Animate tubes attached to object 3dsmax question and help?

[Want2b3D]

Hi guys, I have a quick question that I want to ask and need help on, I am modelling a Domestic Pump with tubes hanging out of them (I've made the model of the pump itself already), the tubes themselves is what I want to animate.

Now I have an idea on how to make the tubes using the Line Tool and increasing the thickness which would result a nice long tube However my problem is, is that how do I get to have the Line (or Spline?) directly attached to a certain point on my Domestic Pump model to make it look like it's part of it and moves along with it (and not having to keyframe it's movement precisely and all the time)? in addition, to animate it afterwards as well without it being detached from it.

If any of you are having difficulty imagining what I'm talking about, think of it as a Hoover (Vacuum Cleaner) with a Hose Pipe that needs to move freely through the use of animation. Something abit like this:



It's basically Wall-E and a vacuum cleaner. What I am asking is how do I do a relatively simple version of that? If I was to use the Line Tool to do the hose pipe and animation, how would I get it to stick onto the actual vacuum cleaner (model) itself?

I hope I am clear on what I am saying and that you understand, this is actually for my RESIT Coursework that i am doing now and have a little over a week to finis it and I am incredibly stuck at this point as I think I may be doing something abit ambitious.

Thanks for hearing me out and hope to hear from you guys too! Would be much appreciated.

[matt simecek]

off hand i'd say a tube , pathDeformed to a line. the Line it'self is attached to the vacume cleaner.

[MrMovie]

You can create a line, then set it to renderable and adjust the radius (as you suggested). That will give you a tube. Then, create objects to control each vertex of the line (these could be dummy objects, or point objects). Add an Edit Spline modifier to the line. Select one vertex, then add a LinkedXForm modifier. Click the "Select Control Object" and select the dummy (or point) controller next to the vertex. Now, when you move that control dummy, only that one vertex of the line will move with it. You can repeat the process for each vertex of the line (i.e. add an Edit Spline to the stack and select the next vertex, then add a LinkedXForm modifier and link to the next control object.) You can then link the control dummies to other objects (like your vacuum) to drive the animation, or you can animate the dummies directly, and the line (tube) will follow the dummies. Make sure the vertex directly below each LinkedXForm modifier in the stack stays selected, or it won't work.

[scrimski]

You can create a line, then set it to renderable and adjust the radius (as you suggested). That will give you a tube. Then, create objects to control each vertex of the line (these could be dummy objects, or point objects). Add an Edit Spline modifier to the line. Select one vertex, then add a LinkedXForm modifier. Click the "Select Control Object" and select the dummy (or point) controller next to the vertex. Now, when you move that control dummy, only that one vertex of the line will move with it. You can repeat the process for each vertex of the line (i.e. add an Edit Spline to the stack and select the next vertex, then add a LinkedXForm modifier and link to the next control object.) You can then link the control dummies to other objects (like your vacuum) to drive the animation, or you can animate the dummies directly, and the line (tube) will follow the dummies. Make sure the vertex directly below each LinkedXForm modifier in the stack stays selected, or it won't work.

I'd rather go for a SplineIk Helper mod. Does the same and just a matter of a few mouse clicks.