How to control the folds of a cardboard box using controllers/wire parameters?

[JezUK]

I'm at the early stages of creating a client's cardboard box that is made from one sheet of cardboard but gets folded up in quite a few places.

I want to be able to control those folds somehow and looking online for a solution it looks like this tutorial on YouTube gets close to what I'm trying to achieve;

https://youtu.be/a7x5HvhPNeY

However, in that tutorial the box consists of 6 or so separate planes, and so this solution looks relatively easy to do.

My box is a lot more complex, has more folds and is made from one plane (with many edges).

I want to control the folds at 'edge' level.

Any ideas?

[fixeighted]

It might be possible, though a bit complex to set up, using LinkedXforms.
So for example like the attached.
I think I tried this method on a standard tetrapak carton (for milk etc.) and it was awkward.
At least your model is a bit more straighforward

[fixeighted]

Bend modifiers seem to work rather well actually, as in this person's example https://www.reddit.com/r/3dsmax/comm..._made_this_as/

[JezUK]

Oh wow, thank you so much! I'm taking a look at your files right now (and that reddit animation looks a good way forward too!). Many thanks

[fixeighted]

One more solution would be to use bones. It's 'fairly' straightforward, though can be a little daunting if you haven't used them before.
The advantage would be that you'd only have bone rotations to worry about animating, rather than many control objects (messy), or many
bend mods, which could also be troublesome for timing etc.

[JezUK]

Thanks again fixeighted

I'm struggling right now with just animating polys using the Edit Poly modifier.......(can you help?)

Where I'm struggling is with the new working pivots in 3DS Max 2023 when using the AUTO-KEY....

It disables the transform center and so I can't rotate a poly around an edge.....

Any ideas?

(sorry, I don't do this kind of thing often )

Thanks

[JezUK]

Man, after hours going nuts, I finally found the solution online.......

Turn off "Local Centre during Animate" (Animation Tab in Preferences).....

That was driving me nuts