Rigging a breathing tube to mask/head

Artistic Support Animation and Rigging
1

Hi all,

I’m trying to animate a sort of a breathing tube in relation to a mask that’s attached to the face. The tube should deform gradually from up to bottom, following the head on the higher part of the body while stay tucked in the coat at the bottom.

Here is a screenshot of what I’m trying to explain:

http://i.imgur.com/yoyCdLPl.jpg
yoyCdLPl.jpg640×557

Now the problem is that it’s not playing well in weight painting. Getting all skewed and whatnot:

http://i.imgur.com/o6iw7SWl.jpg
o6iw7SWl.jpg640×559

So I was wondering what’s the most optimal way to rig such an accessory? The tube is a mesh but I still have the original curve I used to create it.

2

keep the mesh parented to the curve and hook the curve handles to the gas mask object, then as you move the head the curve will stick to the mask and the hose will continue to follow the curve

3

If I move the gas mask manually the curve will follow…however in pose mode it doesn’t have an effect on the curve. Any ideas?

Edit: Ok got it. Add an empty, then a copy loc/rot contraint of the DEF-head bone, then hook the curve segment to that empty. Easy enough…thanks for the help.

4

eah sorry, fogot it worked slighty differently in pose mode good catch, well done finding the fix :slight_smile: