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Create a Barrier constraint
Work with rigid body constraints
Key and parent constraints
Edit constraints
After
you create a constraint, Maya creates a constraint named for the
type of constraint. For example, rigidNailConstraint1 is the default
name given to a Nail constraint. To adjust
a constraint’s attributes in the Attribute Editor, you
must first select the constraint in the Outliner or
the constraint icon in the workspace.
NoteThe Rigid Constraint Attributes section
of the Attribute Editor displays read-only Force and Solver
Id attributes. The Force shows the X, Y, and Z components
of the current force pulling towards one or both objects connected
to the constraint. The Solver Id is
the constraint index number the solver uses to calculate dynamics
for this constraint. You can query the value of these attributes in
expressions and MEL commands.
Adjust the initial position and orientation
You
can adjust the initial position of all rigid body constraints. You
can adjust the initial orientation of only Hinge and Barrier constraints.
To
adjust a constraint’s position
- Do
one of the following:
- Use
the Move tool to drag the constraint
icon.
- In
the Rigid Constraint Attributes section
of the Attribute Editor, enter X, Y,
and Z values for Initial Position.
TipIf you move a constraint in a frame other
than the starting frame, rewind to make the constraint animate properly.
To
adjust a Hinge or Barrier constraint’s
initial orientation:
- Do
one of the following
- Use
the Rotate tool to rotate the initial
orientation icon.
- In
the Rigid Constraint Attributes section
of the Attribute Editor, enter X, Y,
and Z values for Initial Orientation.
Change or turning off the constraint type
You
can change the constraint type or turn a constraint off or on after
you create it. Before you change the constraint type, be aware of
these issues:
- You
cannot change a single-body constraint to a dual-body constraint.
- If
you change the constraint type, the constraint name doesn’t change.
- A Nail or Barrier constraint
cannot constrain a passive rigid body.
- You
cannot constrain two passive rigid bodies to each other.
To
change the constraint type
- In
the Rigid Constraint Attributes section
of the Attribute Editor, select the
constraint type from the Constraint Type menu.
To
turn a constraint off (or on)
- In
the Constraint Control section
of the Attribute Editor, set these attributes:
- Constrain
-
Turns
a constraint on or off.
Relative To
For
a constraint between a pair of rigid bodies, this lets you choose
where Maya recreates a constraint after you turn it on again. Your choices
follow:
- Body 1
-
Recreates
the constraint at the original distance and orientation from the
first of the two rigid bodies you selected when you created the constraint.
- Body 2
-
Recreates the constraint at the original distance and
orientation from the second of the two rigid bodies you selected
when you created the constraint.
- Mid Point
-
Recreates
the constraint at the midpoint between the two rigid bodies.
- User Defined
-
Lets
you specify the position in the User Defined Position
X, Y, and Z boxes.
These attributes are dim unless you turn on User
Defined.
Example
Suppose you create a pin constraint between
two objects. The pin is positioned as follows. The small square
represents the pin’s location.
Before making the pin constraint, the sphere
was selected first and the cylinder second. In the context of the Relative
To attribute, the sphere is therefore Body
1 and the cylinder is Body 2.
You then animate the movement of the cylinder
in a direction perpendicular to the constraint line icon. The constraint
forces the sphere to swing around the cylinder. If you key Constrain off
for several frames, the sphere is no longer constrained to the cylinder.
It moves in its own direction using the force previously applied
to it by the constraint.
When you key Constrain on
again in a later frame, the sphere will once again be tied to the
cylinder. You can set the location and orientation of the pin by setting
the Relative To attribute. This
influences how the objects interact with each other’s movement.