NancyGormezano

I don't see why not. I sure hope everything is ok with Rodney ???

Not necessarily - What you've got going is better - less creasing for sure. The problem is around the nose area in that you carried the splines of the nose to continue around the head. Again that brilliant boy Jesse and his brilliant cousin Matt have given you good advice - there are rings around the eyes and rings around the mouth (as well as rings around the ears, and nose holes) - It does seem to produce smooth faces, that are definitely made for "talking" Again I upload images from the masters - Ken seems to follow this pattern/formula. (AHA! his secret sauce has finally been discovered and is now being manufactured in Cupertino, CA ! - I'll be RICH...RICH...RICH ...bwa ha ha ha...oh but I digress...) Note Brautigan's spline pattern - very close to Pon - rings around eyes, mouth Note how Nimmie is heavier in splines (not needed) - and Ken refined Nimmie to produce Gloria - less splines. The more splines you have - the more likely to have unwanted creases (unless you're a master). The other thing to pay attention to is that splines are used to produce creases/indents when needed,wanted - ie from the nose to mouth area - laugh lines, wrinkles, etc

The clouds are wrong. Flip the clouds.

Man...You is dealing with one lame, prone to misinformation giving, not using correct terms, and mistake making rubbish modeler here. The "y" key inserts a control point along a selected spline - This is an old command (check out customize/keyboard/insert) that I just realized isn't shown as standard anymore. Try it - create a spline with 2 cps - select the spline with mouse (not the cps) and hit Y. A new cp will appear. I am now not sure that it maintains the curvature precisely. You are correct about 1,2,3. As for 4,5 - If a CP is intersected by 2 splines - then when you select the cp or one of the splines intersecting - note that half of the spline defined by 2 cps will turn green to tell you which spline you have selected. 4 will constrain the cp along the "green" spline and 5 will constrain it along the other or intersecting spline. Now if Rodney were here, he might say something like perhaps you forgot to do "Exercise 11: Modeling a giraffe"? in TAOAM - as that is where the defs on p.136 are hidden...(I had to go look it up)

And I hope you caught my mistakes when I colored in the blue/white (in images 2,4) above - I did this in a hurry. This is one way to think about layout of splines - and one could also use extrusion (following rotoscopes), after analyzing. Or one could start simply, and then use binary subdivision of the splines using the Y key, to maintain spline curvature. Make the 4,5 keys your friend- to restrict movement of cps along the spline, or a cross spline, as well as 1,2,3.

Another interesting character - that has...um...Spleeny CHARACTER. I love how you make such interesting characters. BUT your spline layout doesn't do them justice. It's not too late for the next one to do with less creasing & make more animatable. (maybe even not too late for this one?) Jesse gave you great advice. I am a rubbish modeler. So, do not use my models as an example - but use Ken Heslip's or some other modeling master. Just recently, I have distilled for myself what one "ought" to do when laying out splines, to minimize creasing, and for good facial animation (a la "Stop Staring"). The first thing to think about for face splines is the placement of the "holes" (eyes, mouth, ears) and where the 5 point patches will be. Any human face can be layed out this way. Asymmetry can be introduced after 1/2 the face is modeled (and copy, flipped, attached if appropriate). And then - after the basic layout of holes and 5 point patches - do as Jesse says - refine, refine, refine Here's a potential path of how to layout splines - using Pon from Scarecrow of Oz as an example. I did not take the refinement to completion. (I hope you don't mind me posting these images in your topic - if so I will delete it or perhaps someone can move these to its own thread)

really, really nice modeling - I'm envious...very, very envious.

Hmmmm...I'm logged in - still can't see it - I suspect it's a problem with my "rights". I tried from another browser (IE). No go.

Maybe it's because I don't have viewing privledges ?

ok - the title says it all - The "Pass the ball" special topic appears to be gone..or I can't see it... Am I having a senior moment? Or...er...worse ?...

Meet Martha Mouse. Because I'm a lazy twit and hate to rig, I borrowed some DNA (body, rig) from the Witch (in Scarecrow of Oz) - Head/face modeled, rigged by me (not finished), texture, hair by me. Original Witch was designed by me, modeled by Ken Heslip, rigged by Ken? using Squetch (ver 2) by David Simmons. Squetchy ball by Robcat. 4 pass - ave 23 seconds/frame - Global color = white, AI=50%, AO=0%, rim 20% (zbuf shadows), 2 suns (no shadows), reflections - 1 level, dynamic hair, dynamic constraints. I may tweak some. mouseballmedium.mov

Very lovely!

Another fun one from the SpleenMachine!

very nice ! - nice render, good idea - It might be interesting if some of the thom's end up crushed, collapsed (either with cloth? or manually manipulated) FYI, as for file size - John Bigboote (Matt Campbell) is expecting files emailed to him, no bigger than 10 mB.

I also thought it looked terrific - but I was not patient enough to wait around for the graphics to load - But perhaps I am expecting something that isn't there? All I get after "enter" is a rotating "white thingy" in the large upper black background half, but I can click on the small text navigation below it - and imagery loads (if it's there) very quickly. If nothing is supposed to show in the black back ground - then perhaps it needs to be a smaller percentage area of the page - or not show the rotating thing - as it's confusing.... Oooops ---WRONG - something finally showed up...yes toooo long a wait..amd I have high speed connection as well...

terrific - wonderful project to revive!. Love the camera angle as well

funnneeee funnneeee funeeeeeeee!

uh, bluh, duh....(there's always one in the crowd)...I just noticed the 30 fps...How about 24 fps? less frames to render, smaller file sizes - I've already rendered... (I guess I could re-time the frames in AE if necessary, rather than re-render)

Could you tell me how you do that ,I can't find it anywhere .probably looking in the wrong place lol In the chor - go to shortcut to model/options/front projection target =ON If you want the ground plane to also be front projected, and to show the shadows (will only show Klieg, z buffer shadow type, I believe - not sure) - then also make ground plane flat shaded = ON

What's the best way to do this? If your model already has colored groups, decals, etc ...then make the model a front projection target in the chor - and use a rotoscope of whatever color you'd like (white, gray, etc) - I don't believe hair will get front projected tho...and bump maps will still show (unless you turn them off) - I left colored lights in (with spec), First 2 images are both IBL (not white) with AI=30% (no AO) - 18secs/pass to render, 4 passes, both cases. 2nd render is to show how model is already colored, textured. EDIT: the third image is just AI=50%, AO=80% (no lights) - took 3:05/pass - 2 passses only - for total 6:10 mins - Big difference in time.

If you're really doing "pass the ball" - the ball is supposed to enter from left, exit right - to fit with the other clips. Perhaps Thom (in a headless state) could chase back and forth across the screen, trying to retrieve his head (ball) as it gets "ponged" about.

wow is right - almost looks mocapped...very very good!

Way to go, Spleenie Genie ! Much Fun - I like how your characters and setting capture the feeling of Myrooney LeRoy's music.

I think you should first do a Liquid Tar & Feathers Thom demo, followed by deep frying in a bubbly vat of boiling oil ... Oh yeah. Cook that hush puppy to a crisp! Don't forget the sound effects.

thanks y'all Forgot to mention that Orkerella is rigged with Squetch (vers 2?) by David Simmons Kat - Would be great to see some of your characters "Just Passing the Wooden Sword Ball" Come to think of it - would be great to see some Rich & Famous, Wannabe Night Crawling Bertram Pirates Passing the Subject 99 Ball on the Mountain as Vern shoots some Newtonian Gobble-de-Tinkering "Ain't no Way" Gnome at them Yeah. Now that would be good.