This is another 3d animation class lesson for 3d modeling and animation learners and in this 3d animation lesson you will learn how to make car wheel 3d animation using MEL script which Maya Embedded Language a codes commanding system of the 3d modeling animation software Autodesk Maya. Maya MEL is perfect way of 3d modeling and animation you would have learned how to draw lines, cube etc. with MEL script and now you will learn some thing bigger than that that is animation with MEL script in 3d modeling animation program Maya. This 3d animation modeling lesson is one of the most easiest and interesting lesson for 3d animator especially for game designer and 3d animated film makers in 3d modeling animation software Maya. For complete learning of the 3d animation course in 3d modeling animation program Maya watch our free 3d animation tutorial videos here on this 3d learning website.
-
Steps:
- First of all import a car 3d model which you can download from our website,
- Then select the upper body of 3d car leaving the tires, and go to Display > Hide > Hided selected object.
- Now you have only four tires on your workspace, open the out liner and you will see that there are four groups indicating tires, now select one tire and then click on the rotate tool and examine the rotation axis for example that is x-axis, now go to ‘Create’ Menu and select ‘Locator’ tool. Move this Locator in the central axel of the selected wheel; you can navigate to all four view port for setting this Locator in the center on every wheel once it is placed in the center of a wheel, then go back to perspective view select the wheel, and click on Center Pivot in the Modify Menu. Then do this for all four wheels.
- Once you have creating and placed all four Locators then create a fifth Locator which will be parent of all the locator and motion of which will move all the four wheels and locators.
- In the outliner select all the four wheels and locators and at last select the fifth locator then click on ‘Parent’ option in the Edit menu. Your fifth locator is now parent of all four locators so rename it as CarMove or what ever you like.
- You have to write now expression for the animation, select the first wheel, go to Window > Animation > Expression Editor,
- Select the attribute at top right side as you want to rotate you wheel along x-axis so click on that and an expression will appear in ‘Selected Object and Attribute box copy that expression and then paste that in Expression Box: and then write this expression for parenting this rotation along with translation motion along z-axis with the motion of parent Locator ‘CarMove’. When you have pasted the expression of the wheel attribute then type: = (CarMove.translateZ/( 2*3.14*1))*360; the left hand side part of this equation is pasted by you already.
- This expression line actually gives the motion command for the Parent Locator along z-axis where as sign of equality combines the rotation of wheel with this translation motion. You have to select all wheels one by one select the rotation attribute, paste that in Expression command line and then type this command.
- Afterwards, go to Display > Show > Show selection. Your car body will appear now. If it is displaced then using move tool move it to right place and then you can animate it with assign keys for that purpose watch how to make 3d animation in Maya.
Watch video for further details.