3DS Max Procedural Rope

Creating procedural rope in 3DS Max
As was pointed out by AnconeusRex the small threads should look like they are pointed along the length of the rope. Just angle the grad ramp the other direction instead of what I did.

[@KenanErenArt]

Hey Paul, i've been working with 3ds max almost 10 years, and you are surprising me with every tutorial you made. THANKS PAUL.

[@GamingRevenant]

Absolutely insane! I love procedural work. I've been learning to do everything procedural and now I'm really starting to understand why! Thanks a lot for this tutorial, you're amazing man...

[@3DxPOD]

Another brilliant tutorial, I was hoping you'd add just a bit of a push modifier at the end to have a bit of a fuller rope. Thank you again for the wonderful tutorials! You really know this program inside and out. I'm at awe at how efficiently you solve problems and how you manage to make almost anything procedural! Thanks again!

[@paulneale]

Your Welcome

[@user-fg5sk1fb3e]

Thank you very much for sharing, your tutorial has brought me great help in my work.

[@zr.animationstudio6319]

thank Paul for you tutor and script. This for me very intresting and useful

[@Varoon2]

Thank you a million times man! Saved my life.

[@neillpretorius]

Fantastic, lots of good info in this one!

[@bohdanbilous9]

Before video starts I already liked because I know it is would be great tutorial. And it is! Thank You

[@ANOSTUDIO]

Fantastic Tutorial, Thank very much

[@netrarajpun]

Just awesome. Great tutorial.

[@adamkelly1522]

Your tutorial is great! Now I'm trying to animate the rope physics using Massfx Rope Creator.

[@kirankudpane9676]

cool and love your tutorials.

[@sergiygolovin5478]

simple and useful good lesson,Paul;)

[@tonidorotic2726]

thank you so much for this tutorial. it has helped me alot :))) cheers!

[@vandammage1747]

Damn this is genius! Thanks for sharing

[@orestes_io]

Gracias, Señor!

[@hojo_sosec]

This is excellent - and really handy vs. mucking about with the debatable virtues of mCloth rope or regular Cloth modifiers etc. On the topic of forces though - what would be your suggestion as the best way to make this react to Wind, without potentially messing up its virtues? I'm intending to have a flag (with Cloth mod) being raised on a rope, and fluttering in the breeze, and would like to try and have the rope react a bit too. If need be, I can do it by hand, but if you have a better idea it would be most welcome.

[@somethingthatpops]

The threads of the rope actually should be looking like they're going straight up and down the length of the rope instead of following the path of each individual strand. Just a minor detail. Awesome tutorial as always!

[@paulneale]

I didn't check, that would mean they twist the opposite way that the large ones twist. Will have a look at that when I can.

[@YKJ4164]

MAX 배운 지 얼마 안 됐는데 잘 보고 갑니다! 감사합니다! 하트하트

[@TheBeeeetle]

Your tutorials are totaly insane! Who the hell are you??? Thanks a lot man!

[@paulneale]

A 25+ veteran of the 3D industry. paulneale.com/

[@Yossikful]

The best !

[@TheCanadienMickeyMouse]

this was very helpful

[@friendlyreptilian3767]

amazing! thanx sir

[@crombajaa]

Wow!! Genius..

[@Dave.9999]

Thanks a lot, That's What I am Looking for

[@femiolorunsaiye943]

Very helpful. Thank you in 2023

[@paulneale]

This is even easier now by starting with a circle and using the Array Modifier to radial array the other two.

[@femiolorunsaiye943]

Thanks Paul. I'll try that method now as well.

[@dasnico13]

gold!

[@paulneale]

As was pointed out by AnconeusRex the small threads should look like they are pointed along the length of the rope. Just angle the grad ramp the other direction instead of what I did.

[@FavTheMighty]

Hey Paul! Thanks for the tutorial, this is insanely useful. I have a question, though: Unlike yours, my helper on the bottom of the rope moves the entire rope around instead being pull- and extendable like the helper at the top. Everything else seems to be working fine. I know it's been a while since your tutorial but any thoughts would be much appreciated! Thanks :)

[@paulneale]

Just un-link them. IK Spline Control modifier has options for that or you can do it manually.

[@FavTheMighty]

@@paulneale Wow, that was fast! Thank you so much for replying, the modifier options worked for me :)

[@silentboof]

Thanks for this amazing tutorial. I just have a question about the height segment. You mentioned the maximum number of 200 is just for the spinner and it can get higher than that. But when I do a crazy stretch on the rope it stops at a certain amount! To test it further I tested a simple script controller that drives the height segments by frame and quite surprisingly after frame 200 it didn't get higher! I'm using 3ds max 2016 sp3. could it be because of the version I use? I would appreciate if you test it out. best regards

[@paulneale]

The spinner in the UI stays at 200 but the value increases. Check it via Max Script .

[@Bardurm]

I experience the same thing as Eshan - when i stretch the rope, the segments don't seem to go higher than 200. it Just stops and the rope becomes "low poly" the more i stretch it. Awesome tutorial though :D

[@monikadurakova2990]

@@paulneale I am sorry, but this is not true. I tried to make the cylinder 400 height segments via float script - stayed at 200, then even 1000 - stayed at 200. It seems, after searching for solution on forums, some paramters of objects have hardcoded limits not only in interface spinners but at all. (3ds Max 2021.2 tested) Nevertheless, the tutorial is awesome otherwise. I would love to see any other workaround (other technique) of this as I usualy needs very long dynamic ropes in my animations. Thank you.

[@paulneale]

@@monikadurakova2990 Ya for some things it works but not this case :(

[@ariddesignstudios5423]

@@paulneale Yeah, unfortunately I have had the same issue. It's an awesome tutorial. But Unfortunately, rope being rope it can get quite long, and if the height segments can't be driven beyond 200 it defeats the purpose somewhat. Thanks again though. Your tutorials are truly epic.

[@vitalie96]

When I hit Execute, I get an error: No "curveLength" function for undefined.

[@paulneale]

qwerty watch it again. Spline needs to be defined

[@MrFallac]

so here I am, innocently looking for a way to model rope to add a skyrim mod .... and then you did that! omg. This is very cool stuff. How deep is this rabbit hole? I may never find the surface again. It will take me a month to work out all the new things I didn't know existed. ty.

[@paulneale]

The rabbit hole is way deeper then than what you could learn in a month. I'm still learning new things and I have been using Max from Max 1

[@MrFallac]

Any illusion I had that I could work it all out in a month vanished in about the first 5 minutes. But being shown new things is cool. It makes things I am trying to do possible in ways I just knew nothing about. tbh several 100k poly rope didn't really fit my current need. I followed along and made it anyway :)

[@paulneale]

Beauty of this method is you can make a rope with any amount of polys with it.

[@ULZIMAKUM]

Great.. You are cool! Can I use your tutorial to translate it into Russian and make my version of the tutorial?

[@paulneale]

Sure just give credit.

[@ahbslash5173]

Is there any plan to produce more deep advance Rigging courses in 3ds max

[@paulneale]

Ahb Slash not at this time but you never know. follow the channel and you will be the first to find out

[@ahbslash5173]

Thank you

[@haiderb.1164]

Hello friend good greeting I want the steel rope turn around the pulley ,so how can make it? thanks.

[@paulneale]

Just drive the percent on path at the speed that you want

[@haiderb.1164]

@@paulneale do you have a vedio to this way thanks so much dear

[@paulneale]

@@haiderb.1164 Nope

[@saqib3d]

Hi Paul how you using active type in max 2017?

[@paulneale]

Add this to your User Options File buffers=20 tabbar.multiline=5 autocompleteword.automatic=1 autocomplete.choose.single=0 autocomplete.MAXScript.ignorecase=1 autocomplete.MAXScript.start.character=.

[@saqib3d]

i am really sorry i really have no idea anything about scripting,can you please explain more.Thanks

[@ondrejpotancok1538]

Hey Paul, can you help me sorting out the problem please? trying to follow your tutorial, but every time after "curveLenght Spline / 200" I get error: Type error: Call needs functionor class, got: undefined. thanks

[@ondrejpotancok1538]

I created variable called Spline, assigned my spline using dollar sign, all good, but doesnt work anyway

[@paulneale]

curveLength

[@ondrejpotancok1538]

sorry, there was a spelling problem :D anyway. after I copied angle controller to height segments and multiplied even by 20 it still doesnt get more segments

[@paulneale]

@@ondrejpotancok1538 odd. What max version?

[@ondrejpotancok1538]

Dubug shows correct expression values based on curveLength Spline * x but in viewport I dont see any changes

[@passawutkarrassamee9143]

i don't have the gradient ramp parameter

[@paulneale]

I'm going to assume you have Arnold set as your rendering engine. If so the legacy maps don't show up unless you turn them on in the render settings dialog under the System tab right near the top.

[@Artisan-iu3uw]

Hey Paul can you help me, My dope sheet is empty, can't do anything to the script.

[@paulneale]

You would have to be way more specific as to what you are having issue with for me to be able to help you.

[@paulneale]

And to note that with the array modifier I would do this slightly differently now.

[@christianmaurylopez5502]

Every day one learns something more !!!! hey man i need to create a Roller block - Out for a window. You can teach me how to create.

[@paulneale]

I have no idea what you mean by a roller block

[@christianmaurylopez5502]

oo is RollerBlackOut like this www.cortinas.cl/wp-content/gallery/galeria-black-out/RollerBlackOut5-1.jpg

[@paulneale]

I see, that could be a fun one to do but you will be waiting a long time for the tutorial as time is not on my side.

[@christianmaurylopez5502]

Don´t worry Paul. If you can give me your email to clarify the question, thanks.

[@DavidCasenave]

good tut. Any script to simplify this work?

[@paulneale]

Wouldn't be hard to write, give it a go.

[@DavidCasenave]

@@paulneale not my beach. But i would pay for a functional script if was made.

[@paulneale]

@@DavidCasenave Sorry but not really that worth it for me as you would be the only one. I'm sure someone on Stack would be able to help you out though.

[@alexnozadze]

can you simple share the max file ? thank you so much !

[@paulneale]

I will look for it but I might not have it anymore.

[@tweakxxx]

What a waste of time and data that rope still stretched and not fixed... yet

[@paulneale]

What are you talking about?? Are you unable to follow the instructions?. Do you know how tonuse 3DS Max?

[@tweakxxx]

@@paulneale Check final output when u move point the rope still stretched

[@paulneale]

@@tweakxxx so because you can't make it work it is a waste of time and data? What steps are you having trouble with?

[@tweakxxx]

@@paulneale In 17:21 you move rope points to right side look that the rope stretched fully it's not continue equal in size.

[@paulneale]

@@tweakxxx that is the whole point of the tutorial! Watch the whole thing without skipping anything.