Rigging a bike chain?!? {max}

[JDM3dee]

Ok... a quick (or not) question for you. This is something that i have been turning over im my mind and trying to work out how to do it and if its possible...

I have been wondering how you would go about rigging a bicycle chain, (some images are below so that you can get what i mean) for animation... It becomes eve more complex when you consider the tension put onto the chain by the rear deraileur and through both of the guide sprockets on the deraileur... Other things that puzzled me was, what if while animating this bike with its rigged gearing, what would happen to the chain if it went over a bump? It would vibrate up and down, but continue moving... Could this be simulated accuraely? Or at all?

Could such a system be set up so that if you animated turning cranks, the chain would move with it and in turn the rear cassette and rear wheel?

Hey, i dont even know if its possible to create a system for so complicated a rig as this but i think from everything i have learned so far that it probably is... if so could someone help me out with a possible solution, or simply their thoughts...

thanks everyone for you time...! ;P

Btw, some reference images... hope they help!

[Mr. Bluesummers-3DT]

Quick Reply
My brain meats tell me that you would first need a spline. From there, everything else should fall into place. You could use the loop to create (shift + "I") each link in the chain along the spline. Then use that spline for a constraint to have each link "follow" the path in the animation. Use the 0-100% path slider to control how many rotations the links move, and the spline will keep it along the path the chain would normally follow.

Then for derailing, you could bend the 'path' spline to follow a new gear you would need, while for going over bumps you could just bend one part of the spline. You could have SO MUCH FUN with this project, oh my gosh...

Enjoy!

[JDM3dee]

Hah ha! thanks for the quick reply! :wave:
yeah that sounds like a pretty good idea! i might have a play with that if i get time... thanks a bundle, i didn't even think of using splines... ill be sure to post a render and the max file of whatever i come up with...! ;P