Growth animation with velocity data

[ldotchopz]

Hi,

I am attempting to make a growth animation, but the plant is made of up particles. I have produced something that looks nice but it does not work in practice, which is where I need help.

What I have done is animated a spline growing, then in tyflow birth spline for the duration of the growth and delete after every 1 frame, so it looks like they are sticking to the spline smoothly, but in reality they are being generated on every frame.

The problem with this is that if I needed motion blur or collisions from grains when growing out the ground, there would be no data.

I am trying to find a method that gives the same smooth result but with velocity data.

I have tried object bind an array of spheres, but the results are no good, or at least in my testing.

I have tried having the stalk start fully grown, attaching spheres, shrink down and then grow again but it also doesn’t work.

I have also tried typarticleskin to the spline geo but it squashes the spheres, I would like to keep their shape at all times.

Sorry for the long one, any techniques I could try?

Thanks

[d4rk3lf]

Probably not the most elegant solution.
But if you extrude your spline (by zero), and then use object bind at vertices mode, it should work.
At least, it works when I quick test it now.

Check the attachment.

Btw... how did you animate this unfolding of the spline?
Looks cool.

Cheers!

[ldotchopz]

Probably not the most elegant solution.
But if you extrude your spline (by zero), and then use object bind at vertices mode, it should work.
At least, it works when I quick test it now.

Check the attachment.

Btw... how did you animate this unfolding of the spline?
Looks cool.

Cheers!

Hey, 

I tested your setup with my spline and it doesn’t work unfortunately, i think it has something to do with the way my spline deforms with modifiers.

I have added your file back with the animated spline if you fancied another crack. Also, should answer your question on how it was animated. The key is to put a slight bend in it and then add another bend to curl it.

[d4rk3lf]

Ok, after more then hour trying, I think I finally cracked it.

I couldn't find a way to link particles on spline vertices (if someone knows a way, please share it), so the only solution is to make spline as mesh object, and then link particles to mesh vertices or polygons.
However, when you apply some mesh modifiers (Tyspline mesh, extrude... etc) after all the bends animation, the mesh topology changes over time, so it doesn't have constant polygon number.
Because of that, It makes it impossible for particles (or other meshes) to follow initial object deformations with object bind operator, or skinwrap, or TyParticle Skin, because , as I said, the topology is constant changing in original mesh.

The solution is very simple.
Just move TySpline Mesher or extrude modifiers (or any modifiers that turns splines into mesh) BELLOW all Bends operators.
That way, the bends are now deforming geometry (not splines) and topology remains constant.

Attaching a file where all is working I think in a very simple way.

Btw thanks, for the explanation of growing unfolding animation.

Cheers!

[ldotchopz]

Ok, after more then hour trying, I think I finally cracked it.

I couldn't find a way to link particles on spline vertices (if someone knows a way, please share it), so the only solution is to make spline as mesh object, and then link particles to mesh vertices or polygons.
However, when you apply some mesh modifiers (Tyspline mesh, extrude... etc) after all the bends animation, the mesh topology changes over time, so it doesn't have constant polygon number.
Because of that, It makes it impossible for particles (or other meshes) to follow initial object deformations with object bind operator, or skinwrap, or TyParticle Skin, because , as I said, the topology is constant changing in original mesh.

The solution is very simple.
Just move TySpline Mesher or extrude modifiers (or any modifiers that turns splines into mesh) BELLOW all Bends operators.
That way, the bends are now deforming geometry (not splines) and topology remains constant.

Attaching a file where all is working I think in a very simple way.

Btw thanks, for the explanation of growing unfolding animation.

Cheers!

Took me 5 minutes to understand what you had done lol, its a really nice solution. Thanks for taking the time, lifesaver!

[d4rk3lf]

Glad it worked. 

It's not just one solution, that I did in that attached file. 
My previous solution would have worked also, only if we moved TySpline Mesher modifier bellow bends modifiers. 
Any solution will work once you have stable geometry (non changing topology) with deformations. 

Cheers bro.

P.S. I am still puzzled is there actually TyFlow way to have particles attached to the splines vertices.