HFFWS Working with the Rope Script

October 23, 2019

Human Fall Flat Workshop

Rope Script

Identifying Key Components

The main components of controllilng the rope script when it comes to placing it and connecting it with objects, are the handles and the start/end bodies. The handles are transform positions that dictate key points on the rope. Two is the standard, as they determine a beginning and the end for the rope, but more can be used to direct the rope in multiple directions. The start and end bodies are rigid body references which determine objects that will be physically connected to the ends of the rope.

The discovery with how the handles work opens the possibility for more rope configurations other than flat ropes which fall over other objects. Being able to guide a rope around in interesting patterns could potentially allow for setups that are more similar to actual pulley setups, where a rope needs to go around a wheel object at least once.

The first prefab I worked with that used the Rope script had rigid body objects with Fixed Joints on them that seemed necessary at first. While working with another rope using prefab (the hook), I found that it did not use these Fixed Joints. This showed that these are actually not manditory for connecting rigid bodies to the rope. It is just the rigid body reference on the Rope script itself for the startBody and endBody. Further investigation may show what purpose the Fixed Joints served.