Attach Wire to Surface shelf tool

Creates soft body constraints between a set of points on a target object and the closest points on a goal object. This is useful for attaching wire to dynamics objects.

On this page

Overview
Manipulating constraints in the viewport

Overview ¶

This tool creates soft body constraints between two sets of points on two different objects. You select points on the constrained object and then, optionally, select a goal object and goal points. This tool will link each selected point on the target with the closest point on the goal object. If nothing is selected as the goal object, the tool will constrain to internal animation.

Another use for this tool is to re-attach existing constraints. You can select an existing constraint during the first step in which case the tool will become a re-attachment tool. The second stage will then specify the new goal for the selected constraint.

This tool is designed as a simple way to quickly set up a complex SBD Constraint. The Attach Wire to Surface tool will automatically assign each chosen point on the wire to a corresponding (closest) point on the goal object. This saves you from having to manually match each point by looking up point numbers.

Manipulating constraints in the viewport ¶

To...	Do this
Create new wire constraints	Click the Attach Wire to Surface tool on the Wires shelf. Select the wire object you want to constrain, then press `Enter`. Select the points on the selected object you wish to constrain, then press `Enter`. Select the goal object you want to constrain to, then press `Enter`. If nothing is selected, the tool will constrain to internal animation. Select points on the goal object, if you want to restrict the closest-point selection domain, then press `Enter`. If nothing is selected, the tool will constrain to the closest of all the goal object’s points.
Re-attach existing constraints	Click the Attach Wire to Surface tool on the Wires shelf. Select the constraint(s) you want to re-attach, then press `Enter`. Select the goal object you want to constrain to, then press `Enter`. If nothing is selected, the tool will constrain to internal animation. Select points on the goal object, if you wish to restrict the closest-point selection domain, then press `Enter`. If nothing is selected, the tool will constrain to the closest of all the goal object’s points.

To...

Do this

Create new wire constraints

Click the Attach Wire to Surface tool on the Wires shelf.
Select the wire object you want to constrain, then press Enter.
Select the points on the selected object you wish to constrain, then press Enter.
Select the goal object you want to constrain to, then press Enter. If nothing is selected, the tool will constrain to internal animation.
Select points on the goal object, if you want to restrict the closest-point selection domain, then press Enter. If nothing is selected, the tool will constrain to the closest of all the goal object’s points.

Re-attach existing constraints

Click the Attach Wire to Surface tool on the Wires shelf.
Select the constraint(s) you want to re-attach, then press Enter.
Select the goal object you want to constrain to, then press Enter. If nothing is selected, the tool will constrain to internal animation.
Select points on the goal object, if you wish to restrict the closest-point selection domain, then press Enter. If nothing is selected, the tool will constrain to the closest of all the goal object’s points.

Note

This tool will create a spring SBD constraint by default. You can change it to a pin constraint in the Type dropdown menu on the Operation Controls toolbar.

For specific parameter help see the SBD Constraint node help.

Attach Wire to Surface shelf tool

Overview ¶

Manipulating constraints in the viewport ¶

Shelf tools

Using the shelf ¶

Technical ¶