Exercise 11: Giraffe

[Rodney]

Look out!

There is no video tutorial for exercise 11.

 

This assignment will be to work from the text of the manual alone.

This is an excellent opportunity to stretch your skills to the limit and see what you are capable of completing based on text description only.

 

Good luck!

 

 

The Art of Animation Master Part II: Modeling

 

MODELING TAKES TALENT

8 - Customized Car

9 - Flower Power

10 - FW-190 Fighter

11 - Giraffe (No available video tutorial)

12 - Lip Poses

13 - Show Some Backbone (Adding a Skeleton)

[animateden]

Name:  Den Dotson

 

Exercises Completed:  Eleven

Date Completed:  Saturday March 26, 2005

 

Instructor:  Rodney (king of the jungle) and that guy on the web tutorials

 

Remarks/Suggestions for Improvement: As fun as a barrel of monkeys. Really mean monkeys with hangovers.

 

Here is a link to the tenth completed exercise:

 

http://homepage.mac.com/animateden/hash/Giraffe00.jpg

 

Thanks Rodney,

-Den

[Mr. Jaqe]

Rodney... I think I love you and the guy that made theese flicks... I just learned something that will save me hours!!

[Rodney]

Joakim,

 

Hey don't post and run... what was it that you learned!?

 

Den,

Nice giraffe! You are on the home stretch now.

[Mr. Jaqe]

in Show some backbone... I had no idea you could select the parrent bone and move ALL the children! Sheesh, I've spent a lot of time adapting rigs... and eventually I tended to give up. Rigging has never been simpler!

[Rodney]

Thanks Joakim,

 

I appreciate you taking the time to comment.

Something that saves you time is sure to save someone else time somewhere along the way.

 

Thanks again!

Rodney

[Mr. Jaqe]

Thank me? Nononononono, thank YOU! I just spent 10 min on work I used to spend 1 hour +++. Im the one who should be thanking.

 

Thank YOU!

[Rodney]

In that case... I'll say on behalf of the fine folk at Hash Inc who put the exercises and video tutorials together...

 

You're very welcome!

[tommyj1112]

I wasn't sure where else to put this, so I just followed Den :-)

 

Name: Tom Jansen

Exercise: #11 Giraffe

Date: April 27, 2005

Comments: I actually had the hardest time with this guy's butt. I ended up adding some strange patches just to close it off, so it's pretty lumpy, but at least the tail covers much of it. I haven't added any bones yet either, but I may try that tomorrow.

 

My one frustration with this exercise (well, besides lumpy giraffe butts), is how the manual starts off the lesson talking about "modelling for animation" and discussing things about modelling the face so that the mouth can open, or adding eyelids and that sort of thing, which would be wonderful. But actually DOING that is not covered at all in the manual. It just kind of leaves you hanging just when you are getting to the critical stuff! Oh well... I guess I'll have to look up some other resources for that.

 

Anyways, here's my stiff (anal retentive? Nah.. I don't think I can make one more giraffe butt reference..hehe) giraffe getting ready to chow down... somehow... since he doesn't know how to open his mouth yet ;-)

 

Sorry... it's ben a long day!

 

Thanks!

Tom

[Rodney]

Tom,

I must say... I think you are the first to submit the giraffe in such a setting.

I should give you a prize for originality or something.

 

Thanks for your observations... and especially for the reminder that I need to make a place for people to post results from this exercise.

 

Way to hang in there!

 

Edit: Now Exercise 11 has an area to call it's own.

Edited May 1, 2005 by Rodney

[forevernameless]

Name: Tenez Waggoner

Excercise Completed: 11 Giraffe

Date Completed: May 25, 2005

Remarks/Suggestions: Don't do it! Heh I kid. But seriously this one was a pain. I couldn't get the back leg attached correctly. Stupid copy/flip/attach wouldn't work, so their was a gap, and I had to move it so it looked attached. The decal missed in some spots do to my horrible modeling I suppose. Though I think it fixed itself, cause it looks fine in the final render. Overall this excercise wasn't too bad. The book is pretty straight forward, but sometimes you can't tell exactly which control point it's refering too.

Whoo. I think i'm done.

[Korken]

Well, here's my Giraffe!

He's alittle "wide".

 

It was done a long time ago and it was rather hard but fun to make!

 

//Korken

[Rodney]

Tenez and Emil,

Those two look like they could be brothers.

 

Nearly everyone that works through TAoA:M finds this one to be the toughest.

Sometimes having such a tough job to tackle makes other tasks more easy.

 

Just wait until the next set of modeling exericses is revealed.

They may make this exercise look like a cake walk.

[pwaslen]

Name: Paula Waslen

 

Exercise Completed: #11 Giraffe

 

Date Completed: Jun 17, 2005

 

This one took a bit of time but it was easier than the tutorial I did a few years ago on making a cow.

 

P.S. This is the only angle the poor little guy looked good at!

[Rodney]

This one took a bit of time but it was easier than the tutorial I did a few years ago on making a cow.

 

Hey I remember that cow exercise. That reminds me... I never did model that cow. LOL

 

I think the giraffe is more fun to model anyway.

[Snich]

Name: Steve Nicholas

 

Exercise 11: the dreaded Giraffe

 

Instructor: the book and Rodney (thanks for the c/f/a help)

 

Remarks: a bit trickier by far. the only real problem I had, besides messing up the c/f/a that got solved in another thread, was some of the 5 point patches gave me fits before they'd allow me to click the patch button. I had to shift-click the 5 cp's over and over sometimes before the patch button would be available. Also, the decal stratches horribly and missed a couple places on the model..but I know thats from a lack of flattening that I'll learn about eventually. Just for the heck of it I tried a toon render and it actually looks ok.

[Rodney]

Thats a cool look Steve.

 

I'm not sure if you've seen others advice here in the forum regarding 5 point patch troubleshooting but hitting the . (period) key twice (once to invert the selection and one to regain the 5 points) usually works for me.

 

Now would be an excellent time to investigate the UV editor as the problem of decal alignment is fresh in your mind.

 

Right Click on a decal stamp and select [Edit] to adjust the splineage in the editor to get exactly the placement you need. You can Right Click on the Decal itself but if you have a lot of overlapping stamps that can be a bit confusing.

 

One thing for sure modeling a giraffe is not as easy as it looks is it?

 

Keep on modeling!

Rodney

[zowat]

Name:Erik Kirschberg

 

Excercise : #11 Giraffe

 

date Completed 9/15/05

 

Instructor : Manual

[c-wheeler]

Name:Chris Wheeler

 

Excercise : #11 Giraffe

 

date Completed 9/16/05

 

Instructor : Manual

 

Note: The inside of the legs and underside of body where not well covered by the side decal, so I could have done something a bit more detailed with the underside.

With some different lighting and a background it came out ok though. Any one know if TSM works with ver 11? I tried to rig with that but came up with "script error" each time(edited for spelling)

[Rodney]

Nice one Chris... if only they would have used Animation:Master on all those animals in 'Lion King'.

 

Great example of how an environment can sell a character.

 

Note aside: This exercise may be a good candidate for the addition of a .5 addition demonstrating UV Editor usage. Note to Self... Note to Self...

[Rodney]

Erik,

How did you find the decals and modeling to work?

[Disco Fish]

Hey Rodney

 

Slightly in at the deep end for me...this was the first thing i did as it looked fun...subsequently spent a while in a dark place before seeing the light

 

Trevor

[Disco Fish]

thought that looked a bit small...so here it is again. Once I got into it I loved it...though there were a few dodgy moments eg attaching the legs, during the flip attach...when all kinds of strange things went on, and getting the decals to look half decent...looks a bit like his jumpers shrunk in the wash

[Elissa]

Name: Melissa "Elissa" Heldenbergh

 

Exercises Completed: 11

 

Date Completed: Oct 13th, 2005

 

Instructor: A few years of A:M use, the book, and web tutorials, plus also doing the mentor program with Paul Daley. David Rogers book... Jeff Lew's DVD.

 

Remarks/Suggestions for Improvement:

This exercise would really benefit from a video tutorial.

[Rodney]

Trevor,

I really like the jawbone/jaw line you gave him. It really makes it seem like he's got a skull under there.

 

Elissa,

You said:

This exercise would really benefit from a video tutorial.

 

I don't disagree with that. Getting someone to record themselves as they pline the Giraffe together has been rather hard to get done. I keep thinking I might do it myself but always get distracted. It should be an easy task right?

 

For now I'm treating Exercise 11 as TAoAM's modeling progress check.

For those that can create the Giraffe based on the text from the manual and their own ingenuity they have progressed past the point of basic modeling proficiency with A:M. The skills learned by soldiering through Exercise 11 will serve everyone well in modeling organic shapes and characters.

 

Rodney

[Dhar]

In v11.1 I had no problem importing the Giraffe rotoscope. This is what I get in v12.

 

Any ideas?

[Dhar]

I reset the Settings, still no good. I guess I'll have to upgrade my video card <sigh>

[Rodney]

Dhar,

An old Anzovin trick that works in animation might work for you in modeling.

 

If you are in Direct3D switch to OpenGL in TOOLS/OPTIONS... then move something in your modeling window. Then switch back to Direct3D.

 

Swap the instructions from Direct3D to OpenGL as necessary.

... and good luck!

 

(Don't forget to make sure you have current video drivers and v12 stuff loaded)

 

Rodney

[Dhar]

Rodney,

 

You're lucky you're in Colorado - cuz otherwise I'd kiss you if you were here

 

That did it bro

 

It seems that it like Direct 3D.

 

Thank you.

[Eric2575]

Name: Eric T Goesch

 

Excercise completed: #11, Giraffe

 

Date Completed: Posted today, 10/30/05, but done last year

[Dhar]

Name: Dhar Jabouri

 

Exercises Completed: 11

 

Date Completed: Oct 30, 2005

 

Instructor: TAoA:M

 

Remarks/Suggestions for Improvement: A tutorial on basic dynamic/artistic lighting would be nice.

[kuep]

Name: John Kuepper

 

Exercises Completed: 11

 

Date Completed: Nov 9, 2005

 

Instructor: lots

Remarks/Suggestions for Improvement:

[Odog2020]

Name: John Kuepper

 

Exercises Completed: 11

 

Date Completed: Nov 9, 2005

 

Instructor: lots

Remarks/Suggestions for Improvement:

 

I know this is Rodney's job, but the first thing I noticed when I looked at your picture was you are missing a patch in the front, I have circled it on the attachment. There may be to many CP's for a 5 point patch, so you may have to follow the other attachment.

 

[attachmentid=10936][attachmentid=10937]

 

Sorry Rod, just couldn't help myself

[kuep]

no, i just missed the decal there.

 

all fixed

[noewjook]

Name:Marc Vancouillie

Exercise completed #11 giraffe

Date completed 11/23/05

 

 

 

Instructor:t.a.o.AM book and reading

in this topic what people have done before me.

 

Remarks:Not the easiest exercise.[attachmentid=11567]

[splinesmith]

Name: Splinesmith(Kurt Lange)

 

Exercises Completed:11

Instructor:the manual.

 

Remarks/Suggestions for improvement:The Tress and Rocks are mine I wanted to fill out the scene

[dkarpp]

Name: Douglas Karpp

Exercise: Exercise 11: Giraffe

Date Completed: December 14, 2005

 

doug[attachmentid=12311]

[Leo73]

Name: Leo Mitchell

Exercise: Exercise 11 Giraffe

Date Completed: December 19 2005

Instructor: Manual

Remarks: This one was difficult as I had stepped away from Hash for several months. I didn't achieve the texturing that I would like but I am starting to have nightmares about giraffes chasing me both modeled and untextured.

 

Only One more to go. Exercise 6 The Door's Stuck. God give me strength.

[Rodney]

Only One more to go. Exercise 6 The Door's Stuck. God give me strength.

 

Looking forward to your grand finale Leo!

[MMZ_TimeLord]

Name: Jody Krivohlavek

 

Exercise Completed: Exercise 11

 

Date Completed: January 2, 2006 (HAPPY NEW YEAR!)

 

Instructor: AM Handbook, Video Tutorial and everyone that's ever posted to these forums.

(Been around since the Playmation days )

 

Remarks/Suggestions for Improvement:

Okay, this took a while, but I think I got the geometry pretty much the way I want.

(Minus the knobs on his antlers, too big. ). I have functional eyes and mouth.

 

I also killed my 3.4Ghz Pentium 4 by putting LOTS of hair on him for his pelt, mane and tail. Took nearly 2 minutes to render on a single pass on final.

(See the Choreography screen capture)

[cuboos]

can any one make a video tutorial because i can't understand this tutorial

[Dhar]

can any one make a video tutorial because i can't understand this tutorial

 

Have you tried Hash's video tutorial online?

 

http://www.hash.com/VM/

[cuboos]

they don't have one for the giraffe

[Dhar]

they don't have one for the giraffe

 

Doughgh....... you're right. Silly me. I forgot I had to read the book for this one.

 

All I can tell you is; take it one slow step after another slow step. Take your time reading the instructions and don't be in a hurry to finish the exercise. The more time you spend, the more mistakes you correct, the more times you repeat the same instruction, the better you'll become. Look at each picture carefully but at the same time don't be bound to duplicate exactly what you see, do what makes sense to you as well.

 

When stuck, post here with a screen capture and we'll help you thru this

[c-wheeler]

Dhar, I know youve probably gone beyond this - but whats with the bulge on the shoulders? Was this from the rigging or is it in the mesh?

 

In terms of lighting, you have to try and balance the background jpg with the scene lighting.

 

The intensity of the sun in the photograph is best simulated by a low key(representing the sun) to fill(representing the reflected or bounced lights ratio,

 

That is the main light, or Key, used to light your model should be about 3 times the value of the other lights in the scene or even less.

 

Chris

http://home.btconnect.com/FatclownFilms/

[Rodney]

I have to remind myself that there isn't a video tutorial for Exercise 11 from time to time.

My memory has conveniently created one in my memory because I've seen this exercise completed so many times here in the forum.

 

This won't make you happy in the short term Cuboos but I'm glad there isn't a video for Exercise 11.

This is a progress check of sorts and an introduction to the challenging subject of character modeling. If you think the giraffe is hard just wait until you try that fully formed anatomically correct humanoid. Animation is hard but sometimes I think modeling is harder. Is a lesson worth learning.

 

Don't get discouraged though. Take a break.

Try another project. Review older lessons. Read (or complete) the v11.5 exercise.

As Dhar suggests we won't leave you hanging though. Post your questions, modeling frustrations and images. You'd be amazed what you can learn by making mistakes and asking the right questions.

 

We in the A:M Community will also learn from your questions and develop better ways to illustrate the means and methods of modeling. We all learn in this process.

 

The rewards can be directly porportional to the weak and tears poured into the effort.

Imagine the possibilities... if you can get past that stoopid girafee.

 

A powerful thing happens when we overcome Exercise 11.

We 'officially' get to move on to bigger and better things.

 

Rodney

[Dhar]

Dhar, I know youve probably gone beyond this - but whats with the bulge on the shoulders? Was this from the rigging or is it in the mesh?

 

Hi Chris,

 

I wondered about that myself when I modeled the giraffe. I copied it exactly as it is in my rotoscope. I did not rig this giraffe because, for some reason, after upgrading to v12, the decal on the inside of the legs didn't look right. This is why I have my giraffe in a completely side view pose to hide those imperfections, so there was no need for rigging.

 

And thanks for the lighting suggestions, I truly appreciate it. Sounds simple and logical.

[rossk]

Name: Ross Klettke

Exercise completed: #11

Date Completed: 1-21-06

 

remarks: I had done this one previously, but I decided to do it over just to brush up on things and see how much faster I could get it done.

[Dhar]

You did it so fast the tail came off

[rossk]

Oops... I knew something was missing. Correct image attached

 

Also-- has anyone tried the new pixel displacement on the giraffe? I just used the color map and reapplied it as a displacement map and parts of the giraffe look pretty good (see attached image of neck). Of course a custom made displacement map could look amazing on the giraffe, and would be interesting to see. Maybe in the future the tutorial could have displacement maps also since displacement is no longer dependant on the cp density?