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nCloth and external dynamic forces |
Like other Maya effects, nCloth can be manipulated by external dynamic forces. Dynamic animation or simulation uses the rules of physics to generate the motion of these dynamic forces. You can use fields (nCloth menu set > Fields menu) to create different types of external dynamic forces for your nCloth objects.
Fields are forces that you can use to dynamically animate the motion of nCloth to create realistic motion that’s hard to achieve with traditional keyframe animation. You can use fields to specify the actions you want your nCloth objects to take, and then let Maya figure out how to animate the nCloth. You can create a field on an nCloth object as a standalone force or a volume.
There are different ways that fields can be applied: stand-alone, object and volume.
Stand-alone fields
Stand-alone fields affect nCloth from a stationary or moving position in the scene, but does not function as geometry. When you create a stand-alone field an icon that represents the node appears in your scene view.
Object fields
Object fields affect nCloth by being associated with an nCloth object, and exerting influence from that object. Any nCloth object can have multiple object fields associated with it. When you create an object field, an icon that represents the node appears on, or close to the associated nCloth object in your scene view.
Object fields can have influence from all or some vertices of your nCloth mesh. You can also set the object field to have influence from the average position of points on a mesh.
Volume fields
Volume fields define a region in space in which nCloth objects are affected by a specified dynamic field. For example, if you create a Turbulence field and set its volume shape to cone, only nCloth objects within the region of the cone are affected by the turbulence.
A cube, sphere, cylinder, cone or torus can be used as a volume shape, which you can move, rotate and size accordingly. This works with all fields in Maya, as well as with the volume axis fields.
Types of fields
You can create the following types of fields for nCloth:
Air
An air field simulates the effects of moving air. The nCloth objects you connect to the air field accelerate or decelerate so their velocities match that of the air as the animation plays. For example, use an air field to create: wind that causes a flag to wave; a wake that causes a ripple in a silk scarf; or a fan blowing ribbons as it oscillates.
Drag
A drag field exerts a friction or braking force on an nCloth object that’s animated with dynamic motion. For example, use a drag field to slow the motion of clothing on a character that’s under water.
Gravity
A gravity field simulates the Earth's gravitational force. It accelerates nCloth objects in a fixed direction. For example, use a gravity field to make nCloth move faster or slower depending on the atmosphere in your scene. You can also use a gravity field to create a custom gravity for a particular nCloth, making it fall faster in comparison to another.
Newton
A newton field pulls objects towards it. This field is based on the principle that a mutual attractive force exists between any two objects in the universe, proportional to the product of their masses. As the distance between the objects increases, the force of the pull decreases. For example, use a newton field to create the effect of static cling on an nCloth object.
Radial
A radial field pushes objects away or pulls them toward itself, like a magnet. For example, use a radial field to create the effect of magnetized buttons on an nCloth object.
Turbulence
A turbulence field causes irregularities in the motion of affected nCloth objects. These irregularities are also called noise or jitter. You can combine turbulence with other fields to mimic the random motion in fluid or gaseous mediums such as water and air. For example, use a turbulence field to create a random flutter for an nCloth leaf falling from a tree.
Uniform
A uniform field pushes nCloth objects in a uniform direction. For example, use a uniform field to create a sliding fabric screen.
Vortex
A vortex field pulls objects in a circular or spiraling direction. For example, use a vortex field to suck laundry drying on a clothesline off, and into a tornado.
Volume Axis
The Volume Axis field lets you move particles in an nCloth mesh in various directions in a volume. The motion imparted on the object is relative to the axis of the volume. For example, use a volume axis field to move clothing objects around within a washing machine.
Related Topics
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Overview of fields in the Dynamics guide
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