Path Deform (World-Space) modifier

 

If you draw your path where you want the cables...why use the path deform? Wouldnt it be the same just using the render spline option?

 

 

First try looking around in Max's User Help under Reactor. It will have some examples in there. Search the CGA forums and use Google too.

 

Path Deform is ideal if you want to animate a long uniform object (cables, chains, ropes, etc) along a fairly complex path. You would model your cable as a single straight line and it would need a high vertice count (use Normalize Spline modifier) and perhaps a Meshsmooth modifier as well (if the camera is extremely close). At the top of the stack, you would add the Path Deform modifier and assign the cable to say a helix. The PD modifier has several parameters that can be animated.

 

I hope this unfuzzes things a little...

Edited August 29, 2008 by Claudio Branch

[Arnold Grove]

yes yes...much less fuzzy..thank you...im crash lernin' with reactor..trusty brew in hand

[Claudio Branch]

 

...why use the path deform?

 

 

How would you model this without Path Deform?

[SandmanNinja]

Poly modeling?

 

That visual pretty much nails the complex thinking that should be happening.

 

Is that God's chandelier? Very nice!

[Arnold Grove]

man thats just crazy! amazing work

[Claudio Branch]

I thought it might be beneficial to show an image with the Path Deform modifier in action after showing one using Reactor.

 

Maybe some animation next!

 

Good luck with your project and please let us know how it goes...

[Claudio Branch]

 

God's chandelier?

 

 

No.

 

Alien Chandelier!

[Claudio Branch]

 

...Arnold, you might want to explore Reactor Cloth for the cables.

 

 

Forget Cloth, Reactor Rope is the way to go.

 

I experimented with it over the long weekend. It can create huge piles of cables!