fae_alba

Now that was an elegant solution! I will note for anyone following this approach, moving the rope ends in the chor works, but you have to keyframe it as a hold interpolation and simulate the cloth to a frame just before moving the rope bones, otherwise it causes a simulation error. I still need to figure out the best way to get the long ends of the hammock to curve up more than they are though.

I added the custom groups into the hammock, and it did help in that before the ends of the hammock looked odd. Since not part of the sim the position of the edges didn't follow the rest of the hammock. But, now they seem to float away from the ropes tying the whole thing together. Also, I can't seem to get that "brazilian" hammock vibe. you can see the unattached ropes on the closest edge the rig as it is now The "vibe" I'm looking for

Robert, your "super simple" test was what I needed for the light bulb to go off. I think the issue was the boxiness of the proxy I was using. If I mimic your test with vases, I get essentially the same result as you. There will still need to be some mucking about in action and muscle modes to tweek it, but since this is a still that shouldn't be too much of a worry.

And yet another test, this time with a different camera angle and more extreme pose on the "body"

I've been playing with this all afternoon, and came to the same conclusion. Here is the current iteration of the model And a quick render without the proxy body and with the proxy It's getting better. My goal is to get the "sinking into the hammock" feel, with the sides curving up where the body isn't.

Been playing hooky from work (not hard to do on a friday!) and decided to resurrect an old project from about 10 years ago for the summer classics contest. The basic idea is to create a Brazilian style hammock using cloth. I want it to hang loosely, forming itself around the body/shape lying in it. I know I can do it with bones, and shaping in muscle mode in the chor, but where's the fun in that I ask? I've gotten the cloth material on the hammock, and a cloth deflector on the body proxy. But after the cloth sim is run the proxy penetrates the cloth. Add to that it seems that the decal of the hammock disappears, which is really strange. edit...here's a screen grab of the hammock model

I've got three, just depends if I can execute on any of them. I've always approached these contests as a reason to learn a new technique in AM. This time around I have the potential of learning all kinds of nifty things!

Yup. I added bones to the frond mesh to do just that, just didn't adjust them any. Added some more fronds, then drooped them for hopefully a more natural look.

Now see, the simplest of tips makes life a lot easier. Thanks! Experimenting now with assembling the tree in an action. Seems like this might be the way to go. I'm still not entirely happy with how the crown of the tree is looking. It needs more detail that I'm going to have to model in I think.

This is what I have so far. This is assembling the tree and fronds in the chor.

Not nearly as impressive as an Emmy, but hey still proud of it!

I've been trying to come up with an elegant way to model a quasi realistic palm tree. I have a model done that so far only has the trunk and one palm frond modeled. The frond itself is a simple mesh, with an image applied as a cookie cut. I have the trunk and one frond as a single model. The frond has a rig to allow me to position it in a chor as I need depending on the scene. The intention was to then to save off the frond/rig separately, then re-import and position each frond as I need to make a fully leafed out palm tree. The issue I'm bumping up against is that when I import the frond model, then translate it to the position I need it to, the rig doesn't translate with it. I'm not looking forward to having to translate the rig in the bone view as well, since after a number of times that's going to get dicey to keep straight. What strategy could I employ that would streamline/improve this process? frond1.avi frond1.avi

Well I guess I have the excuse I need to get back to a:m!

Needs a twist though. Maybe cyborgs...

I always find it interesting how many folks leave a:m only to come back to it years later. Great to have you all back!

Wow...papa near made the grade, though at the very bottom! Guess I need to get back to work and post more. Trying to split time between work, this forum, my animation aspirations and my personal blog makes for some serious time crunches though.

Some time ago I had won at an animation art auction a backdrop painting used in a HB cartoon (which one I have no idea), and I thought it would be a good backdrop for Papa Bear. So I did a couple of renders with version one of the model both in 3D and 2D. Below is a quick example of the outcome. While at the time the consensus was that my shorts should be done in 3D, I'm still partial to the 2D version. It seems to resonate more with me. The backdrop image Papa Bear in 3D Papa Bear in 2D

I've been toying with the idea of doing my "Papa Bear" shorts in this style. I'm partial to the early Disney look and feel, which ultimately for me would be as near to nirvana as I could get.

"Squirrel!"

I did the same as Rodney with a denser grid and it simulated as I wanted. The pieces did a little mexican jumping bean routine at the end, but that was a simple enough fix of whacking the trailing keyframes.

I'm experimenting with the bullet rigid body constraint. Nothing fancy, just a simple puzzle piece falling from the top of the chor to the ground plane, a bounce or three then stop. I intend on using this as part of a power point presentation I am putting together for work (the slide is "Pieces of the Puzzle"). What I am stymied on is keeping the puzzle pieces from penetrating the ground plane. I want the pieces to hit, bounce then wind up laying flat, but short of adjusting individual channels after the fact I don't see the magic setting to get that to happen. test.avi Project1.prj

That would be one awesome story!

You couldn't go more minimalist (is that even a valid phrase?!) than that rig!

Rodney, sent you an email with a model attached. Have fun with it!

Now that looks promising. The other place for expression is the upper lips/jowls. They need to have a flappy kind of vibe. But what you have there has quite a bit of expression in its own. My holy grail would be able to mimic that sheepish look that Humphrey often gets.