my online portfolio - jenne van der meer

To setup a rope using reactor, we need two basic things at first a Sphere where the rope is connected to, and a line the actually Rope so here we go.[list=I]

Create a Sphere somewhere in the viewport (Create > Standard Primitives > Sphere) mine has radius 10.[*]Then draw a line something like in the picture, or whatever you want. Each corner/vertex point will be a spot where the rope bends, so the more the smoother the bends. Once you created the line go to the Modify panel and under Rendering check 'Renerable' and 'Display Render Mesh' you can also adjust the 'Thickness' parameter if you feel the need.

You should have something like this now:

Reselect the line if needed. Add a Reactor Rope modifier to it from the 'Modifier List', or click on the icon in the Reactor Toolbar

Then with the line still selected you will need to add it to a 'Rope Collection' to do this go to 'reactor > Create Object > Rope Collection', or the icon

.
If this is done correctly the name of the Line should apear in the Modifier panel in the Rope Entities list. If not click on Pick and select the line.

Now select the Sphere and add a 'Rigid Body Collection' to do this go to 'reactor > Create Object > Rigid Body Collection', or the icon

. If its done correctly the same thing should happen as with the Line only for the Sphere.

[img=float:right;clear:both;]files/images/tutorials/3dsmax/reactor_rope/panel002.gif[/img]Select the line again and in the modify panels at the constraint section add a 'Attatch To Rigid Body' and select it from the list where it apears.

[img=float:right;clear:both;]files/images/tutorials/3dsmax/reactor_rope/panel003.gif[/img]Then goto the 'Attatch To RigidBody' panel wich apears and click on the button then select the Sphere from the scene. If you did it correctly the name of the button will change from 'none' to the name of the Sphere.
[img=float:right;clear:both;]files/images/tutorials/3dsmax/reactor_rope/panel001.gif[/img]

With the line still selected expand the 'reactor Rope' modifier if needed and select Vertex.

Then select the vertext closest to the Sphere.

Then 'Analyze World' to do this go to 'reactor > Utilities > Analyze World' or press the icon in the toolbar

. The reason why I do this is to check if the vertex is binded to the Sphere, and deselecting the object in other ways may couse it to deselect the vertex and the rope wont connect to the Sphere anymore.
If the World Analysis returns 'Contraint "Attatch To RigidBody" has no verticles selected in it. It will be ignored.' something went wrong with the selection of the vertex in the step above, just retry the previous step and it should work, if not check if you followed the rest correctly. If it is good, click continue.

Now the setup is complete, but we wanna see what we have done dont we! Well ok goto 'reactor > Preview Animation', or the icon

a dialog will popup with the 'World Analysis' if its good click continue. Then a preview window will open here you can see the animation to start playing it press the 'P' key.

If you think the animation is good close the window and then we can create the animation with 'reactor > Create Animation', or the icon

then press Ok, and then continue. And once its done try sliding the timeline and the animation will show up in 3D Studio Max.

You can remove all but the line with the 'reactor Rope' modifier if you want, they dont matter anymore. Unless your adding more things.[/list]

Ok this is one of the many 3D tentacles tutorials around, but I thought I'd post my way of doing them.[list=I]

Create a Cone with something like these settings.

Press create and then switch to the modify tab, and change the values where needed (If you have a slow CPU pick a 50% value or even lower of the changed ones, otherwise it might be needed to wait hours later on).

Then once you've done that select 'Bend' from the Modifier List and set these values.

Note: You can also add other things as Noise, Twist, etc; but thats up to you.

Now we are gonna create a partical system; goto 'Create' -> 'Geometry' -> 'Standard Primitives' select Particle Systems from the dropdown list, and pick 'Super Spray'

Once you selected it move your cursor to the top viewport and create the 'Super Spray' at point x0 y0 z0, the center of it all (Ofcourse you can place it somewhere else, but this is just a guide not a commandlist

).
Note: The icon size doesn't matter, just make sure you can find it back.

Now select the 'Super Spray' (if its not allready) and go to the Modify Tab again. Then change these settings;

[list]

Select: Mesh[*]100% Percentage of Particles[*]Use Total: 25[*]Speed 0[/list]

At particle pick Instanced Geometry, scroll down a bit and look for the Instancing Parameters, click Pick Object and click on the cone you created in one of your viewports.

Now its simply a way off scrolling your timeline to a specified frame, I used frame 27 wich looked nice in my opinion.

And this is what it showed:

Now you can adjust textures in the material editor (shortcut: m) (if you think its needed) and then render the image (shortcut: f10)

And here's an example of what I made with it with some extra photoshop work:

[/list]