looking to fig out how to do an expression for a wheel rotate in maya

[akuria]

i have a car that i modeled and i cant figure out how to make the wheels rotate with the car. i know it has to do with expressions but i dont know the script i need to use or how to set it up.

[BadMange]

This may help: Expression driven tire rotation, pivot and pressure deflation (http://www.cmistudios.com/lessons/tireTut/index.htm).

I found it (and hundreds of other Maya tutorials) at Learning Maya tutorial database (http://www.learning-maya.com/tutorials.php) (used to be Boris-3d.com).

Good luck!
-Bad Mange

[akuria]

i tried the link you gave me and i cant get through. do you know of anyother places.

[BadMange]

Works fine for me. The tutorial is at CMI Studios, so did you backtrack the URL (delete the last part of the string between the forward slashes, which is "index.htm"). If all else fails, head to www.cmistudios.com and go from there.

And have you tried the second link I gave you? Under the Animation section, you'll find the first link I gave you, plus tons more. If all else fails try CGTalk.com and Google.

-Bad Mange

[BadMange]

Found a MEL script that may be helpful to you while doing some surfing this morning: rotateTire (http://www.animagicnet.no/maya/rotateTire/index.html). Hope this helps you...

-Bad Mange

[akuria]

thanks badmange. i got the first link to work and i got the tires to rotate, but i was more of wanting the tires to rotate when i would move the car. but the info you gave me is still helpful. im always looking to expand my knowlege.

if you have any info on it let me know

[Payback]

Try using set driven keys. Way easier than trying to program a script. ;)

[BadMange]

Keep looking, you'll find what you need. Always remember: "Did Braveheart give up? Did Payback give up?" Sorry, couldn't resist after the previous post. :)

If all else fails for you, try Highend3d.com's and CGTalk.com's Maya forums. Let us know the answer, as I'm sure I'll need it when I finish the Audi I'm modeling.

-Bad Mange

[dooom]

im not sure if maya has look at constraints or not but to solve this problem in max you would link to dummy objects to the wheels. than you would want to create another dummy object infront of the car than add look at constraints from the dummies linked to the wheels to the one in fron of the car. you will have to mess with the orientation to get the correct side to look at the dummy but thats a way i know to do it in max. you could also just give each wheel a rotation controler and set up a custom attribute and a slider to rotate on its axis.

dunno if it will help but there is 2 ways i would solve it in max.

good luck

[akuria]

thanks guys for the help. i still havent really work out all the details but im fig it out. oh and i think the constrants thing is a good idea. im trying to get it all fig out. ill let you all know when its done. oh when i get my web host problem fixed ill post up some of the screen shots of my car. its a 2003 lamborghini muricielago. but when some racing mods done to it.

[akuria]

http://users.cableaz.com/~akuria/

ive got a basic ftp up. but i dont know much about ftp and how to set one up or get the best results out of it. on this page is some of my work (not all of it). the lamborghini murcielago is the one that im still working on. if anyone knows more about ftp and stuff and would like to help me learn. i would love that. im always looking to learn more things. oh it may take a little while to load up.