3ds max: cloth simulation

we learn to make a simple cloth fall over an object in this part....

The Scene to work in its very simple. It consist in a plane for the floor and the object to use, in this case a mini Hifi Stereo System with Speaker and remote controller.

Now we create the cloth that use in the simulation later. For that, we start creating a plane object with about 50 subdivisions, the sufficient to make an accurate and exact animation, with all the featured needed. This is the result:

Creating a circle Shape and using the ShapeMerge tool we finishing the cloth with a circled look, so more beautiful will be. Keep to clean unnecesary vertix in the edge of the edges using the WELD command in the Editable mesh/poly tab.

Now its time to make the simulation. For that we use a free plugin called SIMCLOTH, from the same team that VRAY (I hope that can finish the current version and make it better). This is the control panel of Simcloth. As you see, is very easy to use:

We start for positioning the cloth mesh over the object, and add the Simcloth modifier. Then select the Cloth mode. For now don't touch nothing of the parameters.
Now select the ground plane and the object that be tapped with the cloth and again add the Simcloth modifier and select the Deflector mode to it. Again, don't touch nothing.
To finish, we push the button START CALCULATION. Depending on the power of our computer and on the complexity of the calculations.

we can apply a material to our cloth. Otherwise, in the material requires UVW coordinates, its better apply it BEFORE the simulation (or go to a point under the stack and apply there the UVW Mapping). In our case, we choose a plain color with no texture coordinates. The material it's really simple, simulating velvet. For that, only put a FallOff map in the Diffusse channel with the colors intense red in one and pinky red in other, as you see here:

At last, we can do the final touch. How we used a medium to low mesh for the simulation, is time to refine the geometry. For that we use the new TurboSmooth modifier of 3d Max 7 and apply 2 iterations of smooth, obtaining a good density and adding extra detail. And for last, the Shell modifier, that give a thikness extra to the cloth:

Now, we only render the sequence and enjoy the falling cloth...