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Newbie
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: Wednesday, June 08, 2011 8:37 PM
Posts: 10,
Visits: 287
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| I am trying to build a small construction sequence movie in 3D Max. The project will shut down a 6 lane interstate to swing in a 220' preassembled bridge substructure. I have the highway built and the bridge pieces to be assembled. I am working on the little details. We will need 2 cranes to install the bridge assembly. I have drawn a simple crane to use. I have the boom and hydraulic piston assembled through pivots and look-at constraints. What I can't seem to figure out is to "get items to slide in and out of each other" type constraint. With that I would like the constraint to be set so the items can only slide so far. (cylinder support is 10 feet long = limited to sliding 9.5 feet) I also would like for the items to slide proportionally over each other. The picture shows a before and after shot of what I am trying to do. Thanks Carl 
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Veteran
Group: Administrators
Last Login: Friday, January 27, 2012 4:50 PM
Posts: 280,
Visits: 1,667
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I agree. Your best bet is a simple hierarchy as Claudio suggested.
You can limit the movement of the inner piece pretty easily as well. You just need to assign a "Float Limit" controller on your object's X axis, then you set the min and max in scene units.
You should be sure that your pivots are all set up right first of course as changing them after all the linking is a recipe for disaster 
Oh, also note that you need to be linking the group object to the parent rather than the objects within the group.
Here's a video showing how:
Constraints Help
THOMAS SHANNON
SENIOR DESIGN VISUALIZATION SPECIALIST
PB Project Visualization
http://www.pbprojectviz.com/
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Newbie
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: Wednesday, June 08, 2011 8:37 PM
Posts: 10,
Visits: 287
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| I figured it out last night after a bunch of trying different combinations. I ended up drawing a line along one edge of each moving element. Then constrained the element to the path (new line). I could adjust the vertex location to add or subtract movement. Then under the schematic view I linked one element to another to another to another.... It is working for me. There are so many different functions within this program and trying to teach myself is a slow process. 
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