Step 1
To create a cone to represent a tail, choose Create > NURBS Primitives and select the box next to Cone.


Step 2
In the NURBS Cone Options dialog box, change the Axis value to X, and change the Height and Number of Spans values to 12 (Figure 11.30).

 

Step 3
Create a skeleton of seven joints to fit the tail


Figure 11.31. Adding seven joints results in six bones.

Step 4
Select the surface, and then shift -select the root joint.

Step 5
Choose Skin > Bind Skin, and select the box next to Smooth Bind.

Figure 11.32. In this case, the default smooth bind options are fine

 

Step 6
If necessary, use the Smooth Bind Options dialog box to adjust the settings for the smooth bind.

The Max Influences setting lets you choose how many joints can affect any given point, and the Dropoff Rate value controls how far a given joint's influence extends.

Step 7
Click Bind Skin to apply the smooth bind.

Step 8
Rotate the joints to test the skin.

Figure 11.33. As its name suggests, smooth bind provides smooth deformations.