Soft Body Waves

3dcal3dcal Posts: 178
edited July 2012 in Carrara Discussion

Hi all,

Just saw PhilW's neat demo animation on Dynamic Cloth a couple days ago, and it reminded
me of incoming waves moving under the surface of the water. His Soft Body Physics tutorials
(included in Learning Carrara 8 at Infinite Skills) gave me a good start.


This came about from Head Wax's thread, "Critiques invited for an 'In Memorium Poster'."
Just going with the flow, we got on a roll about waves (is there a pun in there?).


Thought it'd be good to share in a separate thread & invite suggestions......never tried
Soft Body Physics before........this is for our mate, Shannon. ;-)


Basically created a plain, duplicated it, moved the copy up (it will be the cloth or wave surface), and placed a cylinder
between the 2 plains so the cloth would drape over it.

Select the top plain >Modifiers>Physics>Soft Body


Animated the cylinder to move horizontally between the plains.


I think I can get it to form up and "break" if I put a 2nd (invisible) cylinder in front of it........or add a force against it(?)

I'm also trying to smooth it out......any suggestions are welcome. The final animation is stiff, but looks smooth in preview(?)

Maybe someone else has done it, but didn't find a sample.

Post edited by 3dcal on

Comments

  • HeadwaxHeadwax Posts: 10,013
    edited July 2012

    Hey hey what a great idea,!!
    sorry just saw this.
    I'll be back on the morrow to check it out more closely! (my wife expects me to cook dinner hah, she'll get a surprise )
    The last time I use Carrara for soft body anything my m esh got launched into space :)

    err I mean did an aerial 360 and then got launched ;)

    Post edited by Headwax on
  • 3dcal3dcal Posts: 178
    edited December 1969

    Thanks mate! :)

    The last time I use Carrara for soft body anything my m esh got launched into space
    err I mean did an aerial 360 and then got launched
    Like you on your board! :lol:

    Yeah, it's touch and go.....still twiddling the knobs.

    I went back to Phil's tut, and realized for one thing, he used a grid instead of a plane, so
    am trying that, and looks more promising.


    Also checked you Anim8tor anims again, and like the way the face of the wave
    gets more hollow, forms a lip and barrels........didn't know Anim8tor could do that! :gulp:
    I downloaded the app to try it out.


    In Carrara, I think putting an invisible cylinder askew to the incoming "wave" may cause it to form a lip and spill over....just takes a lot of trial & error.

    Phil also demos using a directional force to make his flag "fly" in the breeze......so maybe a little "off shore" would
    help the wave form up (?)


    I've done several versions since uploading the one to YouTube, and have one in the oven now.
    Hope to have a better example later today.

    Time for some zzzzzzzzz's :)

  • 3dcal3dcal Posts: 178
    edited December 1969

    Latest try.


    Didn't mean to animate the sky, and need to smooth the mesh more, but
    getting there. :)

  • HeadwaxHeadwax Posts: 10,013
    edited December 1969

    Hello Megacal,

    That's a great start.
    Did you do this with physics? :)

  • 3dcal3dcal Posts: 178
    edited December 1969

    Hey Head Wax,

    yes, Physics > Soft Body

    Here's the latest......I increased the grid res from 30x30 to 60x60......it took a lot longer to
    crunch the calculations even on my i7 (4hr?)


    It still looks like a sheet of mylar.....not sure how to stabilize it.....may need to add a bit of
    thickness.


    Don't see a setting for gravity or how to control the drop other than distance from the "cloth"
    to the obstacle or floor.


    Still want to try your modeling method for a still, too. ;-)

  • HeadwaxHeadwax Posts: 10,013
    edited December 1969

    getting closer
    who wooda thought?
    I wonder if you could use differen time slices of the mesh
    export them as obj
    then reimport as morph targets?

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