itsjustme

A little more of my trials and tribulations...maybe it will also help save someone else some time. I was using TiddlyWiki as the interface for the tutorials until a day or so ago. I thought it would be a good way to have something that could be easily edited by anyone after what I'm doing is finished...and maybe provide a template for future similar tutorials. I had things working fine using TiddlyWiki in Firefox, but came across some problems with Internet Explorer. I hadn't done it previously because I didn't have the latest version of IE installed, I use Firefox and really like it a lot. It turns out, the increased security features in IE didn't like some of the strange things I was doing from inside of TiddlyWiki...which the more secure Firefox had no problems with. What I was doing, was opening an HTML file with an embedded Quicktime video in a window. So, I decided I would knock together an HTML interface because the same thing would work fine with IE outside of TiddlyWiki. I also got some recording of actual portions of video done this week and did some subtitling. Still a long way to go, but I'm whittling it down...very slowly. I haven't gotten back to Bertram, but he'll have to be completely rigged before the tutorial can be finished. I've been bogged down in this seemingly unrelated stuff...but it is part of the whole.

After slogging my way through several subtitling solutions, I've decided that the best way to provide subtitles is outside of the embedded versions in the interface for the tutorials. I'll list off a few of the reasons, in case someone else is looking to do something similar. First, I like Quicktime video...with it encoded using the H.264 codec and AAC audio, it looks very good, is small in file size (by comparison) and is easy to scrub through. The problem with Quicktime, there isn't a built-in multi-language subtitle solution. Quicktime can do closed captioning, and has a non-standard way of providing a single subtitle, but won't satisfy what I think is necessary at this time. Second, I think non-embedded multi-language subtitles are a big plus for anyone hearing impaired or non-english speaking. I've been kicking myself a little because I haven't provided them up to this point in the other video tutorials I've made. Third, I want to try to avoid requiring the installation of additional software to view the tutorials. If there is the need, I want the additional software to be free and not require a lot of different programs/plugins. The best solution to the multi-language subtitle requirement that I've found is to use VLC...and the best solution for embedding that player in a web page (while using multi-language subtitles) is at Revolunet (here is a zip file containing examples...the advanced example is what I modified in my testing...I got rid of the unnecessary controls and changed the subtitles from on/off to a pulldown menu of languages). I did a lot of reading and testing and ended up deciding that if I went with the Revolunet solution, I would have to rely on nothing changing between Internet Explorer, Firefox, and VLC...which has happened several times recently. So, I decided the least breakable method would be to embed the videos for use inside the tutorial interface with the Quicktime plugin while providing Subrip (.SRT) subtitle files so that they could be used with an external player like VLC. I would have preferred to make it a seamless part of the interface, but every embedding solution had something I thought would be a problem. So, that's where that stands at the moment in my head. Maybe this post will save someone else a little time...at the very least, it dumps it out of my head to make room for what I really want to get done.

Extremely cool, Mark! Great choice of sound clips too.

I decided I needed to embed the Quicktime videos in the Squetch Rig tutorials differently...I wanted the option for multi-language subtitles. I found a solution that uses VLC, but I needed to change it some. It works, but I need to do a little more Internet Explorer testing with it (Firefox runs it without a problem on my laptop, but I might have cut out some code that IE needs). It usually works out like that though...I end up spending a lot of time on something I don't want to know about. I think it will be a good set of tutorials when I'm done though (we'll see).

They look great, Mark!

I got a little side-tracked the past few days working out some things in the rig documentation formatting. It has been a while since I've messed with any HTML or javascript and embedding Quicktime videos has changed a little. I'm happy with the results, so the time wasn't wasted. I've also gotten back to working on Bertram's shoulders...hopefully, I'll have something to show in a few days.

I like it, Rodney!

For decaling try here. For converting Icarus or Voodoo camera data, try here. Hope that helps.

It works for me, Rodney. I want to hold off a little before I show the final setting...I need to do a lot more populating. However, it will get a showing before it's finalized so that I can get input on it. The header image is just the top of the main page, the other material is going to be mostly videos. Thanks for the help, Rodney!

Here's the first thing on my to-do list this evening...an updated documentation header image using Rodney's suggestions (I also had to change the width a little to work better with the format I'm using). If anyone sees something that could be improved, let me know and I'll do some more tweaking.

Fantastic stuff, Robert! I think you should put your website and blog info in your signature...it would make them easier to find.

Here is a v13 Project with both the YellowDude and GreenDude set up in a choreography...everything should be embedded in the Project. I just put both characters' arms at their sides to show that things work correctly. Rotate the bones, don't translate them...that's how these characters are rigged. Hope that helps, Kyle. v13_Yellow_and_Green_Dudes_project.zip

That is a fantastic looking character, Paul! He looks like a Clint Eastwood caricature. The eyebrow hair could use either more density or more thickness at the base of the hair and the specularity etc still needs more tweaking, but other than that, it kicks ass.

I'll make another version using your suggestions and post it tonight sometime. Thanks, Rodney!

I've got several things going on at once that I'm starting to get back to after a month of pretty much working and sleeping. This is an image for the header of the biped version of the rig documentation I'm putting together. It's loosely related to Bertram, because I'm using Bertram to iron out any problems and install additions to the rig before releasing the next version. I'm just starting to get my legs back, but I'm going to put my head down and see if I can start getting something done again. If anyone sees a problem with the pose in the image, or sees any other problem with it, let me know so that I can correct it before I get to a point where I can't go back.

Yessir, it's part of several things I'm working on.

Sorry for not posting for as long as I have...December/January is the busiest time of year for me at my job. I'm starting to get an hour here and there that I might be able to squeeze some work on Bertram in. I've also started to put together some documentation on the rig...I'm trying something a little different, but I think it will be a lot better. I'll be getting back up to speed sometime this week.

Very cool lite rig, Holmes! I haven't tried the installation, but I messed a little with RobbyLite. I have three quick things that might be helpful...it's your baby, so it's for you to decide if they are helpful or just hot air. First, the leg squetching is also being transferred into the feet. To avoid that, you can parent the feet geometry bones outside of the legs and use constraints to connect them. Second, the feet rotate on their 'Z' axis when translating the hips left/right. A roll target for each foot bone would fix that. Third, I don't think the euler limits on the biceps are necessary. I don't know how these changes would affect your installation, so you might have to do them differently than what I'm thinking (if you decide any are useful). Here's a RobbyLite with those changes added as an example. Hopefully, this is helpful. When I get more time, I'll do some more stress testing. v13_RobbyLite.zip

Mark beat me with the answer...I'll leave the video attached. Hope that helps. 2008_head_and_neck_Sorenson3.mov

"SSS" is Subsurface Scattering.

Great model, as usual, Stian!

First, I'm not an expert. I like everything about the animatic except that I think you need another half second of the woman relaxing (satisfied) after stabbing the pen into the boss' picture. I watched the clip about thirty times and that was the only area that felt a little jarring to me. Hope that helps, Mark.

I have updated the last test video post with some fixes to the forearm CP Weighting.

I added a version of the sleeve cloth test with the cloth hidden in my last post.

Here's a little better test for the cloth on Bertram's sleeves...aiming for only slight cloth movement for a couple of reasons. First, the sleeves are pretty form-fitting, so I don't think they should flop around too much. That also gives me fewer problems because I don't have to worry too much about interaction with the torso...I'm going to ignore any cloth penetration that isn't extremely obvious (there is no deflector on the torso, just the arm). Second, I want the cloth to be something that I don't have to tweak too much...it would be ideal if I only have to set it up once and then ignore it, but I'll probably still have to mess with it in extreme circumstances. Third, I want to make sure I eliminate any jittering in the cloth that I can. The sleeve is set up so that it is anchored to the bicep "geom" bone that is attached to the shoulder with the least amount of rotation (there are now three rotating bicep bones in that location in the rig...I'll go into detail in the installation tutorial when I get there) with all of the CP's below the shoulder assigned to that bone with a cloth material applied. Now, I need to go back and re-do some of the torso CP Weighting...I wanted to get the sleeves worked out first. ------------------------ EDIT ------------------------ I added a version of the test with the cloth portion of the sleeve hidden so everyone could see what is being reacted against and how much of the shirt is cloth. ----------------------- EDIT ----------------------- I've updated the test videos with some CP Weighting in the forearm fixed. Bertram_12_09_2008_sleeve_cloth_test_Sorenson3.mov Bertram_12_09_2008_sleeve_cloth_test_no_sleeve_Sorenson3.mov