Basic Features Object Manager Tags Menu Various Tags Tension Tag
Function available in CINEMA 4D Studio
Tension Tag

Basic Tag

Tag Properties

Fix Tension

Click this button to record the polygons' current state as the relaxed state. This assigns a vertex map weighting of 0% for each point in the mesh, which is displayed as completely red in the viewport.

Mode

Here you can choose whether you want to use the relative or absolute stretching and compression of the polygons to calculate the vertex maps.

Relative

This method calculates the vertex map depending on the stretching and compression of the polygons relative to their relaxed state. For example, if Amount is set to 10, as soon as a polygon has been stretched by 10% or more of its relaxed state, its vertex map points will be assigned 100% weighting.

Absolute

This method calculates the vertex map depending on an absolute stretch or compression. For example, if Amount is set to 10, as soon as a polygon has been stretched by 10 units or more than its relaxed state, its vertex map points will be assigned 100% weighting.

Clamped

This option allows you to stop the vertex map receiving values greater than 100% for the weighting, even if the amount of stretch of compression is far greater than the Amount value. If the option is disabled, the vertex map weights for areas where stretching or compression exceeds the Amount are increased proportionally. In these cases, although vertex maps can only store values up to 100%, the vertex maps are normalized to bring the values back into the 0%-100% range.

On the one hand, this can lead to softer transitions at the edges of stretching or compression. On the other hand, it can mean points of polygons not affected are assigned a weighting greater than 0%.

Amount [0..+∞]

Defines by how much a polygon must be stretched or compressed in order for its points to be assigned a weighting of 100%.

Fold Map

Drag & drop the vertex map that should store the weighting for the folds into this link field. It doesn't matter what values are stored in the map when you Drag & drop it into this field. The Tension tag overwrites all weight values with the current fold information.

Make Map

Click this button to create a vertex map named Folds which is immediately entered into the Fold Map link field.

Stretch Map

Drag & drop the vertex map that you want to store the stretch weighting into this field. It doesn't matter what values are stored in the map when you Drag & drop it into this field. The Tension tag overwrites all weight values with the current stretch information.

Make Map

Click this button to create a vertex map named Stretch which is immediately entered into the Stretch Map link field.

Selection Tag

You can Drag & drop a polygon selection tag into this link field to restrict the evaluation of stretching and compression to specific polygons in the mesh.