itsjustme

I made a few minor tweaks and fixed a couple of things I found, so I uploaded a new version of Sam in this post. If you downloaded the previous version, get the updated Sam for any testing. If anyone finds a problem, let me know and I'll fix it as fast as I can. Once I get the installation rigs finished, I'll upload a stop-gap version before I go through the testing of the next possible addition. That addition (if it works out) will be the last for a while, since there will be a feature freeze...if you want something added, you need to mention it soon. ---------------------------- EDIT ---------------------------- A rig update is in the next post.

I just posted a test version of Squetchy Sam and quick demonstration video of the things I've been working on in the Squetch Rig...it's here. If anyone has time to see if it breaks, it would be very helpful.

It took me longer than I would have liked, but I think I've gotten the two updates I've been working on doing what they are supposed to do. Here's a test version of Squetchy Sam and a quick video showing what I added. If anyone finds a problem with the additions, let me know and I'll see if I can correct them. I'll get this stuff added to the installation rigs and then try a shoulder tweak that I'm not sure will end up working...we'll see. ----------------------- EDIT ----------------------- I made a few minor tweaks and fixed a couple of things I found, so I uploaded a new version of Sam here. ------------------------ EDIT ------------------------ This version of Sam has been removed, the next release is in this post.

Robert's Simplest IK leg tutorial might be helpful, John.

Looks great, Mark!

Wouldn't hair in A:M work for frayed edges?

Looks great, Jirard!

You are correct, Chris. I finally remembered an old post on this where Nancy talked about the same method but adding Image Based Lighting. It works on models that are textured. After playing with it for an hour figuring out how to get it to work again (including getting that old project and going over it about 12 times), I finally got it to work again in a new project, and I updated the wiki page. (The part with the word "IMPORTANT" is what I kept doing wrong when trying to reproduce it.) That was with passes=4, AO sampling=20%. Here is with passes=16, AO Sampling = 70%. My initial response was at least partially incorrect, Chris. I just realized that I have used the purely AO render with some texturing applied. The images of the door and frame in this post uses some bump and diffuse maps. ---------------------- EDIT ---------------------- That is also true of the bolts in this post. The signs in the images in this post are an actual colored decal as well. So, I guess my response was incorrect. I should engage my brain when responding, I guess (rather than give a knee-jerk response). Sorry for my mistake.

You are correct, Chris. ------------------- EDIT ------------------- Ooops, I think my response is incorrect. See this post.

Yessir, that is a great use, Chris. Thanks for adding that to the Wiki! I'm going to try to do that as well...I think we all should, it would greatly add to the online documentation.

Great tests! It is a very powerful feature. None of the TinWoodsman of Oz faces used Distortion Boxes (they were either bone or muscle movement). They can be added to a character easy enough, but there was some aspect that made them difficult to standardize in an installable rig...if I'm remembering correctly. That may not have been the reason though...the rig design and installation process went very quickly.

Looks great, Steve! Finding those files should help quite a bit.

It's just an AO render...in the "Properties" of the Choreography, set the "Global Ambiance Type" to "Ambiance Color" (255, 255, 255), "Ambiance Intensity" to "80%", "Ambiance Occlusion" to "80%", the Camera background color is set to white and in the Render Options, turn "Multipass" to "On" (16 pass), "Ambiance Occlusion" to "On" and "Occlusion Sampling" to "70%" (you can set it lower for faster renders with a little more noise). Wikified! I added the image of the coffee maker as an example on the Wiki, you can change it out with something else if you'd like, Chris. I just felt that it would give the Wiki user something that shows what the setting described would look like when rendered.

It's been a while since I needed to post a "stay alive" post, but, I haven't updated this area in a few weeks. I followed my nose into adding two rig updates to the Squetch Rig and it's taking me longer than expected. One of them is finished, but the second one looks like it will take a few more days (if I can get it to work correctly at all)...it's being stubborn. There is a third possible addition that I'm thinking probably won't work, but I'm going to test it...just in case. Once I get the updates installed, I'll freeze the features in the rig (but fix any issues that are found) and put the installation tutorials in my work rotation.

Great stuff, Matt!

Looks great for water or lava, John!

Happy Birthday, Arthur!

Happy Birthday, John Henderson (JohnArtbox)!

It's not necessary...I'm working through it anyway. Very cool, Mark! I didn't know that.

LOL! I was thinking about that a couple of weeks ago (been working on it for the Squetch Rig, we'll see if I can get it done)...sometimes it's just an idea's time, I guess. You can just add a Null in the choreography and have the IK foot control "translate to" and "orient like" it (both with compensate on) and it will work, Marcos. Of course, it could be added to any rig...some would be harder to add than others (getting the squetching right has been my problem).

I'll echo Robert's assessment, Mark. I think you should get rid of four splines on the upper lip (two on each side) and four splines on the lower lip (two on each side).

My thinking is that you could use Zign Track to make an Action for the shaky cam motion. If you shoot some hand-held video trying to keep a dot centered, you could then use that motion as an exported Action applied to the camera in A:M. It would be more natural looking, you could shoot a really long Action so that it wouldn't have to loop and you could increase or decrease the amount of shake using a Pose combined with an Expression. That would get the basic hand-held feel that could be added to the camera movement. You might even consider adding some motion from the hips of either a motion capture or hand animated character walk along with the hand-held shake Action. The lag in focus and overshoot of the subject would probably look best if done by hand. It could be automated, but I don't think it would do as good of a job that way.

Great stuff, Jason!

Looks cool, Marcos!

There is no resistance to making the tutorials, I have always intended to do them. As I said, I wanted to wait until the rig got to a point where I wouldn't have to re-do the tutorials immediately...the last set I made lasted less than a month before they became outdated. I never thought you were doing anything other than trying to help, I was just pointing out how it could have been taken wrong because of the way it was written. In the past, I have sent links to people to see if I can get feedback before posting. Most of those people have been extremely busy lately and I'm not sure if any of them would still be interested. I'll start a new list with your name at the top, Jason. If anyone else would like to be included on the list to review the tutorials for the Squetch Rig, let me know. It will be a few weeks before I start working on them, but they'll be in my rotation soon. I should have another rig update posted in the next week, then I can get started.