Vehicle rigging
by Lucas Noren · in Artist Corner · 01/19/2006 (5:29 am) · 3 replies
Hello everyone.
i have read some about vehicle rigging on this forum, and some on the web, but it hasent made me much wiser.
i am currently working together with a company who uses the torque engine, and my assignment is to create a 8 wheeled modell.
I have only questions and i hope i can get some enlightment on them.
From what i can understand is that there is hardly any animation made in a 3d applications, just the positioning of the wheel hubs and the cameras.
My problem is, i have a modell that has eight wheels, four in the front and four in the rear, the ones in the front are those who will steer, rotate. all eight wheels needs a suspensions.
Now, what do i do in the 3d application. do i create a rigg through joints, or do i simply put out referencepoints to where i want the wheels?
What is the 3 top importent things i should think of in creating the 8 wheeled "rigg"
1, the suspension? what do i do in maya
2, the steering of the four front wheels? what do i do in maya
3, do i use joints or? is there an example maya file anywhere?
Thanks in advance for all possible feedback (inkluding links) i can get on this subject.
i have read some about vehicle rigging on this forum, and some on the web, but it hasent made me much wiser.
i am currently working together with a company who uses the torque engine, and my assignment is to create a 8 wheeled modell.
I have only questions and i hope i can get some enlightment on them.
From what i can understand is that there is hardly any animation made in a 3d applications, just the positioning of the wheel hubs and the cameras.
My problem is, i have a modell that has eight wheels, four in the front and four in the rear, the ones in the front are those who will steer, rotate. all eight wheels needs a suspensions.
Now, what do i do in the 3d application. do i create a rigg through joints, or do i simply put out referencepoints to where i want the wheels?
What is the 3 top importent things i should think of in creating the 8 wheeled "rigg"
1, the suspension? what do i do in maya
2, the steering of the four front wheels? what do i do in maya
3, do i use joints or? is there an example maya file anywhere?
Thanks in advance for all possible feedback (inkluding links) i can get on this subject.
#2
it would be strange that you hafto "rigg" in maya and only set "dummy objects" in max.
hm so basiclly i i only hafto put out dummyobjects, well then it seems easier.
thanx matthew.
01/20/2006 (12:18 am)
Ah ok, so there's no actual rigging with joints. it would be strange that you hafto "rigg" in maya and only set "dummy objects" in max.
hm so basiclly i i only hafto put out dummyobjects, well then it seems easier.
thanx matthew.
#3
1) At runtime the wheel will then replace/hide/cover(which) the dummy objects? (or)
2) I musn't export the dummy objects at all? (then why create?) (or)
3) should i just create empty nodes with transforms to indicate where the wheels should go?
This thing with creating the wheels separate from the vehicle is rather confusing me.
If the hub nodes specify the location of the wheel and the wheel's size dictates it's height off the ground then why does the wheel need a ground node? Does the wheel need a hub AND a ground node or only one of the two?
How do the springs fit into the whole moddeling part of it all? Can I have my wheels attached to an imaginary axis and floating in mid air while controlling maximum bounce via the datablock or do I need to have it attached to something before adding bounce? If the wheel needs to be attached to the springs that need to be attached to the body, then why the need for the ground node?
LOL
it took me ages to learn how to use my modelling software and now it is all so simple I literally cannot understand why I ever struggled. Now that I have reached such a proviciency in Maya I am struggeling like heck to get my shapes to work in game. Who was it that said game programming was easy? LOL
I got into game programming because programming normal software was getting boring and I wanted a challenge. They told me game programming was the most difficult thing in the world. Then I found Torque and most of the programming is taken care of for me...now if only I can get content to command around to create a game with...
I have to admit this is a lot of fun and definately keeps me busy but I would like to make a game now, thank you very much!
From what I have read all over the net, modelling is a very time consuming practice and the most difficult thing there is to do is creating people. Thing is, I have found so many resources for creating people that people are the only thing I can model now.
I think a detailed resource on how to create vehicles is definately in order. Who's up for the challenge?
I know I for one would greatly appreciate your help...
02/08/2006 (4:39 pm)
I too am a Maya user, but from what you have said above, am i to understand that when I create my vehicle shape to export I need to actually CREATE weels for the vehicle? Do I actually create 4 cubes, name them hub0 to hub3 and place them where the whels should be, then export and create the actual wheels and in script link the wheels to the shape.1) At runtime the wheel will then replace/hide/cover(which) the dummy objects? (or)
2) I musn't export the dummy objects at all? (then why create?) (or)
3) should i just create empty nodes with transforms to indicate where the wheels should go?
This thing with creating the wheels separate from the vehicle is rather confusing me.
If the hub nodes specify the location of the wheel and the wheel's size dictates it's height off the ground then why does the wheel need a ground node? Does the wheel need a hub AND a ground node or only one of the two?
How do the springs fit into the whole moddeling part of it all? Can I have my wheels attached to an imaginary axis and floating in mid air while controlling maximum bounce via the datablock or do I need to have it attached to something before adding bounce? If the wheel needs to be attached to the springs that need to be attached to the body, then why the need for the ground node?
LOL
it took me ages to learn how to use my modelling software and now it is all so simple I literally cannot understand why I ever struggled. Now that I have reached such a proviciency in Maya I am struggeling like heck to get my shapes to work in game. Who was it that said game programming was easy? LOL
I got into game programming because programming normal software was getting boring and I wanted a challenge. They told me game programming was the most difficult thing in the world. Then I found Torque and most of the programming is taken care of for me...now if only I can get content to command around to create a game with...
I have to admit this is a lot of fun and definately keeps me busy but I would like to make a game now, thank you very much!
From what I have read all over the net, modelling is a very time consuming practice and the most difficult thing there is to do is creating people. Thing is, I have found so many resources for creating people that people are the only thing I can model now.
I think a detailed resource on how to create vehicles is definately in order. Who's up for the challenge?
I know I for one would greatly appreciate your help...
Torque Owner Matthew Jones
You can also animate the travel of the HUBS. "Spring", "Turn" and "Wheel" are the names of the sequences.
I don't know of any examples in MAYA, sorry.