Deforming a high-res sphere with a low-res sphere

In this short example, you will use a low-resolution sphere to deform a high-resolution sphere.

To create high-res sphere

1. Create a NURBS sphere with the default options, except set Sections to 40 and Spans to 20.

To create low-res sphere

1. Create a NURBS sphere with the default options, except set Radius to 3.

   The low-res sphere surrounds the high-res sphere, whose resolution is five times that of the low-res sphere.

   

To create wrap deformer

1. Select the high-res sphere, and then select the low-res sphere.
2. Select Create Deformers > Wrap.

   The low-res sphere is now a wrap influence object. To find out more about creating wrap deformers, see Creating wrap deformers.

To create wrap deformation effects

1. Select some of the CVs of the low-res sphere and move them.

   

   The high-res sphere deforms in response to the changes to the other sphere’s CVs.

2. Switch to object selection mode, keeping the low-res sphere selected.

   In the Channel Box, note the sphere’s two new channels: Dropoff and Wrap Samples.

3. Set Dropoff to 20.

   

   The deformation becomes more pronounced.

If you’d like to experiment further with Dropoff and Wrap Samples, see Editing NURBS wrap influence object channels.

To create a plane

1. Create a NURBS plane with all the default options, except set Width to 20, Length to 20, U Patches to 20, and V Patches to 20.

To create cones

1. Create five NURBS cones with all default options. Arrange them on the plane as follows:

   

2. Group all the cones together.

To create a wrap deformer

1. Select the plane, then select the cones group.
2. Select Create Deformers > Wrap.

To deform plane by moving cones

1. Move, rotate, or scale the cones to deform the plane.

   

You can create a wide variety of deformation effects just by manipulating the cones.

To edit deformation effects

1. Experiment with each cone’s Dropoff channel.

   

   For more information on the Dropoff and Wrap Samples channels, see Editing NURBS wrap influence object channels.

2. In the Channel Box, note that the wrap deformer node (wrap1) is listed in the OUTPUTS for the cones and in the INPUTS for the plane. Select the wrap deformer node. Experiment with wrap1’s Weight Threshold channel, which can provide sharper or smoother deformation effects.

   

   For more information on the wrap deformer channels, see wrap.

   Note that you can also move the plane away from or into the influence of the cones. You could create an animation in which the plane goes through a deformation when it gets close to the cones.