Parlo

Thanks Javier... looking at it after you point it out, I realise that I haven't 'sold' that initial gesture at all well. It's supposed to be an expression of defeat, accenting the 'totality' of what happened. At the moment it looks like he's comparing the weight of 2 coconuts! I think I'm making a burden for my back by trying to have both hands in play there; it's hard enough to make just one seem legitimate, and droping the secondary hand out of the frame is always going to be too big a movement to get away with when everything else is aiming to be so subtle. I'm going to give it another pass before the night is out. It's great fun trying to solve a problem without the possibility of cutting away. (That's my usual trick!) mrsl13 - lip sync is fun , it's like learning to play a tune in that so many of the timing decisions are made for you. The dialogue track gives you clues and ideas of how to animate it; you just have to reduce and refine them as you work through it.

Thanks modernhorse. I'm going to try to do a much more energised piece with him next to see if I can push him in the other direction. I've been working with this model for so long that I tend to forget how creepy he come across. I've managed to spent a couple more hours on it today and think I've nailed the begining. I've also finished off the lip sync. Quicktime, sorenson 3, 1.3mb Click here for the 3rd version Next up are the facial expressions.....

Great character. The only thing I'd look at is the back of the head - you could try tapering into neck more. At the moment it's a bit flat. But this is just a niggle, not a design flaw.

This looks uber-cool!Can't wait to give it a go. Marcel, is this all a warm up before you tackle the "Make Dragon" button?

Thanks for the comments. I'm gonna try a head shake but fear that it might be a little bit too literal. As for the second hand thing, that's how I had it to begin with. The problem is that his hands are so big; when you start moving those great paws around they really draw the eye. It's like he's got a bungalow at the end of each wrist! I've not got to the brows yet. That's gonna be fun. Shaun: I'm really unhappy with the first few seconds, I know what I want but can't quite seem to get ti to work. It doesn't help that I'm very close to twining with the first pose or too. I'll try to make it less soft as you suggested - take it in the opposite direction and make it more 'punchy' and see where that gets me. Again, thanks for the comments guys. This is the kind of work I usually find so hard to finish, because there's rarely anyone else around to analyse it with that 'speaks the same language' as it were*. Crits and comments like these are so darn useful. * (Try as I might, I can't get my dog interested in character animation. The cats refuse to even listen, but cats are like that. The spider on my desk is too preoccupied with fxing his web, which I keep on breaking every time I move the lava lamp; so I can't blame him for blanking me really.)

Another 4 hours - and it's starting to take shape. Still alot of tidying up to do, the start needs reworking for one... but my eyes are starting to hurt and I've had enough of Richard Burton's voice for today. Quicktime, sorenson 3, 1.3mb Click here for version 2

I didn't use even the simplest of the keyboard shortcuts when I first started with A:M. I personally think that the following 3 (default) keys are the first thing a new user should learn. To alter your view of A:M's 3D space: M - Move tool (or pressing down the mouse wheel if you have one) T - Turn Z - Zoom (or the mouse wheel up and down if you have one) Once you've got these learnt, and can find them without looking at the keyboard, you'll find yourself working a whole lot faster. And then you'll be ready to learn more shortcuts

Thanks robo - Yeah, I'm happy with the way that those poses are working, but most of the others aren't doing it for me at all yet. They are way too too wishy-washy. I've taken some time out from it and I think I now know what to attack next. I'll post another version before the night is out.

I thought that I'd post a little animation test I'm working on to get some feed back. It's currently very rough: I've got the main poses in, done most of the lip-sync and have tried to set most of the timing. There is'nt facial animation yet and it all still needs a fair amount of finessing..... Anyhow, I would love to get some feedback - I'm trying to build my animation muscles with this, so point out my flab! Quicktime, sorenson 3, 1.3mb Click Me!

Ahh, got ya. I've been rigging a head that is far from spherical, so I've been nesting motion that is almost entirely linear. I can see how bones would be perfect in your case however. It's already monday and this is tip of the week for me! That's so straight forward that I'm ashamed that I've not stumbled across it myself. Thanks for the thorough reply Victor.

Gorgeous work Victor - truly inspirational stuff. Your rig intrigues me. I can see the need to create a rig that uses one base control for each sub section of the mesh, and having that all higher level controls alter the base control. This gives finite control over the movement of each section and insures that the model only deforms in the way that you want it. My question is: what are the other advantages of the rig? I ask because as far as I can see the same level of control can be achieved by nesting poses. Is this easier to animate? Am totally missing something else? If so would you recommend glasses? P.S. My nephews do impressions of the 'karate crab' all the time. It makes me smile - well the first 15-20 times every day it does. Every time they come round they raid my dvd collection, I'm not saying I blame you but....

Really nice work John. It's good to see the versatility of the software. Those baby trees look really cute too.

I did a little search and here's pretty much the first version of him I did (and the first head I completed in A:M). The stage between this and what I've got now is what Jim Talbot accurately describes as 'tweaking'.

lol - Hey Zach, that's one heck of a compliment! I feel exactly the same way when I look at alot of others work here too - the only reason I keep striving with my work is that I find it far less than 'awe-inspiring' and am never truly happy with it. One of these days I should find the first version of my old man character and you'll see exactly what I mean! Thanks for the big up!

ooh, it's been a while. I've been busy with other things but reworked the house idea over the weekend. I suddenly remembered that I was doing a piece of animation and therefore wasn't bound by the realm of reality. It's funny how often you forget that....

John - I really like your city, and do think that it's a better style setting for your characters than the lab model you've been working on. The lab is gorgeous (I'm gonna take a look at the project file to do me some learning!) but just didn't feel like it was right for the characters you've been working on. I'd almost go with minimal environments - only objects that directly define or play a part in each shot and the rest replaced with strong colour schemes. I think that this would give your characters a more dynamic setting. edit - I've just got what I've been connecting your work with and why I made the above suggestion. Ren & Stimpy. It has that John Kricfalusi feel somehow.

There's some fun stuff in there - quirky and slightly disturbing (in a good way)! For someone with no training you show real flair.

I think that may be it - the decal is drawing attention to something that's not there. Reduce it and the thinness of the bottom lip should look 100% intentional.

It's not so much a character thing, as in 'non friendly', it's almost as though he lacks a lower lip. To my eye it looks like there is too little modelling detail in that area - the lower lip looks at though it pretty much just drops straight down into the chin and that there is no fat there. With the amount of droop that he's got under his eyes and the bulbous nature of his nose, you could get away with more shape there under his mouth and still keep his dignified and refined look. At the moment it's the one area that somehow looks less organic than the rest of the model. But again any criticism is like complaining that the sun looks too yellow.

Gorgeous Jim! He looks even more like Gieguld with his hand holding a cigarette like that. Now all you need to do is build a model of Dudley Moore and you've got the lead cast for "Arthur 3D". Come to think of it Schlitzy is pretty much Dudley with a beard and he's already got the trade mark drunkeness down to a fine art! If I had any criticism, it would be that the mouth and (especially) the bottom lip seems too harsh when compared to the rest of the model. But it's just because you've got such a great softness in the shapes of the eyes. What's that odd lump just below his left shoulder?

oh, and if anyone is looking for the best piece of 'drunk acting reference' may I suggest Catherine O'hara in the chinese restaurant in "Waiting for Guffman". It's not what she says it's just the way she moves and double takes so brilliantly. I can't recommend it highly enough (though the film is peppered with mild profanity and sexual references - some would see these as 'no no's, I myself consider them prerequisites.)

I haven't really been having too much success with the dynamic constraint myself, it's a nightmare in netrender and it's very hard to get as much control over it as i would have liked. HOWEVER - what testing I have been doing in v11 has revealed that you can now bake the dynamic constraint and it works a dream. Being able to create the gross movement with the constraint then tweak after baking is a major time saver. This is going to make it a very powerful tool indeed. If I was to make any criticism whatever of the clip it would be the movement of his pelvis - he seems to waft from the hips a bit. It's hardly a great criticism because the animation is so strong that you're not really looking there.

fantastic stuff - the accuracy of it all makes me worry about you both! Is that hat keyframed or dynamic?

You're right. I suppose the closest example that I can relate it too from personal experience is a bunsen burner flame. However, your post reminded me of the first thing my grandfather said to my brother and I after he'd taken us to see Empire Strikes Back. He was an electrical engineer, a true disciple of science and though he had a great sense of fun and wonder he was an avid dismisser of hookum. My brother and I were speechless as we walked out of the cinema. I felt practically drunk on the magnitude of what I had just seen. My grandfather looked perplexed for a moment, stared at us both, then blurted out, "Of course, you wouldn't have been able to hear any of that in space!" He was more confused than angry. I'd like to think that he was trying to solve a major internal conflict between excitment and logic.

awesome... I'd love to see some more detailed info on the techniques used. My only crit would be that the jet omission is a bit too uniform for my liking.. I'd like to see it rapidly varying in volume more. That would help to give the impression of a powerful amount of energy being generated.