Maya

Stage 1:

Creating the Tentacle animation

Go into the side view and create a curve



Rebuild the curve with more CV�s, about 30 will do.

Next create a nurbs circle to the thickness you want your Tentacle to be.

Select the circle then the curve and extrude a surface using the following settings:

Tube

At Path

Component

Profile Normal



Next Duplicate the V curves and hide the extruded surface.

Select the curves and Loft them.

Ok now for the cool part, the Procedural animation.

With the Curves still selected scroll the time slider to where you want the Tentacle to be extended, go into the Inputs in the Channel Box and open the curvesFromSurface----, then right click on the name "Isoparm Value" and create a Keyframe with key selected.

Next scroll back in the time slider to where you wish the animation to begin.

Play back the results.

Congratulations, you now have the created the basic Tentacle animation.



Stage 2:

Creating the grasping Claw with Subdivision sufraces

Create a Polygon cube then go into "Subdiv Surfaces" then "Create Subdiv", you will notice that the cube turns into a sphere. Now right click over the sphere and select Polygon Mode from the popup menu, this creates an outline of the original cube shape.



Now right click again over the sphere and select "Faces" then select the top and bottom faces, in the Polygons menu select the Extrude Face


.