Subject: Re: About bones...
From: [email-masked]
To: [email-masked]
Date: Thu, 23 Jun 94 12:42:32 CDT

*stuff deleted*

> (they all grow differently). So I was thinking, wouldn't it be cool if
> Lightwave was able to do 'spline bones'! By that, I mean instead of having
> something that looks like a toothpick, why not have a full fledged spine of
> which you could have as many knots in it as you need. That way, you could make
> a long and slender object such as a snake, then just put one of thease
> spline bones in it and it's ready to go! Doing it like that, would take only
> a few minutes to set the whole thing up and get it in motion!
> 
> Brad Williams / [email-masked]

Lightwave really does need to have a few more animation deformation tools to really
shine.  Don't get me wrong, 'bones' is a great *first* implementation of deforma-
tion, but inverse kinematics would be the next logical step for bones.  That could
also take care of the influence of neighboring bones problem.

Another way to go would be lattice deformation, where you have a spline "cage" that
surrounds an object--almost like a bounding box--but when you alter the lattice,
the object twists, bends, scales, etc. to the shape of the lattice.  

Being able to have an object deform to a spline, either by passing through it or 
along it would also be welcome additions.  These are not new ideas either, all of
the aformentioned techniques are/have been in use in higher-end (read more 
expensive, not neccesarily magnitudes better) for a few years.  Hopefully A.H. has
a surprises for us in coming versions of Lightwave, it can only get better!

Jeff Kott
Systems Administrator
School of the Art Institute Chicago