Hi guys

I want to somehow drop spheres into a box, and someone on pov.general
suggested that I use megapov's mechsim function. I have taken a look at it,
but it looks quite involved... am I correct in stating the following, and
if not, why:

1. The mechsim functions can only work with iso-surfaces. I cannot, for
example, construct a "container" / constraining set of surfaces from CSG,
and expect it to work. Is this wrong or right?

2. The mechsim functions are uni-axial - don't know how to express this...
let's say my "container" looks liks this:

|      |
|      |
|      |
|------|

It seems there is no way to do this with mechsim:

|     o|
|oooooo|
|oooooo|
|------|

o = sphere

but the result will be this:

|     o|
|oooooo|
|oooooo|oooo
|------|oooooo
----------------

I.e  can I constrain masses in the Z axis (the "bottom" of the holder) AND
the sides (say, in the X axis).? I. e. can I use two axises for constraints
and reactions? One being the apparently easily defined mechsim plane, and
the other the "inner" surfaces of an isosurface containing the masses?

3. How about a circular container (like containing masses in a cylinder?)
This seems exactly what Christoph Hormann did in one of the images on his
site (if I'm not being an idiot), but I'm buggered if I can even begin to
envision the syntax for that.

4. Non - circular masses? I know about bars, but can you use another
isosurface or a well-behaved mesh with an in and outside? I. e. use
something other than a sphere or a bar as a visual representation for a
mass?

5. Mechsim works exclusively in animations - if I thus want to use it in a
scene, I will need to setup animation parameters and pick a certain frame
where the mechanical simulation has progressed to the point I want. Mechsim
is useless outside an animation. Is it possible to simulate a bar deform,
for example, at its "halfway" point, -without- using an animation...?

If I am asinine or not worth answering, does anybody have a pointer to any
tutorials or docs except those that already come with MegaPov? I'd like
some more info than the examples provide - not as a criticism of the docs,
of course, but merely because I need more info due to my own limitations
(especially mathematical, and regarding isosurfaces!) in understanding the
mechsim patch.

Thanks!
-- 
Stefan Viljoen
Software Support Technician / Programmer
Polar Design Solutions

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