Paul Neale has released a tutorial demonstrating a procedural method for creating wire bundles with zip ties in Autodesk 3ds Max. The workflow is designed to remain fully dynamic, allowing adjustments to automatically update across the entire setup.
The system uses splines, noise modifiers, and arrays to generate wires with natural variation in placement and color. A path deform modifier ensures that the wires follow a designated curve, while additional modifiers introduce twisting and irregularities to simulate a more realistic appearance.
Zip ties are generated procedurally as well. They compress the wires at set intervals using a combination of instanced arrays, volume select, push modifiers, and skin wrap. This method creates the effect of wires bulging between ties and tightening at each constraint. The zip ties themselves are built from edited splines, extrusions, and conform modifiers, with thickness added through a shell modifier.
Watch it on YouTube.
