N Cloth Tutorial

5
nCloth
Introduction
With the Maya nCloth feature, you can create dynamic cloth effects in Maya.
nCloth is a fast and stable dynamic cloth solution that uses a system of linked
particles to simulate a wide variety of dynamic polygon surfaces, such as fabric
clothing, inflating balloons, shattering surfaces, and deformable objects. nCloth is
generated from modeled polygon meshes. You can model any type of polygon
mesh and make it an nCloth object, which is ideal for achieving specific poses
and maintaining directorial control.
nCloth is built on a dynamic simulation framework called Maya Nucleus. A
Maya Nucleus system is composed of a series of nCloth objects, passive
collision objects, dynamic constraints, and a Maya Nucleus solver. As part of the
Maya Nucleus system, the Maya Nucleus solver calculates nCloth simulation,
collisions, and constraints in an iterative manner, improving the simulation after
each iteration, to produce accurate cloth behavior.
Getting Started with Maya Unlimited

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5 | nCloth
> Preparing for the lessons
Maya Unlimited provides many predefined nCloths. These sample nCloth objects,
also referred to as presets, can be used as a starting point in creating your own
custom cloth effects.
This chapter includes these lessons:
Lesson 1 Creating nCloth collisions on page 141
Lesson 2 Creating nCloth constraints on page 161
Preparing for the lessons

To ensure the lessons work as described, do these steps before beginning:
1
Make sure you understand the basic concepts of polygon modeling,

animation, and dynamics.
Select the nCloth menu set. Unless otherwise noted, the directions in this
chapter for making menu selections assume youve already selected the
nCloth menu set.

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5 | nCloth
> Introduction
Lesson 1
Creating nCloth collisions
Introduction
For nCloth objects to have realistic cloth behavior, they need to interact or collide
with their environment. This is accomplished by converting the meshes you want
to act like cloth into nCloth objects, and turning all the objects in their
environment that it will come into contact with into passive collision objects.
In this lesson you learn how to:
Convert a polygon object to nCloth.
Create passive collision objects for your nCloth.
Improve the quality of your nCloth collisions.

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5 | nCloth
> Lesson setup
Lesson setup
To ensure the lesson works as described, do these steps before beginning:
1
Open the scene named TableCloth.mb.
You can open the scene named TableCloth.mb from the Maya DVD or from
the drive where you copied the Getting Started with Maya Unlimited data
files. The file is located in UnlimitedLessonData/nCloth.
This scene includes textured models that have been created for you. The
table cloth, table, table base, floor, and wall models provided are all polygon
meshes.
Creating an nCloth object
The first step in the nCloth creation process is to convert the polygon object you
want to behave like cloth to an nCloth object.
To make a polygon mesh nCloth
1
Select the checkered table cloth.

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5 | nCloth
> Creating an nCloth object
Select nCloth > Create nCloth > .

The Create Cloth Options window appears.
Lists all the Maya
Nucleus solvers in
your scene, or
allows you to
create a new solver
for the nCloth you
are creating.
Select nucleus1 from the Solver drop-down list.

Selecting a solver determines which Maya Nucleus system the nCloth
belongs to.
Turn on Local Space Output.

Defining a space output determines whether the table cloths input and
output nCloth meshes are both (Local Space Output) attached to the
selected Maya Nucleus solver, or just the output nCloth mesh (World Space).
Click Create Cloth.

The static quad polygon table cloth is automatically tessellated and converted
to a dynamic nCloth object, and an nCloth handle appears on your table cloth
in the scene view. The nCloth handle resembles a small wireframe sphere,
and it is located at the center of table cloth. You can use the table cloths
nCloth handle to quickly select its nClothShape node in the Hypergraph or its
tab in the Attribute Editor.

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5 | nCloth
> Creating an nCloth object
The nCloth handle

resembles a small
wireframe sphere,
and it is located at
the center of table
cloth.
Select Window > Hypergraph: Connections to view the new node connections
for the table cloth in the Dependency Graph (DG).
The Hypergraph appears with a new Maya Nucleus network of nodes. Note
that the table cloth is now a member of the nucleus1 Maya Nucleus system.
nClothShape1 is the nCloth properties node, which carries all the nCloth
attributes for the table cloth.
nucleus1 is the Maya Nucleus solver node, which carries all the attributes
affecting the nucleus1 solver system, including internal forces.

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5 | nCloth
> Making an nCloth collide with its environment
TableClothShape is the input mesh and start object for the table cloth.
outputCloth1 is the output mesh or current mesh, and the resulting nCloth
table cloth that you see in the scene view.
polyPlane2 is the history node for the table cloth.
7
Close the Hypergraph and play back your table cloths simulation.
The table cloth passes right through the table, its base, and the floor. This is
because the nCloth does not recognize any of the other objects in your
scene. For the nCloth table cloth to be able to interact with the table, its
base, and the floor, they need to be members of the same Maya Nucleus
solver system as the table cloth.
Table cloths
simulation without
collisions.
Go to the beginning of the playback range.
Making an nCloth collide with its environment

The second step in creating realistic cloth effects is to make your nCloth object
interact with its environment, and have the objects and surfaces in its scene
deform the nCloth and drive its movements. You can do this by making each
surface the nCloth comes into contact with during its simulation passive collision
objects.
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5 | nCloth
To create passive collision objects for your nCloth

1
Select the table.
Select nCloth > Create Passive > .

The Make Collide Options window appears.
Select nucleus1 from the Solver drop-down list and click Make Collide.
The table polygon mesh is converted to a passive collision object, and an
nRigid handle appears at the center of its mesh in the scene view. You can
use the tables nRigid handle to quickly select its nRigidShape node in the
Hypergraph or its tab in the Attribute Editor.
Table as viewed in
X-Ray Shading
mode.
Like the nCloth
handle, the nRigid
handle resembles a
small wireframe
sphere, and it is
located at the
center of table.
The table is also now a member of the nucleus1 Maya Nucleus system.
4
Select Window > Hypergraph: Connections to view the new node connections
for the table in the Dependency Graph (DG).

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5 | nCloth
nRigidShape1 is the passive object properties node which carries all the
passive object attributes for the table.
5
Close the Hypergraph and play back your table cloths simulation.
The table cloth now collides with the table. The table cloth now interacts with
the table because the table is a member of the table cloths nucleus1 solver
system.
Table cloths
simulation with
passive object
collisions.

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5 | nCloth
> Adjusting the accuracy of nCloth collisions
Adjusting the accuracy of nCloth collisions

The third step in creating believable cloth effects is to make your nCloth objects
collisions as accurate as possible. In reality, a falling piece of cloth comes into
close contact with the object it lands on and it deforms, reflecting the shape of
the object it has come into contact with. Currently, the table cloth does not
exhibit this behavior.
To set the thickness of your nCloth and passive objects
1
Select the table cloth.
Open the Attribute Editor and select the nClothShape tab.
In the Surface Properties section, select Collision Thickness from the Solver
Display drop-down list.
The table cloths collision thickness appears in the scene view.

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5 | nCloth
Table cloth Solver

Display: Collision
Thickness
An nCloths Thickness attribute determines the radius or depth of the table

cloths collision volume. The collision volume is a non-renderable surface
offset from the table cloths surface that the nucleus1 solver uses when
calculating the table cloths passive object collisions. Collisions occur at the
table cloths collision volume, not at the surface of the table cloth itself.

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5 | nCloth
Table cloth and

table in X-Ray
Shading mode.
The table cloths
Thickness is so
high that its
actual surface
does not come
close to the table.
Only the table
cloths collision
volume comes
close to the table.
In the Surface Properties section, change the table cloths Thickness

attribute value to 0.066.

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5 | nCloth
Table cloth Solver

Display: reduced
Collision
Thickness
The table cloths collision volume is noticeably reduced, so that it will now
behave like a thin piece of fabric rather than a thick surface. This new
Thickness will contribute to improving the accuracy of the table cloths
collisions when it falls onto the table.
6
Select Off from the Solver Display drop-down list.

The table cloths Collision Thickness is no longer displayed in the scene view.
Play back the table cloths simulation.

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5 | nCloth
Table cloth
Solver Display:
Collision
Thickness
Table cloth and

table as viewed
in X-Ray Shaded
mode.
Table cloths
improved
collisions.

152
5 | nCloth
Even though you adjusted the table cloths Thickness, the table cloth still
does not appear to be making contact with the tables surface. This is
because passive collision objects, like the table, also possess collision
volumes.
To further improve the accuracy of the table cloths collisions, you need to
adjust the tables Thickness.
8
In the scene view select the table, and in the Attribute Editor select its
nRigidShape1 tab.
10 In the Surface Properties section, select Collision Thickness from the Solver
The tables collision thickness appears in the scene view.

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5 | nCloth
Table Solver Display:

Collision Thickness
11 Set the tables Thickness attribute value to 0.066.

154
5 | nCloth
Table Solver Display:

reduced Collision
Thickness
The tables collision volume is noticeably reduced, so that the table cloth will
now conform closely to the actual shape of the table when you play back its
simulation.
12 In the Surface Properties section, select Off from the Solver Display dropdown list.
The tables Collision Thickness is no longer displayed in the scene view.
13 Play back the table cloths simulation.

155
5 | nCloth
Table cloths
improved collisions.
Table cloth and

table as viewed
in X-Ray Shaded
mode.
nCloth table cloth
and table
passive object
improved
collisions.

156
5 | nCloth
Adjusting the Thickness of the table cloth nCloth and the table passive object
dramatically improved the accuracy of the table cloths collisions.
14 Go to the start of the playback range.
To set which nCloth components participate in collisions
The way Collision Thickness appears in the scene view is determined by your
nCloths current Collision Flag selection. The Collision Flag drop-down list lets you
specify which of the table cloths components participate in its collisions and
which type of collision volume is used by the table cloth. You can adjust the
speed of your nCloth collisions with the Collision Flag at the cost of collision
accuracy.
1
Select the table cloth.
In the Attribute Editor, select the nClothShape tab.
In the Surface Properties section, select Collision Thickness from the Solver
Scroll down to the Quality Settings section of the nClothShape tab and
expand it.
By default, the Collision Flag is set to Face. Face provides the best and most
accurate collisions, but it is the slowest to calculate the collisions for.
5
Change the Collision Flag selection to Vertex. Vertex produces the least
accurate collisions, but it is the fastest to calculate the collisions for.

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5 | nCloth
Vertex collision spheres
The table cloths collision volume changes from a surface to multiple collision
spheres.
6

The table cloth passes through the table and floor collision objects, as if they
were not passive objects. This is because when you select Vertex as your
component type, only the small collision spheres surrounding the table
cloths vertices participate in the table cloths collisions, rather than the
entire surface as with Face.

158
5 | nCloth
Table cloths
simulation with
Vertex Collision
Flag selected.
Vertex and face are useful when you want to speed up your simulation by
reducing the number of collision calculations, or your cloth simulation does
not require the maximum level of collision accuracy (for example, for a
distance shot of colliding nCloth objects).
7
Reset the Collision Flag to the default Face selection, and select Off from the
Solver Display drop-down list.

The table cloth once again easily and accurately collides with the table.

159
5 | nCloth
> Beyond the lesson
Beyond the lesson

The table cloth now is a dynamic nCloth object that behaves like real cloth as it
collides with the table, floor, and wall in its scene.
In this lesson you learned how to:
Turn a regular polygon mesh into a dynamic nCloth object.
Run an nCloth simulation.
Turn objects in an nCloths scene into passive collision objects.
Refine nCloth collisions by adjusting the Thickness and Collision Flag of the
nCloth and passive objects in a scene.
For more information and related techniques about nCloth, refer to the Maya
Help.

160
5 | nCloth
> Introduction
Lesson 2
Creating nCloth constraints
Introduction
Often times, to create certain cloth effects, you need to attach nCloth to other
nCloths or passive collision objects and have those other Maya Nucleus objects
restrict or drive your nCloths movements. For example, you can use nCloth
constraints to create buttons on nCloth garments, replace collisions, bind
topologically different nCloth objects together, and exclude and limit nCloth and
passive object collisions.
In this lesson you learn how to:
Constrain an nCloth object.
Manage an nCloth constraints membership.
Adjust nCloth constraint behavior.
Make an nCloth flag flap in the wind.

161
5 | nCloth
> Lesson setup
Lesson setup
To ensure the lesson works as described, do these steps before beginning:
1
Open the scene named Flag.mb.
You can open the scene named Flag.mb from the Maya DVD or from the
drive where you copied the Getting Started with Maya Unlimited data files.
The file is located in UnlimitedLessonData/nCloth.
This scene includes dynamic meshes that have been created for you. The
pirate flag and the flag pole provided are an nCloth object and a passive
collision object respectively.
Constraining an nCloth to a passive object

You can constrain nCloth by creating dynamic links between its CVs and the
components of other nCloths or passive collision objects. The stretchiness and
compressibility of these collision links depends of the type of constraint they
belong to.
To constrain an nCloth
1
Play back the flags simulation.

162
5 | nCloth
> Constraining an nCloth to a passive object
The flag falls downward through the air. For the flag to retain its position
beside the flag pole in XYZ space, it needs to be constrained to the static
flag pole passive object.
2
Select the flag.
Right-click the flag and select Vertex from the context-sensitive menu that
appears.
Dolly in the camera so that you can view the vertices along the left side
border of the flag closely.
Select the left borders vertices.
The flag switches to vertex display mode.

163
5 | nCloth
Points selected to
be constrained.
Shift-select the flag pole passive object to include it in your selection.

164
5 | nCloth
Object selected for

the flag points to
be constrained to.
Select nConstraint > Point to Surface.

165
5 | nCloth
A Point to Surface constraint is created, and constraint links appear between

the vertices you selected on the nCloth flag, and the surface of the flag pole
passive object.

166
5 | nCloth
Point to Surface
constraint between
the flags CVs and
the flag pole.

The flag gently falls and ripples, but does not continue to fall out of view.
This is because the point to Surface nCloth constraint attaching the flag CVs
to the flag pole now restricts the position of the whole flag in XYZ space.

167
5 | nCloth
> Changing which nCloth points are constrained
10 Go to the beginning of the playback range.
Changing which nCloth points are constrained

After you create a dynamic nCloth constraint, you often times need to edit which
nCloth and passive object components participate in the constraint. When Maya
Nucleus system components are constrained, they are members of their
respective constraints. You can change an nCloth constraints membership by
adding or removing nCloth and passive object components from the constraint.
To edit nCloth constraint membership
1
Dolly in the camera so that you can view closely the Point to Surface
constraint links that are visible between the flag and its flag pole.
Select the Point to Surface constraint by clicking its links.

168
5 | nCloth
Selected Point to
Surface constraint links.
Select nConstraint > Select Members.

169
5 | nCloth
The flag points and the flag pole surface that are members of the selected
Point to Surface constraint highlight in the scene view.

170
5 | nCloth
Right-click the flag and select Vertex from the context-sensitive menu that
appears.
The flag switches to vertex display mode.

171
5 | nCloth
Select all the flag points, except the top most and bottom most points.

172
5 | nCloth
Selected Point to
Surface constraint
member points.
Select nConstraint > Remove Members.

173
5 | nCloth
The selected constrained flag points are removed from the constraint and
their constraint links disappear from the scene view.

174
5 | nCloth
The select flag

points are removed
from the Point to
Surface constraints
membership.
Play back the pirate flags simulation.

The flag gently falls and ripples, but does not continue to fall out of view
because it is attached to the flag pole by the two remaining Point to Surface
constraint links.

175
5 | nCloth
> Making nCloth flap in dynamic wind
Making nCloth flap in dynamic wind

After creating the nCloth flag, you can dynamically animate it to flap in the wind
by increasing certain nCloth Surface Properties and Maya Nucleus solver Gravity
and Wind properties.
To make nCloth appear to wave and flap in the wind
1
Select the flag.
Open the Attribute Editor and select the nClothShape tab.
In the Surface Properties section, increase Lift and Drag.

176
5 | nCloth
Lift specifies the amount of lift that is applied to the flag and Drag specifies
the amount of drag applied to the flag, causing resistance to the Maya
Nucleus solvers dynamic wind.
Change the Lift attributes value to 1.0.
Change the Drag attributes value to 0.6.

The flag appears to rise and then begin to ripple and flap in the Maya
Nucleus solvers dynamic wind.

177
5 | nCloth
nCloth flag
simulation with:
Lift = 1.0
Drag = 0.6
Select the nucleus tab.
In the Gravity and Wind section, increase the Wind Speed.
You can increase the speed at which the flag flaps, as well as the amount of
ripples moving across the flags surface, by increasing the Maya Nucleus
solvers Wind Speed.

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5 | nCloth
> Beyond the lesson
Change the Wind Speed attributes value to 0.4.
Play back the pirate flags simulation.

The flag rises quickly into the air, appearing to be tugged by the increased
dynamic air flow. The flag now waves and flaps more forcefully, and an
increased number of ripples appear on its surface.
nCloth flag
simulation with:
Lift = 1.0
Drag = 0.6
Wind Speed = 0.4
Beyond the lesson

In this lesson you learned how to:
Constrain nCloth.
Edit nCloth constraint membership.
Make nCloth appear to blow in the wind.

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5 | nCloth
> Beyond the lesson
For more information and related techniques about nCloth, refer to the Maya
Help.

180

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5

Getting Started with Maya Unlimited

Lesson 1 Creating nCloth collisions on page 141

Lesson 2 Creating nCloth constraints on page 161

Preparing for the lessons

Make sure you understand the basic concepts of polygon modeling,

Getting Started with Maya Unlimited

Creating nCloth collisions

Convert a polygon object to nCloth.

Create passive collision objects for your nCloth.

Improve the quality of your nCloth collisions.

Getting Started with Maya Unlimited

Open the scene named TableCloth.mb.

Creating an nCloth object

Select the checkered table cloth.

Getting Started with Maya Unlimited

Select nCloth > Create nCloth > .

Select nucleus1 from the Solver drop-down list.

Turn on Local Space Output.

Click Create Cloth.

Getting Started with Maya Unlimited

The nCloth handle

Getting Started with Maya Unlimited

Go to the beginning of the playback range.

Making an nCloth collide with its environment

To create passive collision objects for your nCloth

Select the table.

Select nCloth > Create Passive > .

Getting Started with Maya Unlimited

Getting Started with Maya Unlimited

Adjusting the accuracy of nCloth collisions

Select the table cloth.

Open the Attribute Editor and select the nClothShape tab.

The table cloths collision thickness appears in the scene view.

Getting Started with Maya Unlimited

Table cloth Solver

An nCloths Thickness attribute determines the radius or depth of the table

Getting Started with Maya Unlimited

Table cloth and

Go to the beginning of the playback range.

In the Surface Properties section, change the table cloths Thickness

Getting Started with Maya Unlimited

Table cloth Solver

Select Off from the Solver Display drop-down list.

Play back the table cloths simulation.

Getting Started with Maya Unlimited

Table cloth and

Getting Started with Maya Unlimited

Go to the beginning of the playback range.

The tables collision thickness appears in the scene view.

Getting Started with Maya Unlimited

Table Solver Display:

11 Set the tables Thickness attribute value to 0.066.

Getting Started with Maya Unlimited

Table Solver Display:

Getting Started with Maya Unlimited

Table cloth and

Getting Started with Maya Unlimited