BEND RIG 3 / 3.5

9-18-08

THERE ARE NOW 2 NEW BETA VERSIONS OF THE BEND RIG AVAILABLE THAT IMPROVE ON THE OLD VERSIONS IN SEVERAL WAYS. I AM CALLING THEM VERSION 3 AND VERSION 3.5 OPTIMIZED.

VERSION 3

-VERSION 3 FIXES AN ISSUE WITH THE BIAS CONTROL THAT WAS OCCURING WITH THE OLD VERSION 2. THE BIAS CONTROLS IN VERSION 3 NOW WORK PERFECTLY AT ALL ANGLES AND BIAS VALUES. IT ALSO HAS 2 NEW TYPES OF BIAS CONTROLS THAT ALLOWS YOU TO CONTROL THE TWIST AND TILT FROM THE CENTER OF THE BEND IN ADDITION TO BIAS CONTROLS FOR BOTH ENDS OF THE CROSS SECTIONS. THIS GIVES A GREAT DEAL MORE CONTROL OVER THE TYPE OF TWIST AND BEND THAT IS HAPPENING IN THE JOINT.

VERSION 3 ALSO HAS BEEN COMPLETELY REBUILT AND NOW HAS A MORE STREAMLINED DESIGN FOR BETTER PERFORMANCE THAN VERSION 2. THERE ARE A COUPLE OF SETUPS IN THE BEND RIG 3 FILE THAT ALLOW YOU TO SEE HOW THE BEND RIG CAN BE SET UP AND THE EFFECTS OF THE NEW BIAS CONTROLS CAN BE SEEN BY PLAYING AROUND WITH THE VALUES AT DIFFERENT BEND ANGLES. THE SETUP FOR A HIP JOINT CAN STILL BE SEEN IN THE FILE FOR VERSION 2 BUT I RECOMMEND USING VERSION 3 FOR SERIOUS PROJECTS.

VERSION 3.5 OPTIMIZED

-VERSION 3.5 OPTIMIZED IS A STRIPPED DOWN OPTIMIZED VERSION OF VERSION 3 THAT USES ABOUT 85 PERCENT SCRIPTED WIRING TO ACHEIVE THE BENDING AND TWISTING. THE IDEA BEHIND VERSION 3.5 IS TO OPTIMIZE AND IMPROVE THE PERFORMANCE OF THE BEND RIG WHEN USING MULTIPLE BEND RIGS ON A CHARACTER BY USING MOSTLY SCRIPTED WIRING TO ACHEIVE THE BENDING AND TWISTING MOTION AS OPPOSED TO MOSTLY POSITION AND ORIENTATION CONSTRAINTS THAT ARE USED BY VERSION 3. IT CAN BE USED WHEN THE ADVANCED LEVEL OF CONTROL GIVEN BY VERSION 3 OF THE BEND RIG IS NOT NEEDED.

-IT DIFFERS FROM VERSION 3 IN THAT IT ONLY HAS ONE BEND ARM RATHER THAN 2 AND ALSO IT ONLY HAS ONE BIAS CONTROL. THIS WILL BE ENOUGH FOR MANY RIGGING SITUATIONS.

-TO USE THE BEND RIG IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION ONE JUST HAS TO MIRROR IT WHILE GROUPED.

VERSION 3.5 OPTIMIZED ALSO HAS SEVERAL OTHER FEATURES THAT ALLOW EVEN GREATER CONTROL OVER ITS PERFORMANCE.

DELETABLE CROSS SECTIONS

FIRST ANY CROSS SECTION EXCEPT FOR CROSS SECTIONS 1 , 5 , AND 9 CAN BE DELETED FROM THE RIG WITHOUT AFFECTING THE PROPER BENDING AND TWISTING OF THE RIG. THIS MEANS LESS OBJECTS BEING CALCULATED IN THE BENDING MOTION. IN MANY CASES SKINNING TO JUST 5 CROSS SECTIONS ( 1, 3 , 5 , 7 , AND 9 ) WILL BE ENOUGH TO CREATE GOOD DEFORMATION OR EVEN 3 ( 1 , 5 , AND 9 ).

AS LONG AS CROSS SECTIONS 1 , 5 , AND 9 ARE NOT DELETED OR ALTERED THE BEND RIG WILL STILL FUNCTION PROPERLY.

THE BIAS CROSS SECTION AND BIAS CONTROL CAN ALSO BE DELETED IF THEY ARE NOT NEEDED. ( TO DELETE THE BIAS CROSS SECTIONS I RECOMEND FIRST DELETING THE 2ND ONE THEN THE 1ST THEN THE 3RD)

THE BIAS CONTROL WILL STILL WORK IF THE BIAS CROSS SECTIONS ARE NOT THERE BUT IF THE BIAS CONTROL IS NOT NEEDED IT CAN ALSO BE DELETED. AN EXAMPLE OF THE BEND RIG 3.5 WITH DELETED CROSS SECTIONS IS INCLUDED IN THE MAX FILE.

I HAVE FULLY TESTED BOTH OF THESE VERSIONS AND HAVE ENCOUNTERED NO ISSUES, BUT I RECOMMEND TESTING THEM OUT FULLY YOURSELF BEFORE USING THEM FOR SERIOUS PROJECTS.

I AM KEEPING BEND RIG 2 FILE AVAILABLE FOR NOW BECAUSE IT STILL HAS THE EXAMPLE SETUPS FOR SHOULDERS AND LEGS. YOU CAN STILL USE THAT TO TEST OUT THE BEND RIG BUT I RECCOMEND USING VERSION 3 AND 3.5 FOR SERIOUS PROJECTS. I MAY DO A FEW EXTRA EXAMPLE SETUPS THAT SHOW THE BEND RIG BEING USED FOR ALL JOINTS ON THE BODY INCLUDING ONE THAT SHOWS THE OPTIMIZED BEND RIG BEING USED TO SKIN ALL OF THE JOINTS OF A HAND.