Curious bot

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Curious bot // Work in Progress

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Post by randomosity // Jan 14, 2009, 6:51am

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Total Posts: 7
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I am now multi tasking and working on 2 robots but i ran into a road block:( I need to know how to make tank tracks for a robot (like WALL-E) that will move with the wheels. please help out.:jumpy:

Post by rjeff // Jan 14, 2009, 7:10am

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ohh I have ann intrest in this one as well.

Post by Unlightedpath // Jan 14, 2009, 7:30am

Unlightedpath
Total Posts: 22
Interesting question. I am new to modeling so this will be fun to find out.


Have you created a thin flat cube and using the sweep face tool for the treads. As far as animating I have no idea or even newbie suggestions. :jumpy:




Regards.

Post by TomG // Jan 14, 2009, 7:39am

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Total Posts: 3397
Not an easy one. There was a plugin for this, for tS6.6, but I dont think it was free, so I don't think it's available any more.


You could go the animated texture route - by animating your texture, you won't have to worry about the geometry. You can use alpha maps to get "holes" in your tank tracks.


As for making actual geometry move, that would be pretty tricky. I have no immediate ideas on a nice simple route to do that. I can only think of maybe using Model side to draw a path, which will animate one tread in the track. Then maybe cloning that and having an offset for each tread so that it is at a different point along the path.


Just a theory and may have innumerable problems in practice, such as getting the offset, and such as making the tracks move with the vehicle as well as along the path, and of course it only gives you a constant movement, can't think how you might animate along the path at different speeds, even backwards, stopping and starting etc.


Anyone out there who has tackled this one before and has some advice?


Thanks!

Tom

Post by TheWickedWitchOfTheWeb // Jan 14, 2009, 7:44am

TheWickedWitchOfTheWeb
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Plug in wise (Model side, of course) there was vcTek from Virtual Caledonia and there was also one (can't remember the name but I'm fairly sure it was free) from CK Game Factory. They allowed the accurate animation of caterpiller/tank tracks. Try searching/googling them, you might turn them up in a repository somewhere or some other user may be able to shed more light on their current locations.

Post by nigec // Jan 14, 2009, 7:44am

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Total Posts: 314
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Kena did a thread about making tyre treads which was a flat track almost:

http://forums1.caligari.com/truespace/showthread.php?t=5099

Post by rjeff // Jan 14, 2009, 8:55am

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I have the VCTek. If they are now free I will be happy to upload them. I got them with the TS FX pak that came out with v5.

Post by ivampretti // Jan 15, 2009, 5:12am

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Oh OK, I liked, I'll try! Just a moment please :jumpy:

Post by ivampretti // Jan 15, 2009, 7:14am

ivampretti
Total Posts: 151
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Guys I got some previus stuff. Its just the start, but is better than nothing. I dont have so much time to work on this now, so if anybody want to continue the job....


I attached a scene with a cylinder that would be one piece of the tank track. I developed a Jscript Object to make it run a path that looks like we would have in a tank with two "wheels" with two diferent radius!


Some of the atributtes are not in use yet. But I think we'll need then in the future. The Variable Frame can be keyframed but I added a control so we can test it without keyframing.


It works better with a big distance between the wheels "L" and small differences between the radius of the wheels "R1" and "R2";


It have a lot to do yet but this is a good start I think.

Post by marcel // Jan 15, 2009, 7:15am

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I do that with a spline array of objets some years ago. different but it is an idea for a robot.

Post by rjeff // Jan 16, 2009, 4:52am

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ivampretti..you got some smarts man.. I would not even know where to start with that stuff.

Post by randomosity // Jan 16, 2009, 6:11am

randomosity
Total Posts: 7
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Thank u all so much! He will look a lot like this, but with tracks and a different base.

Post by hultek43 // Jan 17, 2009, 5:26am

hultek43
Total Posts: 234
The vcTek.tsx would have been a good solution. :)

Post by randomosity // Jan 21, 2009, 9:19am

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The vcTek.tsx would have been a good solution. :)


Is it free? Where can i get it because that looks perfect!:D

Post by TomG // Jan 21, 2009, 11:44am

TomG
Total Posts: 3397
It's never been released free, and sadly is discontinued in availability as far as I know. If anyone has any luck contacting the author of those plug-ins, would be good to hear from them and see if there are any plans to make them available again.


HTH!

Tom

Post by robert // Jan 21, 2009, 2:21pm

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I was going to suggest a script approach and it looks like ivampretti started something.


I think I might be able to hammer out something as well, although it will more than likely be specific to each tread.


I have vcTek as well and if I can figure out how it works it shouldn't be too hard to port it to workspace in script form.


No promises though guys, just throwing ideas around.
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