itsjustme

Mark's illustrations are the way to go.

I would straighten the hand bone more, but it would work fine as you have it if that's the way you prefer it.

I'm not sure about this one...usually that shoulder origin would be farther inside the torso, but for this design that might work. I would probably move it inward quite a bit. --------------------- EDIT --------------------- I would also center the shoulder origin on the 'Z' axis.

I would raise the heel and toe to the center of the height of the foot...but I've seen other people do it the way you did it.

I would move the geometry of the feet outward a little so that he's not bow-legged. ----------------- EDIT ----------------- I think I looked at it wrong...the leg bones look like they need to move inward. Also, put about a 5 degree bend in the knee...there are times where there can be problems if you don't, it's just a precaution.

For this one, I would use B...that way the comb would be included in the full body squetch correctly if you squash him into the ceiling. This one should be fine.

Pictures should be enough, Marcos. If there's a problem that requires more than that to solve, then you could post or e-mail whatever is necessary. Very nice character!

There was a parenting issue in the installations that is corrected in this update (I also re-packaged and renamed everything for neatness). If you have a character already rigged using the installations since March, the fix is to re-parent the "right_thigh_base", "left_thigh_base", "right_calf_base" and "left_calf_base" by dragging them (with their child bones) from the "body_SQUETCH_base/body_SQUETCH_pivot/body_SQUETCH_character/base_bone/hips/spine_hips_lower_controller" to the "body_SQUETCH_base/body_SQUETCH_pivot/body_SQUETCH_character/base_bone/hips" instead. Sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused. Thanks to Mark Skodacek for finding this error. If anyone finds a problem, let us know and we'll fix it as fast as we can. -------------------------------------- EDIT -------------------------------------- These files have been deleted, the next update is in the next post.

You have split out the relationships so that when you import 13s_Posable_Five_Finger_Squetch_Rig_04_11_2008.mdl the only relationships you get are the Install poses. Then later on in the install process you import other files (i.e. FINAL_IMPORT_Posable_Five_Finger_Squetch_Rig_04_11_2008.mdl and others depending on what options you want) in order to get the other of the poses. Yes, that was done so that the installation Poses and the Poses for animating wouldn't conflict (a few things did...mainly Expressions). The add-ons are handled the same way. I double-checked the installation files...you must have some Poses either left over from a previous installation or have accidentally combined the installation files somehow, Rusty. I don't know how fundamental the change was...it just eliminated a few of the face setup Poses. You can just delete the left and right versions of them and drag the new combined left/right Poses into your character to update the rig you recently installed. The new Poses are in the "Animation_Controls/Face_underlying_controls/face_setup/mouth_ud_limits_setup", "Animation_Controls/Face_underlying_controls/face_setup/mouth_lr_limits_setup", "Animation_Controls/Face_underlying_controls/face_setup/jaw_limits_setup", "Animation_Controls/Face_underlying_controls/face_setup/LowerTeeth_limits" and "Animation_Controls/Face_underlying_controls/face_setup/Maxilla_limits" folders. I don't have a concrete release date. What I'm doing is modeling the character that I'm going to use for the tutorial, which is also a character for my personal project. In addition, I'm doing work on the Quad Rig update and modeling a quadruped to be used as an example rigged character (and to test the Quad installation), like Squetchy Sam. Once the modeling on the biped character is done, I'll rig him and make the installation tutorial while I'm doing that. The character's body is modeled, I'm working on his head/face now. I've been trying to get to this personal project for more than a year (actually, a previous version of the same project was a goal for several years) and I decided that if I'm ever going to get it done, it will have to be a higher priority than it has been up to this point. The best guess I can give you is that the tutorial should be done a couple of weeks after the character's modeling is finished.

This update includes the combining of some left/right Poses in the face setup. The face setup instructions have also been updated. Thanks to Mark Skodacek and Ken Heslip for the updates. If anyone finds a problem, let us know and we'll fix it as fast as we can. ---------------------------- EDIT ---------------------------- These files were deleted, the next update is here.

Thanks, David. uhhh...I'm using 15 - when editing the pose the compensate button isn't on ...I believe you mean when one first sets the constraint (orient, translate) - that the compensate is on by default? The procedure for resetting in ver 15 and before is the same? I think that you won't have to hit the compensate button in v15 since the default for it is to compensate...you'll have to tell me if that's true though. Hope that helps, Nancy.

Yes. Yes, that's how it works before v15...the compensate is on by default in v15. Hope that helps, Nancy.

Nice, Sebastian! Personally, I wouldn't use Mickey Mouse's image on the watch...I think he's in the public domain now (I'm not positive), but I still wouldn't use it. I wouldn't want any legal problems that can be easily avoided. The only other thing I would mention is that in all three episodes so far, his hands don't ever cup that I remember. It makes him look like he has "paddle hands". That may be intentional..if it is, ignore this. You're really cranking them out! Keep it up.

Yesir, you can unhide them using the "Show_and_Hide_Rig_Components/hide_face_setup_bones/hide_face_geom_bones".

You'll have to use the in/out Poses along with the left/right Poses and up/down Poses to get everything to move inward for the pucker. Then, you'll have to add some lip curling (so you'll have to build those lip curling Poses I mentioned) and muscle movement...check Squetchy Sam's Poses. Sure, if you make sure the key buttons are selected for what you need (along the bottom left of the interface) it should mirror. I have had problems getting some things to mirror, so I just put the values of the sliders in manually...it only takes a couple of seconds and it's bullet-proof. I generally only mirror any muscle movement...which is very little in most characters.

Since the heavy lifting is done in the face setup, use those Poses to make the FACE Poses. The only Poses that you'll have to dig into the Pose itself or manually move a bone are the eyebrow Poses and any Pose that requires muscle movement. Here's a list: 1. For the "lip curling" Poses, it might require some muscle movement, but, for the most part I use the "roll" lip geometry bones that are children of the lip geometry bones. Transfer the weighting necessary to those bones and then use them as handles to curl the lip...it makes it easier for me to shape the lips. You don't have to use those bones, you could just go with muscle movement if you are more comfortable doing it that way. The lip curling Poses I'm referring to are: "Animation_Controls/Face_underlying_controls/lips/lip_upper_right_curl" "Animation_Controls/Face_underlying_controls/lips/lip_upper_left_curl" "Animation_Controls/Face_underlying_controls/lips/lip_lower_right_curl" "Animation_Controls/Face_underlying_controls/lips/lip_lower_left_curl" 2. The eyebrow Poses located in the "Animation_Controls/FACE Interface/Upper Face Poses/Eyebrows" folder. To set those up, I use an Action to figure out what I want the brows to look like when they are raised, lowered or squeezed by manually moving the eyebrow bones. Then, I split up the bone rotation values into the separate Poses...use Squetchy Sam as a guide. 3. The "Animation_Controls//FACE Interface/IndividualEyesDilate" Poses are muscle Poses. 4. The "Animation_Controls/FACE Interface/Lower Face Poses/Sneer - Frown - Cheek Puff - Dimple controls/Dimples" and "Animation_Controls/FACE Interface/Lower Face Poses/Sneer - Frown - Cheek Puff - Dimple controls/CheekPuff" Poses are muscle Poses. 5. The "Animation_Controls/FACE Interface/Lower Face Poses/SmileWide - Narrow Mouth controls/RightNarrowOO" and "Animation_Controls/FACE Interface/Lower Face Poses/SmileWide - Narrow Mouth controls/LeftNarrowOO" Poses will need some muscle movement for the puckering. 6. Just because it isn't obvious, I'll list this one too. The "Animation_Controls/FACE Interface/Upper Face Poses/LeftSquint" and "Animation_Controls/FACE Interface/Upper Face Poses/RightSquint" Poses are made using the "Animation_Controls/Face_underlying_controls/face_setup/cheek_movement_for_building_squints" Poses. Squetchy Sam is a good guide for how to set everything up. Hope that helps, Ken.

Have you adjusted the CP Weighting? Check the weighting on Squetchy Sam's eyelids for comparison. There was a problem with eye targeting when the InstallRig plugin was run before positioning the FACE controls (the instructions had the error in them, but is corrected now)...I don't know exactly what that did, Mark found and fixed it in a few models. So, that's another possibility. At the 5:00 keyframe in the face setup Action the "Blink" Pose is at 100%, so the eyelids should meet. If you open a new Action and unhide the eye bones using the "Show_and_Hide_Rig_Components/hide_face_setup_bones/eyes_and_eyelids/hide_eye_geom_bones" Pose, are they pointing forward? You can also unhide the eye targets using the "Animation_Controls/FACE Interface/Show Eye Targets" Pose...do the eye bones aim at those targets? Are the targets in the right place or have they moved from the default location? This problem could be part of the same problem of running the InstallRig plugin before positioning the FACE controls...I'm not sure. If you can't locate the problem, point me at the model and I'll take a look at it. For setting up the FACE Poses, the only set of instructions are the videos that Mark Strohbehn made for setting up a muscle-based rig...they are located here. There are some differences since those videos were made, but watching them should still be helpful. Other than that, Squetchy Sam is an example. If you look at how the FACE Poses are set up in him, it should steer you in the right direction. Sorry for the delay in getting the updated tutorial done.

Very cool, Sebastian!

No, the Maxilla and LowerTeeth bones are for the lips in this setup (the LowerTeeth bone works differently in a muscle-based setup, its' name is misleading when used in the bones rig). You want to be able to have a character push the jaw forward or back without opening the mouth...during chewing or whatever. My thinking is that you have the teeth CP's assigned to the LowerTeeth bone...I would assign the lower teeth, gums and lower throat to the "Jaw_geom" bone. Hope that helps, Ken.

Nosir, that one wouldn't be possible. You are setting two limits that are two separate things. You are positioning two different bones at two different locations. ----------------------- EDIT ----------------------- Hold on, you're right Ken....it's late in my day. ----------------------- EDIT ----------------------- I'll add that to my to-do list as well (I've already added the last suggestion for the next release). Thanks!

It's just about covering all of the possibilities, Ken...or at least as many as we can. Not having the center of the mouth able to cross the center line would look kind of strange to me. Of course, most of that kind of movement can be accomplished using the Maxilla and LowerTeeth bones, but those move the entire upper (Maxilla) and lower lip (LowerTeeth). I'm sure there are going to be plenty of characters that will talk out of one side of their mouth or have an over-the-top sneer or something...that would make the ability to cross the center line of the mouth pretty useful.

Very nice so far, Eric! The patch count sounds very economical as well.

Thanks Mark! I'm just at the end of step 5. Will I be able to continue and get everything right using what documentation is available (steps 6, 7, 'final' and the douments in the zip file) or, should I wait? I see in the model's poses in step 7, poses for scaling and positioning 'switches'. I kind of understand what these are from reading the forum posts. However, I also thought I saw a post saying that the 'switches' were being dropped (removed from the rig). Are these staying or or going? Thanks, Rusty The presently available documentation along with the information posted in this section of the forum would be enough information. If you run into a problem, post, PM or e-mail. I'm slowly getting to the updated tutorial...sorry for the delay. The switches are in there, but, you have to go through a couple of extra steps because they are optional now, Rusty. Those steps should be listed in the included installation instructions.

You are setting the left/right limits (pages 6 and 7) of the center of the lips. Up to that point, that is the only part of the mouth that doesn't have those limits yet. How far depends on the character, but I would think that the limit would not quite reach the next right/left lip spline if the mouth has the number of splines that Squetchy Sam has. Some people would have more splines, so that rule would be a little different for them. Hope that helps.

Aha. Now I'm getting something. I thought I had tried this, but apparently not. As I've marked in the image, the lower sliders don't do alot. Maybe they're the ones I did before. Right, I think I'm set to start setting the limits. You may consider combining the left and right side together in the one slider.....eg left/right mouth upper 2. That would cut the number of sliders and work required to define the limits. I don't know if there's any situation where you would want a-symmetry at this stage. That can be done with the nulls. Thanks for the help David (assuming I have it this time). I'm sure I'll be asking again. The reason those limits aren't doing anything is that they are the "inner" limits...for the wide limit, you need to adjust the "outer" limits. You're probably right about combining the right and left sides, Ken...I'll put that on my to-do list. Thanks!