Create realtime physics and save it as keyframes. Using a custom pure python simple physic engine, add some dynamics to any chain of transforms. The dynamics are saved as animation curves for the animator to edit it afterwards.
Main features
We'll use this animation as a base for all the following examples.
By default this is the result that you can see applying the physics. It will follow the animation according to the control ramps. The lower the ramp value, the more "free" it will be from the base animation and it will follow the physics
If you start playing with the follow base animation and the rigidity ramp curves, you can drastically change the result. In the example it tries to follow less in the middle than the start and the end
Also you can disable the control’s rotations, so they only translate. Now that the rotation isn’t constrained animore, the controls have more freedom to follow the physicss
You can change the gravity value, so the control doesn't fall
If you want fully physics controls (like a rope or tie), you can disable the follow animation checkbox. The root will still follow its parent transformation, but the rest will be free
Changing the elasticity ramp values handle how much the chain stretch
And the mass ramp makes some controls heavier than others. Making the center a little more heavy, resulting on a snappier dynamic
After you are happy with the base dynamic result, you can simplify the animation curves with the slider. The curves will try to preserve the main shape but reducing the keyframes making easier to edit
And finally all the dynamics are being saved by default on a new animation layer, so you can "multiply" or "reduce" the simulation
Running instructions
Clone the project on a path inside Maya's environment, or add the folder path with
importsyssys.path.append([Yourradolizepath])
Then in maya script editor run the following to open the UI