How to create a tablecloth in 3D Studio Max

Hello, in today’s lesson we will create a tablecloth in the 3D Studio Max program.

Part one – stage preparation

To simulate the tablecloth, we will use the physical Havok physical engine, which is included in the standard 3D Studio Max program package.

First you need to create several static objects that will play the role of a tablecloth and table.

In the Cylinder projection window – create BOX with the parameters indicated in the image from below.

Change in the settings of the main toolbar in the Parameters tab the number of Sides by 40.

The cylinder is a solid object, and when the physics is miscalculated, the tablecloth will lie down on it.

Next, create an object of Plane in the same projection window – with the parameters indicated in the image from below.

Enter Plane in the parameters – the number of Length Width Segs 40, this is necessary to increase the number of landfills in the Plane grid, which will ultimately lead to improve the details of the tablecloth itself.

The surface of Plane is a soft object, and when the Plane physics is attached to Box.

In order to have a physical engine, I realized what he needs to do with our objects, we need to show him them.  To do this, in the Create, Helpers, Reactor section toolbar, there are so -called reactors! In fact, “reactors” are a simple group with different settings, in them we must note our scenes and then we can start a miscalculation of physics, which will turn into the usual flat surface of Plane into a tablecloth later!

So, we will need only two reactors from the aforementioned group, create Rbcollection and ClCollection in any of the projection windows.

Next, select the tablecloth, that is, the Plane object, and apply the Reactor Cloth modifier to the surface, go to the main toolbar – section Modify, Modify List, and select the Reactor Cloth modifier from the list.

The fact is that until the moment of adding objects to the collection of soft and solids Rbcollection and ClCollection, we for any soft body – first we need to apply the Reactor Cloth modifier, without it, the Havok physical engine will not be able to recognize Plane.

Part two – the launch of the miscalculation

After preparing the scene and using the Reactor Cloth modifier to the table surface, we can start a miscalculation of physicists, but first we need to not forget to note in the Rbcollection and ClCollection collection all our objects created.

Highlight the Rbcollection solid collection, go to the change menu, in the RB Collection Properties tab, click on the Pick button and click on the Cylinder object.

With this action, you will place the Cylinder object in the collection of solids, and the physical engine will recognize Cylinder as a solid object.

To complete the preparation of the scene in the same way, select a collection of soft bodies, and add the Plane object to the ClCollection collection.

Part three – tablecloth modeling

To automatically model the tablecloth, we just have to start a miscalculation of physics, for this go to the instrument of the tools – section Utilities, Reactor, Preview & Animations and click on the Create Animation button – Create animation.

After the miscalculation of physics is completed, in order to view the result, just pull the animation slides forward to any frame, and you will see how the Plane plane quickly drops to the surface of the table.

Of course, the plane flies from the table at the time of the hundredth frame of the animation, and does not lie on the table perfectly, but the tablecloth can be easily converted into an edited polygonal surface or simply worked with the settings of the miscalculation of physics, they are in the parameters of the Reactor Cloth modifier, which you added for Planee Remember?

The lesson has come to an end, experiment with the Reactor Cloth settings and start the miscalculation again and again – stopping the frame in the right place and converting the surface to Editable Poly, you are all the best while you are the best while you are.