Cineversity

Hello,

I’m working on an assembly simulation of a machine in a building site. I attache here a really simplified model of the scene for exemple. Here is the link from Google Drive to download: “http://tinyurl.com/t4ab8hv”. I’m encountering some issues on the workflow optimisation. The machine is composed by hundreds of pieces (opposite to the model attached which is only nine pieces) and almost everything is moved by means of a telehandler. I made a rig of a telehandler in a way that one null (the null “HOOK” in the model) animates all the arms of the telehandler.
To complete the structure assembly every piece needs to go to the coordinates 0-0-0 under the father null “Structure”.

Our first problem is that all of the pieces needs to arrive on a truck (multiple trucks because it will be also a delivery simulation).
1 - First issue - I need to find an easy or a fast way to constraint the bodies on the truck. I thought to place a constraint-parent and deactivate it when needed, but that means that in the real model i need to coordinate in the timeline not only hundreds of bodies moving but also hundreds of tags. Is there any other way? I don’t want to move the father null, because it is my reference to place the final object. I need to be able to move the truck that brings the pieces once the animation is done, without worring about modifying the animation, the timeline or the ending point of the pieces.

2 - Second issue - How can i control the position of the piece i’m moving from the truck to the final point? I mean: when I’m moving the piece to place, if i have to modify its path to avoid clashes, I need to register new frames on the timeline (other hundreds of frames to register) but then if i have to move the truck because of changes on the building site i have to check and register everything again because the movement is not sane anymore. It would be cool if it was possible to set some “deviance coordinates” on the straight line from point A to point B

3 - Third issue - How can i control the movement of the telehandler when it moves from the piece that has left on the ground to the piece to pick up from the truck? In the take “test assembly” in the file attached i made something using the PSR tags and their strenght value, but they add lots of keyframes and they don’t allow me to control the speed and the position of the movement. I really think that even if it is quite simple as a concept it will be a disaster when i’ll move hundreds of pieces.

Can you please help me on something? I’m at your disposal for every clarification, sorry for my bad english and my lots of words

Hi NBE_K19,

Thanks for the file. Let’s start with very short pointers to explore your target more.

The main question that I found do you need to upload each part with the crane. Is there a need to see each piece getting hooked and moved, then the next, a hundred times in total. I think one object as for example, and then move them like in a time-lapse, but just without the crane. If so:

1
Perhaps a MoGraph solution with an Inheritance effector.

2
Think of several set-ups with the same hierarchy, but different positions.

3
https://www.cineversity.com/vidplaytut/pick_up_and_set_down_objects_with_the_parent_constraint

Think of a single polygon object as a placeholder. One polygon (for a single object) is on the truck, one in mid-air, and one at the final position on the floor. Then perhaps mid-air towards assembly, and the final one in the location of the machine. So you would create five-position set-ups. Among all of them, you can “morph” with the Inheritance Effector. Which can be set up with a Falloff/Fields, so it looks like each part has its own path.

https://help.maxon.net/us/index.html#OEINHERITANCE-MGINHERITANCEEFFECTOR_GROUPEFFECTOR

I know that there are more questions and ideas, please let me know. I do not consider this reply as a complete answer, not even close.

Cheers