Wire Tool

To create a wire deformer, use the Wire Tool. The characteristics of the wire deformer you create depend on the Wire Tool’s tool settings. By default, the Wire Tool is set to create a wire deformer without holders.

The Wire Tool menu item is located under the Create Deformers menu in the Animation menu set (Create Deformers > Wire Tool).

Wire Tool options window

Wire Settings

Holders: If on, the wire deformer is created with a holder. If off, the wire deformer is created without a holder. Holders are curves that you can use to limit the deformation region. Default is off.
Envelope: Specifies the deformation scale factor. Use the slider to select a value between 0.0000 and 2.0000. A value of 0 specifies no deformation effect. Default is 1.0000.
Crossing Effect: Specifies the amplitude of the deformation effect where two of the deformer’s influence wires cross. Use the slider to select values from 0.0000 to 2.0000. Default is 0.0000, which specifies a smooth, not additive, effect.
Local Influence: Specifies the localization of the deformation effect of two or more influence wires. Use the slider to select values from 0.0000 to 2.0000. Default is 0.0000.
Dropoff Distance: Specifies the range of influence of each influence wire. Use the slider to select values from 0.0000 to 10.0000. Default is 1.0000.

Deformation Order

Specifies the placement of the deformer node in the deformable object’s history. Placement selections include: Default, Before, After, Split, or Parallel.

Default: Places the deformer immediately before the current final shape node.
Before: Places the deformer immediately before the current final shape node. Default and Before typically provide the same placement.
After: Places the deformer as the output of the current final shape node, and creates a new final shape node.
Split: Splits the input deformation history into two separate deformation chains, providing two final shapes originating from the same deformable object.
Parallel: Creates a final shape that blends the object’s current input history in parallel with the new deformer.

Exclusive: Specifies whether the deformer set will be in a partition. If a deformer set is in a partition, the points in the set cannot be in any other set. The result is that only the deformer you are about to create can influence the points. If on, the Exclusive Partition and Existing Partitions options become available. By default, Exclusive is off.
Exclusive Partition: Specifies the name of the partition. The default name is deformPartition. Only available if Exclusive is on.
Existing Partitions: Specifies an existing partition. The default existing partition is characterPartition. Only available if Exclusive is on.