I have a simple mesh that I have applied cloth dynamics to.
I have a mesh hair that I skin wrapped to the above.

It works fine for awhile, it moves like the cloth result, but when
closing the file and opening it up again, the skin wrap fails.

Anyone know a workaround for this? I know it has been a problem for many versions
already.

How do you use skinwrap with success? Share your stories please.

Thanks
Mannyfromwayback

Sorry that I wasn’t clear by “fail”
I just meant that the connection will break for me at random moments.
Yes, after I re-set it up or refresh the connection it will work again.
But taking this step is a hassle sometimes. I guess I was just fishing
for some skin wrap workaround tips.

Here’s what I want. I have a character, she has long hair, I want to control the long
hair with multiple cloth dynamic setups. 1 for the back of her head, a few for
the curls that hang alongside her face.

Any other solutions you can offer out there?

(putting the cloth mod directly on the hair doesn’t work for me because her
hair is wavy, and once the gravity gets ahold of those curls, it collapses them onto
itself.)

Maybe I am using cloth mod wrong?!!?!

yes, sometimes max can be a hassle:  facto-life

here are a few things you could also try…

for the curls you could try the flex modifier.
it’s definitely tricky to get the hang of, but if u can
find some settings that work, you wouldn’t have
to mess with it much after (or continually be simming)
and you’ll get some nice springy curls

for the hair, is it a pony-tail?  you could just try
rigging a bone chain with spring controllers.
you’d get pretty close to what the cloth setup does
and again, once this one is setup, no simming or fussing.

other than that, maybe post a screenshot of your setup
with the skin wrap modifier selected.  maybe you’ve got
your settings wacky, or may we can tell from the viewport
if you’re using a bad cloth setup or something.

i would only suggested flex for the front curls (i picture little curls).
i don’t think flex would work for the main hair and i wouldn’t even try.

the cloth-skinwrap method is pretty common and should work just fine.
it sounds like your cloth is going fine, so i wouldn’t mess with that
unless it’s taking long to simulate.

are you letting the cloth pre-sim (settle) and saving that as the initial state
before setting the skin-wrap?

do you have the ‘weight all points’ checkbox checked?  u probably should

still wouldn’t mind a screenshot (if that’s allowed) as there might be
something glaringly obvious that myself or someone else on the forum
might spot right away.

i think i know what you mean about skin wrap failing.

it happens to me also, i work on a kids series and my character is held by a rope, that’s tied to her body, the “rope” is a mesh genereted from one of the characters body loops, topologically it fits perfectly.

but when i open the scene again. or just press render, the wrap snaps up to it’s original frame 0 position.

i worked around it by putting a point cache modifier and disabling the modifiers bellow.

if you have a different solution please share :)

kobi

Try to pointcache your cloth objects, and then delete the cloth modifier from every object. The skinwrap should be way more stable over a pointcached object instead a cloth-deformed object.

cheers,

M

3D Studio R1 (DOS) -> 3DS Max 2012
from Montreal, QC - home of 3ds max :)