"Anthony D. Baye" <ban### [at] Rapidnetcom> wrote in message
news:3E35D19B.C4D63069@Rapidnet.com...
>     I'm working on several small detail objects for a set of larger
> scenes.  One of these is a rather tenchnological looking key, meant to
> hang from a chain.  My problem is that creating the chain by hand would
> be far beyond my patience and the only macro I've found for creating
> chains is for hanging a chain, rope or other such object, between two
> arbitrary points.  Such as might be found supporting a rope bridge or
> other structure.
>     Would anybody know where I could find a macro that creates a chain,
> such as one might find on a pendant or necklace, that behaves like a
> physical chain would in relation to other objects in the scene.  Or at
> least how I might go about conceptualizing such a macro, if it is at all
> possible?
>     Any thoughts or ideas would be appreciated.
>
Well, I can only offer theoretical advice, not a macro. Maybe you could do this:
Firstly, design the 2d path of your chain, as if viewed from directly above. Make a
spline of
this shape.
Sample along the spline, and at each sample point, use trace to determine the height
and
normal of the 'landscape' or floor of your scene. If you take  enough samples, it
should be
accurate. (You could then remove a few of these samples to simulate tension in the
chain ie.
where the chain goes from the top of one object to a lower one... the chain should be
someway
between taught and slack).
Then you have to create your single chain links, and translate, rotate them along this
new
path.

Sorry, that's all the help I can offer.

All the best,

Andy Cocker

Post a reply to this message