How to make a strap conform to a figure?

lamoid_5f20d3e469

Two questions:

(1) How can I create a strap -- say an arm-band -- that will conform to a figure? 

(2) How can I make the conforming strap so that it indents the surface near it, rather than just riding on top of it?

Thanks!

Alan

Syrus_Dante

lamoid_5f20d3e469 said:

(1) How can I create a strap -- say an arm-band -- that will conform to a figure?

Edit>Figure>Geometry>Add Smoothing Modifier next conform/fit the arm band if it is a cloth, otherwise if its a prop make shure its parent to the arm. Then have the arm band selected and go to the Parameters pane to open the General>Mesh Smoothing properties. You will find a selection box labeld Collision Item, click it to select the figure the arm band should collide with. Set the Smoothing and Collision Iteration sliders as needed, notice higher smoothing can deform the mesh in unwanted ways.

(2) How can I make the conforming strap so that it indents the surface near it, rather than just riding on top of it?

Have a look at those scripts published here: mcjShrinkWrapA for DS 4.5+ shrink wrap figures and objects - SAFE 2019 Update

https://sites.google.com/site/mcasualsdazscripts3/mcjshrinkwrapa

also see these brand new scripts

https://sites.google.com/site/mcasualsdazscripts9/mcjhatsarethefashionoftheday

https://sites.google.com/site/mcasualsdazscripts9/mcjwrapaband

https://sites.google.com/site/mcasualsdazscripts9/mcjpushpullfacet

lamoid_5f20d3e469

Thank you Cyrus_Dante! I will try this and report back.

lamoid_5f20d3e469

I greatly appreceiate your help Cyrus_Dante. When I try to do what you suggested for my Q (1), it has no effect whatsoever.  I assumed that as I made the strap smaller it would stop at the figure surface hence conforming to it.  But it acts just as before. Upon reducing the scale, the strap continues to get smaller and pierces the figure's appendage (the left ankle in this case.)

You said, "Edit>Figure>Geometry>Add Smoothing Modifier "   Should I select the entire figure or just the shin node before doing this?

"next conform/fit the arm band"  This is precisely what I do not know how to do.

"if its a prop make shure its parent to the arm. " It is a prop, not a cloth.

"Then have the arm band selected and go to the Parameters pane to open the General>Mesh Smoothing properties. You will find a selection box labeld Collision Item, click it to select the figure the arm band should collide with. Set the Smoothing and Collision Iteration sliders as needed,"

I've done that but nothing happens. How do I initiate the collision if not by resizing the prop?

I've downloaded the mcj scripts you recommended but I have not tried them yet.

Thanks again Cyrus_Dante!

 

SixDs

"How do I initiate the collision if not by resizing the prop?"

Collision works when an object intersects another. If the strap is set to collide with your figure and a portion of the strap is intersecting the figure, the strap should be forced outwards at the point(s) of intersection. It is sometimes necessary to increase the number of collision iterations under the Parameters tab before the effect eliminates any pokethrough. You can initiate the collision effect by resizing or transforming the strap, but if you go too far the strap will completely penetrate the ankle and no longer be in contact with the ankle (it will be completely inside - no contact = no collision) If, on the other hand, you wish the strap to penetrate the skin surface and deform it, you would need to reverse the collision items. In other words, you would apply the collision/smoothing modifier to the figure and make the strap the collision item. Then you would want to reduce the X and Z scales of the strap to "shrink" it into position on the ankle.

Syrus_Dante

I just notice that the script I originaly wanted to link to is not in the list posted above. It's a script I saw earlier but hadn't bookmarked, now I found it again.

mcjSqueeze - Script to create constricting morphs ( ex: tight stockings )

 

lamoid_5f20d3e469 said:

You said, "Edit>Figure>Geometry>Add Smoothing Modifier "   Should I select the entire figure or just the shin node before doing this?

Sorry I should have make clear that you need to select the arm band prop first before adding the smoothing modifier. I just talk about selecting it in the second sentence.

Then you can choose the figure as Collision Item. You can only select one Collision Item at a time. The smoothing modifer gets added to individual clothing items or props with their own settings in the Parameters pane General>Mesh Smoothing. You are right by thinking how the smoothing modifier should show that it is working by resizing the arm band.

 

lamoid_5f20d3e469 said:

"next conform/fit the arm band"  This is precisely what I do not know how to do.

"if its a prop make shure its parent to the arm. " It is a prop, not a cloth.

I've done that but nothing happens. How do I initiate the collision if not by resizing the prop?

OK I wasn't shure but you say it is a prop not a conforming cloth item. This means you can't fit it to the figure and have to choose the Collision Item manualy in the Parameters pane.

There are two ways to parent the arm band to the figure arm so it will follow the pose.

One way is to use Edit>Figure/Object>Change Parent the downside with this method is you can only parent a single item at a time - see the screenshots below.

The better method in my oppinion is to use drag-and-drop in the Scene pane. First select the figure hand (click twice on it in the viewport) this will expand the figures node hierarchy tree in the scene pane. Next you scroll the Scene pane to find the arm band prop, select it by holding the mouse button down and drag it over to the hand or better to some forearm bone. Depending on the items in the scene and the genesis figure bone hierarchy you may need to drag and scroll the list to reach the forearm bone to drop the item. By draging the arm band to the bottom or top edge of the Scene pane the list starts to scroll.

Be careful with that the Scene pane can act wonky sometimes. Also make shure "Parent Items In Place" is checked in the Scene pane Option Menu. Otherwise the arm band will snap to the forearm position by reparenting with drag and drop.