How do I have one object deform another

Support Basics & Interface
1

How do I have one object deform another object. For example have a sphere roll under a carpet and have the carpet bulge.

Thanks Eddie

2

You could use soft bodies:
http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Manual/Soft_Bodies
http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/BSoD/Physical_Simulation/Soft_Body

3

For simple things like something moving under a carpet I would be using a lattice.
I made a little video where you can see exactly how to make a sphere make a bulge
on a carpet while moving under it…

I was a little sloppy when I made the video, so if you sill have questions after seeing it I understand why :wink:

Download here: http://www.orbitfiles.com/download/id2149478253.html

4

The video cuts out after you move the sphere away from the grid. I don’t know if all of it got uploaded, it’s only 2MB.

I’d like to see it, but, in the mean time, could you just write out the remaining steps you used. Thanks.:slight_smile:

5

Hi fatfinger.
Could you try to download the file again?
It’s only 2.74 Mb

6

I’ll try d/l’ing in a bit. I think I worked out how to do it, using a lattice modifier on the grid and a cast modifier on the lattice. Is that the basic gist of it? Cheers.

Edit: Just checked the vid, and I only downloaded 300K :o

7

Thanks guys;

I think it’s great to get so many responses so quickly. I am building up to trying to do some muscle sim stuff…

I am coming from Maya so I am still adjusting.

I am looking for the equivalent tools that I am use too.

For example Python seems to be the scripting language. But I can’t tell if you can turn on ECHO ALL COMMANDS and see what Blender is doing. In Maya just about everything is done with a mel command so it is easy to copy and past and make basic scripts for repetitive actions. Same for XSI.

Also Can you add custom attributes to an object. In Maya you have the standard X,Y,Z position, scale and rotation attributes, But you could also attach an attribute of your own. Then you could use this to store and manipulate date for custom scripts, plug-ins etc… Can Blender do this.

And can you make a plugin in c++ and use it as a .dll with Blender. Or do I have to recompile all of Blender to add custom tools. I don’t seem to be able to find a SDK for plugin development.

And then the silliest question (I haven’t touched any animation tools yet) but how do I actually change the pivot point of an object.

Thanks again Eddie

8

No worries, for the pivot point, it’s in the edit menu, centre new or centre cursor, the second will place the pivot where the 3D cursor is.

9

Thanks for that tip. Now I just got to figure the rest of this stuff out.:smiley:

10

From what I understand, the python API is more like a set of synonyms for the underlying C++ functions that the program uses to do its base work, than ‘the code that creates everything’ sort of scrypt.

Python lets you add arbitrary data to any object, though I’m not sure if Blender is set up to save such ‘tags’ in the .blend file or if it tends to recreate new py objects from the underlying data as needed.

Um … I know someone was making .dll plugins specifically for texture maps but I’m not sure if that’s a special case.

There’s plans for some kind of event / gui / etc system overhaul, dunno if it’s going to affect these areas.

Also, you forgot Center, which moves the object data such that the center is now the center again. I think Center and Center New both cause the same relationship between the object verts and the center, but cause different things to happen in the world space.