linking hand bones to a turning wheel?

Submitted by urgrund on
Forum
Artists

...more C.Studio stuff :)

I'm wanting to have a character turning a wheel, for example, the wheel in this link.
[url]http://www.signalbox.org/last/wheel.gif[/url]

Does anyone know how to go about attaching the hand bones to the wheel handle?
Should I make dummy nodes where I want the hand to 'stick'? And if so, how do you tell the hands to always reach for the nodes?

cheers

Submitted by Kalescent on Fri, 07/05/04 - 11:28 AM Permalink

it sounds like a long tedious way - but id probably do it by hand.

nevertheless....

Create a dummy object and have that dummy object contrained to a circular path ( representing the wheel movement ), and also constrained to a position on that circular path ( representing the handle(s) position )

then id animate the wheel, and depending on the rig you could use a linking system and link the main hand heirarchy to the dummy object, which will give a rough guide of an animation for "steering the wheel".

also note that IMO - id definately use that method as a guide and tweak the animation by hand rather than let constraints and links sort the animation for you, it will probably look really bad just default-wise.

now if your talking about creating an attachment point to the wheel whereby any charcter could walk up and have his hands automatically reach for the handle - that would require alot more than just an animation - i think your coders would have to create some form of attachment point system for interactive objects in the game - whereby there are 2 attachment points, A & B say, and A is attached to the wheel handle and B is attached to the player meshs hand bone.

there would be some call somewhere that says at such and such a time, move point B into contact with point A, via animation tweening.

Hope that helps some, but would really need to know more specifically about what you have to work with. [:)]

Submitted by urgrund on Fri, 07/05/04 - 11:07 PM Permalink

this isn't for an interactive piece... this will be an animation exported out.

I added 2 dummy nodes (LHand, RHand) and they stick with the wheel moving... but how do I make a hand try to follow the nodes?
I certainly plan to clean the animation up... but it'd be good to have an 'aid' of sorts that always makes the hands try to be at a certain node. (that way I can just adjust the body and upper arms)

Submitted by melvosh on Sat, 08/05/04 - 12:59 AM Permalink

If the character starts with the wheel in his hands and doesnt take them off..why not make the character and wheel share the bone system...extend bones out of his palms and into the wheel..

Adam

Posted by urgrund on
Forum
Artists

...more C.Studio stuff :)

I'm wanting to have a character turning a wheel, for example, the wheel in this link.
[url]http://www.signalbox.org/last/wheel.gif[/url]

Does anyone know how to go about attaching the hand bones to the wheel handle?
Should I make dummy nodes where I want the hand to 'stick'? And if so, how do you tell the hands to always reach for the nodes?

cheers

Submitted by Kalescent on Fri, 07/05/04 - 11:28 AM Permalink

it sounds like a long tedious way - but id probably do it by hand.

nevertheless....

Create a dummy object and have that dummy object contrained to a circular path ( representing the wheel movement ), and also constrained to a position on that circular path ( representing the handle(s) position )

then id animate the wheel, and depending on the rig you could use a linking system and link the main hand heirarchy to the dummy object, which will give a rough guide of an animation for "steering the wheel".

also note that IMO - id definately use that method as a guide and tweak the animation by hand rather than let constraints and links sort the animation for you, it will probably look really bad just default-wise.

now if your talking about creating an attachment point to the wheel whereby any charcter could walk up and have his hands automatically reach for the handle - that would require alot more than just an animation - i think your coders would have to create some form of attachment point system for interactive objects in the game - whereby there are 2 attachment points, A & B say, and A is attached to the wheel handle and B is attached to the player meshs hand bone.

there would be some call somewhere that says at such and such a time, move point B into contact with point A, via animation tweening.

Hope that helps some, but would really need to know more specifically about what you have to work with. [:)]

Submitted by urgrund on Fri, 07/05/04 - 11:07 PM Permalink

this isn't for an interactive piece... this will be an animation exported out.

I added 2 dummy nodes (LHand, RHand) and they stick with the wheel moving... but how do I make a hand try to follow the nodes?
I certainly plan to clean the animation up... but it'd be good to have an 'aid' of sorts that always makes the hands try to be at a certain node. (that way I can just adjust the body and upper arms)

Submitted by melvosh on Sat, 08/05/04 - 12:59 AM Permalink

If the character starts with the wheel in his hands and doesnt take them off..why not make the character and wheel share the bone system...extend bones out of his palms and into the wheel..

Adam