KenH

Noted Rod. Hmmm....I wonder if people could advise on the type of jaw movement that looks best. I've done onw animation where the whole jaw is moving and another where just the front section moves. They're in this 440kb zip. Any tips? Jaw_anims.zip

Thanks. Well, yes it's a big space, but I'm also going to put in other things like cogs and stuff that drive him. In the middle is the heart....which I envision as glowing red and the "power source" for the mechanisms around him.

A small quicktime (130kb) showing his compartment opening and revealing the shelf where his heart will be. compartment.mov

OK, I think he's ready for rigging.... For any directors: Is there a standard rig you want to keep to or can everyone use their own? I'm going to use TSM 2.

Thanks man. But I wouldn't write off what you haven't seen just yet.

Very good point. He's "gotta" have hips that move seperate from the torso. I don't see him bending at the waist at all. His compartment is in his middle so it's not physically/AM possible. I figure it will add a sort of "robotic restriction" to him. But maybe small invisible movements might be good and that's possible. Cheers all.

This is how he looks in his castle. Pristine....and very convenient! I guess as he goes along the path, some rust spots and tarnish might appear. Not for me to worry about. I'll probably leave the hat as it's closer to the original design now. Thanks for the comments!

I actually added the legs first and socketed his head.....

A new hat! Next image he'll have arms....

OH! He meant rim thickness in the z axis and not in the y axis! I think you're right. I'll get on it.

Yeah, his shoulders are fairly wide and he's got a thin stomach. It's kind of stylized look I guess but I kind of like it. I'll see how it looks with the rest on him. Don't forget he's a "strong" woodsman and he doesn't eat!

Done. I think I "poped out" the eyes. I've unsure whether to add another seperate small compartment for his heart (up in the heart position) or just lump it in the big one....

Mike: I'm actually not sure what you mean by "defend the edges". Maybe add another spline loop to preserve the curve? In any case, I peaked the splines to get more of a line and that means the edges aren't dependent on splines outside the doors. A happy side effect. Rodney: Someone noticed! I'm also going to add another touch like that were his oil can is in the shape of a flower with a stem. It'll be located in his lapel. Colin: Thanks! Not sure what you mean about the eyes, but the rest....no sooner said than done.

Thanks Mike I'll use that for adding more detail on the chest. But there's still the problem of when I "take away" the hatch door, the splines loose their curvature a little (as do the door splines) and don't match up when the seperate door is replaced. However, the difference isn't that noticable I've just discovered and the door thickness will probably cover it up.

Thanks guys! Here's the wire.

For practical reasons, I'm going the ball and socket route. I'm not sure how to add a compartment to his chest as it will upset the flow of the splines. Maybe it could be a seperate "close up" model or booleans?

But of course! And also a little holder for his oil can.

Thanks Joakim. I'm open to taking your money anytime. Here's a little more. It's going to be more detailed and have a compartment to hold his heart and workings. I'll continue it tomorrow....

Some developments....

I'm posting my WIP for next months contest here as I think this is an exceptional one. The contest...not necessarily the model. It would be great if everyone started wips so that comments can be made to make each individual design the best it can be. So, here's mine which is based on Richards design located here: http://www.hash.com/forums/index.php?act=A...=post&id=106977 Comments/improvements welcome.

LOL That's a windy day!

Something like a T-rex leg would seem appropriate to me.

That's good alright. What's happening on the left side one? It's like the decal is animated and doubled up...

Yeah King Bal. But I think they're looney toons too.

That looks cool. I don't know if he has all the requirements in the book though. I think the warts are probably one of the memorable/distinctive descriptions of them.