Page 1034 - Kitab3DsMax

Part IX: Working with Characters
Using the Skin Wrap modifiers
If you’ve created a high-resolution model that you want to animate as a skin object, but the mesh is too
complex to move around, then the Skin Wrap modifier might be just what you need. The Skin Wrap
modifier may be applied to a high-resolution mesh, and with the Parameters rollout you can select a low-
resolution control object. Any movements made by the low-resolution control object automatically are
applied to high-resolution mesh.
Tip
Skin Wrap is also very useful for animating clothes on a character. n
The Skin Wrap modifier has two available Deformation Engines: Face Deformation and Vertex
Deformation. Each vertex contained with the control object acts as a control vertex. The Vertex Deformation
option moves the vertices closest to each control vertex when the control vertex is moved, and the Face
Deformation option moves the faces that are closest.
For each deformation mode, you can set a Falloff value, which moves vertices farther from the moved con-
trol vertex to a lesser extent to ensure a smoother surface. For the Vertex Deformation mode, you can also
set a Distance Influence value and Face Limit values to increase the extent of influence for a control vertex.
The Reset button can be used to reset the control object to the high-resolution mesh object. This is useful if
you need to realign the control object to the Skin Wrap object. When you’re finished animating the control
object, the Convert to Skin button may be used to transfer the animation keys to the high-resolution
objects.
The Advanced Parameters rollout includes a button for mirroring the selected vertices to the opposite side
of the control object.
The Modifiers menu also includes a Skin Wrap Patch modifier, which works the same as the Skin Wrap
modifier, but it allows the control object to be a patch.

Tutorial: Making a simple squirt bottle walk
Creating a bones structure and applying a Skin modifier works well for characters with structure, but to
animate the motion of an amorphous object such as a squirt bottle, the Skin Wrap modifier works much
better than bones.
To animate a squirt bottle object walking using the Skin Wrap modifier, follow these steps:

1. Open the Walking squirt bottle.max file from the Chap 40 directory on the DVD.
This file includes a squirt bottle model with all its parts attached together. The file also includes a
simple box object that is roughly the same shape as the squirt bottle. The box object has been ani-
mated walking forward.
2. With the squirt bottle object selected, choose the Modifiers ➪ Animation ➪ Skin Wrap menu com-
mand to apply the Skin Wrap modifier.
3. In the Parameters rollout, click the Add button and select the Box object. The Box object is added
to the Skin Wrap list in the Parameters rollout.
4. Select the Box object and hide it in the scene.
5. Click the Play Animation button, and the hi-res bottle follows the same animation as the box
object.
Figure 40.9 shows the squirt bottle as it moves through the scene.

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