In addition to the already existing NVIDIA PhysX Joint helper object, another more advanced Joint helper has been added to the tool-set to be used with the new ShapeCollison rigid body solver.
Rigid body particle dynamics and especially joints are one of the "big" new things in thinkingParticles that have been fine tuned and optimized to the best possible extent. The result of our efforts to deliver the best possible Hollywood F/X tool ever now can be seen in the many flexible ways to create and use rigid body joints.
No other effects application for 3ds Max offers the flexibility and control to create and handle Dynamics Joints like thinkingParticles does.
Modifer Joints
Object Joints
Operator Joints
Besides the many different ways to create or handle a Dynamics Joint, there are also many different types of joints as well.
The joint types in detail are:
Fixed
Spherical
Cylindrical
Ball
Hinge
Spring
Wobble
Slider
Every one of the listed Joint types above shares several common properties, such as, if a joint is breakable or not.
In this first video below a procedurally fixed joint creation is shown. Whenever two particles are close ot each other they "link" together and stay fixed.
The video below shows a procedural creation of "springy" joints. Whenever two obejcts are close to each other, a spring joint is created.
Below you'll find more joint test variation, all created procedurally based on rules. thinkingParticles 4 does not only allow the creation of joints procedurally but joints can also be set and adjusted in a 100% procedural way.
