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February27,2015

Notes:MayaDynamicsCatapult
January22,2011
TheselessonnotesaccompanythevideoseriesMayaDynamicsCatapult.

Learningoutcomes:
UnderstandkeyconceptsofRigidBodydynamics
ModifythesimulationwithGravity,Mass,Friction,etc.
Usedynamicconstraints
AdjustRigidBodySolversettingsforthescene
BakeSimulationtoconvertdynamicstokeyframes
I.RigidBodydynamicsconcepts
A.Dynamicsareusefulwhenananimationwouldbetoocomplextocreateby
hand
B.Modeling
1.RigidBodydynamicsdoesnotsupportdeforminggeometry
a.RigidBodydynamicsusestheshapeoftheobjectonthefirstframe
ofthesimulation
b.Ifyouwantdeformation,usenClothinstead
2.Rigidbodiesshouldhavenoconstructionhistory
a.Edit>DeleteByType>History
b.Hotkey:<SHIFT+ALT+D>
3.Levelofdetail
a.MayasRigidBodiesareslowtocalculateheavyscenes
b.Itscommontocreateproxyobjectsasaworkaround
i.CreatetwoLODs:highdetailandsuperlowdetail(proxy)
ii.PutthetwosetsofobjectsondifferentDisplayLayers
iii.ParentConstrainhighdetailobjectstoproxyobjects
iv.Applydynamicstotheproxyobjects
v.Onlyrenderthehighdetailobjects
II.RigidBodynodes
A.Dynamics>Soft/RigidBodies>CreateActiveRigidBody
B.Dynamics>Soft/RigidBodies>CreatePassiveRigidBody
III.Fields
A.Dynamics>Fields>Gravity
B.Foraccuratedynamicsimulations,rightclicktheTimelineandchoose
PlaybackSpeed>PlayEveryFrame,MaxRealTime
C.Adjustinggravity
1.Earthgravityis9.8meters/sec2
2.MayasdefaultGravityMagnitudeisonly9.8centimeters/sec2(0.01of
Earth)
3.Dynamicsassumesthataunitis1meter,eventhoughthedefaultMaya
unitsarecentimeters!
4.Forphysicallyaccurateresults:
a.At1:1scale,oneunitis1cm;setGravityMagnitudeto980
b.At1/10thscale,oneunitis10cm;SetGravityMagnitudeto98
c.At1/100thscale,oneunitis1meter;setGravityMagnitudeto9.8
D.Dynamics>Fields>AffectSelectedObject(s)
E.Window>RelationshipEditors>DynamicRelationshipsEditor
IV.RigidBodynodeattributes
A.CenterofMass,showninworldcoordinates
B.Mass
C.Bounciness,Friction
D.Dampingisachilloutfactorthathelpspreventjitterysimulations
V.RigidBodyConstraints

A.Dynamics>Soft/RigidBodies>CreateHingeConstraint
1.ScaletheHingetoseeitintheview
2.Moveand/orrotatetheHingetolineitupwithsceneobjects
3.MovetheActiveobjectsCenterofMass
B.Dynamics>Soft/RigidBodies>CreateSpringConstraint
1.MovetheSpringtothedesiredgoallocation
2.TheActiveobjectsCenterofMassispulledtowardtheSpring
3.IncreasetheStiffnessattribute
VI.RigidBodySolver
A.Dynamics>Solvers>RigidBodySolverAttributes
1.StepSize:timebaseaccuracyofsimulation
2.CollisionTolerance:spatialaccuracyofsimulation
3.StepSizeandCollisionToleranceadjustments
a.Lowervaluescalculatemoreslowly(highaccuracy)
b.Highervaluescalculatemorequickly(lowaccuracy)
c.Iffastobjectsareflyingthroughoneanother,tryreducingStepSize
d.Ifsimulationiscalculatingtooslowly,tryincreasingCollision
Tolerance
B.Dynamics>Solvers>EditOversamplingorCacheSettings
1.IncreaseOversamplingto2or3tohelpcorrectsimulationerrors
C.Setaninitialstate
1.Stepthroughthesimulationuntilthedesiredstateisreached
2.Selecttheactiveobjects,Dynamics>Solvers>InitialState>Setfor
Selected
3.Thecurrentstateoftheobjectsisnowtheirinitialstateonframeone
VII.Baking
A.Edit>Keys>BakeSimulation
B.Edit>DeleteAllByType>RigidBodies
C.Edit>DeleteAllByType>StaticChannels
D.Tomakefunctioncurveseasiertoedit:GraphEditor>Curves>Simplify
Curve

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