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Work with fields
Work with fields
Edit field attributes
Create fields and connect objects to them
When you create a field, you typically also connect
it to the objects you want the field to influence. You can alternatively
connect objects to the field’s influence after creation (see
Dynamic relationship editor).
As long as a connected object lies within the influence of the field,
it will be affected by the field. You can add a field to selected
CVs, edit points, vertices, or lattice points of an object in the
scene (not a referenced scene).
Although each field has a different effect,
the technique for creating all fields is similar. For information
on the effect of each field and how to adjust those effects, see
Edit field attributes.
You can create an volume field along a curve
by creating a volume axis curve. See
Work with volume axis curves.
The following applies to all fields:
- You
can select more than one field at once.
- Selection
order is not important.
- All
selected objects are affected by all selected fields.
To
create a stand-alone field and connect objects to the field
- Select
the objects you want the field to affect.
You can select geometry, particles, nParticles,
rigid bodies, or soft bodies.
TipBy default, Maya converts a
NURBS or
polygonal
surface to an active rigid body when you connect it to
a field’s influence. The option that controls this feature is
Auto
Create Rigid Body, located in the
Dynamics section
of the
Window > Settings/Preferences > Preferences window.
- From
the Dynamics or nDynamics menu
set, select Fields > fieldname.
The field is created at the origin and everything
you’ve selected is connected to it. You can move the field icon
away from the origin to change the range and direction of influence.
To change the field settings, see
Edit field attributes.
- Click
the play button to see the field affect the connected objects.
To add a field to an object and connect objects
to the field
- From
the Dynamics or nDynamics menu
set, select Fields > fieldname to
create the field. If it’s already created, select the field.
- Shift-select
the object (or objects) to which you want to add the field.
- Select
Fields > Use Selected as Source of Field to
add the field to the object.
By
default, most fields are added to all CVs or vertices of the object.
The field emanates from each point with equal strength. See the
field’s Apply Per Vertex attribute
description for more details.
- In
the Outliner, select the objects
you want the field to influence and Ctrl-select or Command-select
the field itself.
The field is indented under the owning object.
- Select Fields > Affect
Selected Object(s).
- Click the play button to see the field
influence the connected objects.
TipIf you create a field before selecting the
objects to be influenced, no objects will be connected to the field.
To connect the objects to the field, use the
Dynamic
Relationships Editor (see
Dynamic relationship editor).
The Dynamic Relationships Editor
is also useful if you’ve added multiple fields to an object and
want to connect (or disconnect) objects to a selected field or fields.
To connect to all fields owned by an object,
you can simply select the objects to be influenced, move the pointer
over the owning object, then right-click and select Connect
Field from the pop-up menu.
To create a volume field
- Select
the objects you want the field to affect.
You can select particles, nParticles, rigid
bodies, or soft bodies.
- From
the Dynamics or nDynamics menu
set, select Fields fieldname > .
- In
the field’s options window, from the Volume Shape drop-down
list, select a shape (other than None).
None means the field affects all the particles
to which is connected.
- Set
the volume field attributes as desired. See
Set Volume Control Attributes and Volume Speed Attributes.
- Click Create.
The implicit shape of the volume field is displayed
on the screen. You can move, rotate, scale, or shear the field.
NoteYou can’t deform the volume or use an arbitrary
volume.
You can create an volume field along a curve
by creating a volume axis curve. See
Work with volume axis curves.
To
add a field to selected points and connect objects to the field
- From
the Dynamics or nDynamics menu
set, select Fields > fieldname to
create the field. If it’s already created, select the field.
- Shift-select
the desired points on the object.
For example, select several CVs of the object.
See Basics for details on selecting components.
- Select
Fields > Use Selected as Source of Field.
This
adds the field to the selected points of the object. It also creates
a set of the points named fieldnameSet. You can edit set
membership to change the field points. See Basics.
- In
the Outliner, select the objects
you want the field to influence and Ctrl-select (Windows and Linux)
or Command-select (Mac OS X) the field.
The field is indented under the owning object.
- Select Fields > Affect
Selected Object(s).
- Click the play button to see the field
influence the connected objects.
To
delete a field
- Select
the field in the Outliner or workspace.
In the Outliner,
an object field is indented under the owning object.
- Press
the (Windows
and Linux) or (Mac
OS X) key.
To add additional fields to an object
- From
the Dynamics or nDynamics menu
set, select Fields > fieldname to
create the field. If it’s already created, select the field.
- In
the Outliner, Ctrl-select (Windows
and Linux) or Command-select (Mac OS X) the object to which you
want to add the field.
- Select
Fields > Use Selected as Source of Field.