cloth expression with mixed animation and gravity problem

[guarantee-topic]

I made a spline, extruded it and applied balloon effect (cloth tag). I want the edges to be flat like mylar balloon and achieved it with a vertex map in mixed animation. Vertex map is based on the spline.
All works well until I try to move the balloon with gravity. Balloon is fixed in position and not moving with the gravity.
Any creative solution to this?

I tried to upload but can not make it small enough, can we increase the upload file size?
Thnks

[guarantee-topic]

Here is a dropbox link;
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/oetv62nzhmtb5rn65gj7m/heart.c4d?rlkey=uajj77b9xoida5rnxnwy3mi1b&st=xf4n5b79&dl=0

[Dr. Sassi]

Hi guarantee-topic,

Thanks for the file, and for using Dropbox.

I would lower the Remesh to 33%, but that is a question of art direction.

Add some noise to the Vertex-Map, to support the typical folds in those balloons

To avoid having to Remesh every single frame and for other reasons (see below) I would use the Current State To Object [CSTO] function (the CSTO object will work already with Gravity.)

The resulting mesh is animated without Gravity and turned into an Alembic file.

This alembic file is then equipped with a Simulation tag

The Gravity might be animated, or the empty balloon might just fall from the beginning.

https://projectfiles.maxon.net/Cineversity_Forum_Support/2024_PROJECTS_DRS/20241227_CV4_2025_drs_24_SIbh_01.zip

This is a quick set up, you might refine it.

Is this working for your project?

An alternative to the Vertex Map could be the Simulation> Connector with a Point Selection.
https://projectfiles.maxon.net/Cineversity_Forum_Support/2024_PROJECTS_DRS/20241228_CV4_2025_drs_24_SIbh_21c4d.zip

Cheers

[guarantee-topic]

perfection... thank you

[Dr. Sassi]

Thank you very much, guarantee-topic, for the feedback.

I wish you a lot of success with the project.