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Intermezzo: making dials


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#1 Scythar

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Posted 03 January 2008 - 01:00 PM

1. Insert a capsule
InsertCapsule.jpg

2. make editable:
MakeEditable.jpg

3. import 2 deformers:
DeformersPalette.jpg
It does matter wether you make the bend deformer the first or the twist deformer, so try to have the same endresult (just for demo purposes)
FirstBendTwist_child.jpg
FirstTwist_child1.jpg

pfff baby awake, to be continued...
(this is really frustrating me !!!)
explanations will follow later,
but just for those whom only need them pictures...

Watch which 2 parameters are important for the bend deformer and remember there names and units (degrees)...
BendProperties.jpg
Do the same for the twist deformer...
TwistProperties.jpg

Edited by Scythar, 04 January 2008 - 08:41 AM.


#2 Scythar

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Posted 03 January 2008 - 01:53 PM

This is the final hierarchy, like you notice i put the capsule as a child for hypernurbs, this will just smooth the deformations and are not really necessary, but if you want to do the same: just select the capsule object in the object manager and alt+click on the hypernurbs icon.
FinalHierarchy.jpg
FinalBeginObject.jpg

So now we have our beginning object and you can experiment with the deformers: click on the bend deformer and change the strenght and angle settings to see what happens. Undo. Now do the same with the twist angle setting, by clicking on the twist deformer first. Undo.
Off course you can make a combination of both deformers.

The big disadvantage is that you have to click on one then the othere etc... . So if you have an object with many parent/child relations and many deformers or whatever (this applies to every property!) you soon find yourself clicking a lot !
To avoide this "ultimate clicking experience" you can make dials for every property and assemble them in one place (cfr. morph dials) and quickly change them AND see the result realtime.

THATS WHAT "USER DATA" IS FOR!

To start --> undo every deformation, click on the capsule object and go to the attributes manager; there you will find the "user data" menu. Click on it and choose "manage user data" to open the dialogue box...
ManageUserData_button.jpg
Now in this dialogue box, click on the add button for every dial you want to add. In our case that would be 3 times: a dial for the bend strength, one for the bend angle and one for the twist angle.
EditUserData_dialogue.jpg
Rename in a somewhat more significatif name and alter the settings; my settings are shown below. Keep in mind that i forgot to change the interface setting before i took the screenshot, so all interface settings should be at "float slider"
BendStrength_settings.jpg
BendAngle_settings.jpg
Twist_settings.jpg

Attached Thumbnails

  • EditUserData_dialogue.jpg

Edited by Scythar, 04 January 2008 - 08:57 AM.


#3 Scythar

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Posted 03 January 2008 - 03:32 PM

As you will notice, you created 3 dials (with sliders) with nice names, BUT, when you change the settings, NOTHING happens.
This is because the dials arent connected yet with any properties. They just dont know what to change. So we are now going to connect them with the right properties, so they now what to change.
This is done in Xpresso.
So you have to add an Xpresso tag to the objec (actually it doesnt matter where you put it, but its just the most logic place. So, right-click on the capsule object, go to the Cinema4D Tags and go all the way to the button to click on the Xpresso tag.
Xpresso_TAG.jpg
This will put a tag behind the capsule object and will open the Xpresso editor window. Here we are going to connect the dials created in the capsule object and the deformers in the object menu (child of capsule, but existing on there own).
To do this you drag the capsule object into the Xpresso editor window and you do the same for the 2 deformers.
So now you will see 3 little windows in the Xpresso editor each with a blue side (input) and a red side (output). Arrage and scale the windows a little like i did:
XpressoEditor_objects_.jpg
When you left-click on the red square at the right of capsule you get all the possible parameters that can be used as an output. There values can thus be used as an imput for other objects. All the way down you will see the 3 properties you just created with the "user data" function. Click on one of them then repeat for the others. Now you see all 3 outputs.
LeftClick_CapsuleOut.jpg
If you forgot the parameter we are changing, just to remember, click on the bend deformer f.ex. and see what the names were of the parameters.
2BendPropertiesWeNeed.jpg
Now, left-click on the blue rectagmes and choose the appropiate parameters for both deformers in the Xpresso editor window.
The blue arriows show the links we have to make...
BendInport_Angle.jpg
To connect left-click and drag from the red dot to the appropiate blue dot.
ConnectInsAndOuts.jpg
This is the endresult in the Xpresso editor, after that you can close the window. If you need to reopen, just double click on the tag in the object manager.
EndResultConnections.jpg

now when you move dials, you change the settings, so lot less to click...

Edited by Scythar, 04 January 2008 - 09:16 AM.





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