Crawler Track set up woes

[Carl Buhre]

Also, a little input I noticed from the Crawler Tracks manual....

On step 25, it mentions Make sure that "Inner Wheel" and "Static Wheel" is checked. Shouldn't static be unchecked?

I mention this because in above thread, http://forum.craftanimations.com/viewto ... 1225#p1225, you mentioned the need for only one set of cog wheels with non-static wheels and in the manual only one set is being used and the dialogue box graphic shows the "Static Wheel" box unchecked.

You're absolutely right. I mentioned two methods in my post and I see the manual is mixing them. I've updated the manual, thank you for pointing this out!

[Enigma229]

Gentlemen,

I now want to make my little tracked vehicle look like it is remote controlled by placing an antenna on it. This may be a shot in the dark, but can you think of any of the director tools that could simulate the antenna "waving around" as the tracked vehicle moves?

I was going to key frame it but just curious.

[Carl Buhre]

Gentlemen,

I now want to make my little tracked vehicle look like it is remote controlled by placing an antenna on it. This may be a shot in the dark, but can you think of any of the director tools that could simulate the antenna "waving around" as the tracked vehicle moves?

I was going to key frame it but just curious.

I guess you could come close by using one of the *Play tools (AngularPlay, SphericalPlay and RectangularPlay). But I believe 3ds MAX already has some tools to create that sort of stuff easily. I think it's called "Flex".

[Enigma229]

Flex did the trick. Thanks Carl!

[bushey]

Hi there, I have just purchased the mesh pack of the M1A Abrams tank, when I load up the PRM file into Craft everything seems to be rigged up correctly apart from the tank tracks which are non existant. The wheels are there but the dynamic track dosen't appear. I have tried creating the track but it dosen't move with the tank. Has anyone else had issues with this?

Many thanks,

Paul

[Carl Buhre]

Hi there, I have just purchased the mesh pack of the M1A Abrams tank, when I load up the PRM file into Craft everything seems to be rigged up correctly apart from the tank tracks which are non existant. The wheels are there but the dynamic track dosen't appear. I have tried creating the track but it dosen't move with the tank. Has anyone else had issues with this?

Many thanks,

Paul

Hello Paul,

We rigged it that way because you normally want to create the motion for the vehicle in a first recording. Then when you have the motion for the tank ready, you add the tracks (in the configuration window there is a button called "Create track"), uncheck everything except the tracks and press Resimulate.


Usage:

Start by recording the motion for the tank.



Highlight "M1A PRM - PRM" in the plug-in tree list and click the Configuration button.



Scroll to the bottom and click the "Create Track" button.



Finally uncheck everything except the tracks and press Resimulate

[bushey]

Thanks Carl,

I'll try that this evening - I thought that I had not installed it properly because it said empty plugin in the list - but I noticed that it says the same thing on the screen grabs you included in you post.

Thanks again,

Paul

[bushey]

Hi again,

I tried follwing your advice and when I click create track and resimulate the tracks don't appear. The only way I can get the tracks to appear is to go into the left and right side of the tracks and click recalculate. The tracks then appear but they don't move like they should. They move with the tank but they don't spin around the wheels. They also seem to cut through the floor too.

What am I doing wrong?

Thanks in advance.

Paul

[Carl Buhre]

Hi again,

I tried follwing your advice and when I click create track and resimulate the tracks don't appear. The only way I can get the tracks to appear is to go into the left and right side of the tracks and click recalculate. The tracks then appear but they don't move like they should. They move with the tank but they don't spin around the wheels. They also seem to cut through the floor too.

What am I doing wrong?

Thanks in advance.

Paul

It sounds like you have gotten an old version of the Pre-Rigged Model Paul. Both PerspectX and Craft Animations sites carry the updated version, in which you don't load a .PRM file any longer, the rig is part of the scene.
May I ask where you purchased the mesh pack? So we can provide them with the updated version.

Also send your information to [email protected] and we'll get you the updated version.

[Carl Buhre]

Here's a video of using the Pre-Rigged Model M1 Abrams in Maya 2009:
http://www.craftanimations.com/files/fo ... m_maya.htm