Superhero underway

[My Fault]

Hey John, have you tried letting Ken Baer at the source code? He's used his mad ninja programming powers before for other AM plugins and may be able to do so again.

[Gerry]

John - Keep posting for us! This isn't in the least self-indulgent, certainly not a waste of time. that's what this dang forum is for. Look forward to more updates.

[JohnArtbox]

Hi All, he's back.

Unfortunately between Skycast, the skycast website and paid work, there hasn't been an update for a while. There's been a fair bit of unseen progress in rigging him for animation, but I thought I'd pass on posting everytime I finished a new expression.I just finised putting hime throught the Seup Machine and it introduced some new issues like the creasing at the thigh. Also the crease above the eyes results from some combination of sliders, but "It's all good"

I just recorded some(very bad) dialogue and last night I thought I'd check out the dopesheet functions. Decided it wasn't for me, I spent more time removing all the extra poses than I would have analysing the audio in the first place.

The next update should be a new version of the audio done from scratch, and hopefully a test with the syntheyes matchmoving software(which is very, very cool).

My Fault & Headless :unfortunately SkyCast isn't coded it's authored, so Ken's C++ wizardry would mean starting from scratch, I'm game if he is, but I thinks it's going to take too much of his time. Still thinking of a solution

[natess44]

I'm not much of a programmer but I found a fairly cheap compiler called real basic that Dan Shimyo used to create that other light rig program called. It compiles in pc and mac formats and it can also import visual basic files and convert them to some extent. Here's the link: www.realbasic.com and this is the link for pricing: http://www.realsoftware.com/store/new_purchases.html

[JohnArtbox]

back into the swing, todays update is just a couple of quick costume designs.

To mock up ideas like this I render the model and then take it into painter and use layers to quickly try out different colour schemes and ideas.

[Joe Jacks]

costume designs are totally awesome..

 

Only thing- I think the character has a bit much of 'Shininess' to him?

 

Maybe thats how you liked him? but, I think he would look better if he had a little bit of a 'half shaved facial hair' look maybe? or.. Roughter skin? or.. im probably all wrong- Hes fine!

 

[CRToonMike]

Been following this thread and it's lotsa fun watching the evolution of a project like this. Of course, John's great characters make it that much more fun.

 

Am kinda curious though, about using ZBrush and A:M together. There is a tute on ARM, but it comes up 404. Where is it, John? Very interested in reading it.

 

Great work again.

[Obnomauk]

Thanks Nates.

Headless Bill- I'd like to see SkyCast for Mac users too, unfortunately I'm not smart enough to program it. What if we offered a service, access to sets of skycast scenes with the ability to upload your own images to be SkyCasted.You'd get access to SkyCast bonus site with lighting rigs, environment maps, seamless textures, tutorials and models(including those ffrom the parkland scene).

What I did was run the utility in Virtual PC. works like a charm. I bought VPC a few years back to run a couple other PC only utilities (and you can run modeling plug-ins inside A:M on VPC to speed up modeling tasks as well.)

 

It's not a perfect solution to be sure, but it gets the result.

 

-David

[Phil]

The progress is stunning

[Mega]

As usual, great work and design of the costume! I like the fact that it's not overly designed. Meaning, you didn't add detail for the sake of detail...

[JohnArtbox]

More superhero costumes and ideas. I'm filling out the universe a bit because I'm trying to to decide whether I remove some expression poses for the sake of making the characters simpler to animate.

Joe Jacks: I leave specular highlights on all my characters until I'm sure I've finished modelling(including modelling poses). Specular highlights tend to show up patch problems, especially on 5 pointers. As you can see texturing is coming.

CRToonMike: it got lost when we moved to a new ISP, and I haven't had a chance to search through the backups. If I can't find it, I'll do a new one with the texturing on this project, but it's time, time, time There's quite a few improvements as well.

Obnomauk: Yeah , a solution. I did a quick search and there even seems to be an opensource PC emulator. Thanks David.

Thanks Phil & Mega. I feel like the momentum is building again.

Tentative names

Nuclear Dude

Southern Cross

Captain Caffeinne(every animator's friend, just don't call him a short black)

???????

Off to animation test 1 now.

[CRToonMike]

Really good costume design. Especially like southern cross's costume.

 

Too bad about the ZB tute. I'll experiement my self, you just keep on with this project -- it's a lot of fun it seems for all of us to see!

[Zaryin]

I've got to say, those are some impressive painting skills. I hope you can transfer the ones you like to your model effectivly.

[Dagooos]

wow, very cool super hero's can wait to see them in action!

 

cheers

[HeadlessBill]

I like the costume designs. But I'm more partial to the hooded costume over the one with exposed hair.

[JohnArtbox]

hi all, I'm in the middle of rebuilding facial controls using smartskin based morph targets. I figure that since a single smartskin can easily encompass 3 pose sliders using the x y and z dimension, then by using smartskins I can drastically reduce the complexity of my facial controls. At the moment I think I can reduce it so that three single bones control the eyebrows. jaw and mouth. with a couple of supplementary bones to add extra control.

Is there something I'm missing or is this really as easy as it seems

Anybody done this previously and have any recommendations?

I have a vague recollection that Anzovin's did something similar at one point??

[My Fault]

I have. It makes for a very fun facial system.

 

My biggest recommendation would be to pick up Jason Osipa's book "Stop Staring." It goes in to a similar setup using Maya, but is even easier to set up in AM. It will help you make sure you've got every pose that you will probably need. Plus it is probably the most informative book out there for doing facial work.

[John Keates]

I have used a similar method. You have to forward-plan a bit but it is great fun. I could get all manner of expressions out of the eyebrows without worrying about how the pose sliders add up.

[JohnArtbox]

Nope, it's not forgotten. I've been writing and storyboarding between commercial work. Today's work, so far, is this revolver. Mostly created with the AI wizard, although I did end up using an extruded handle(the AI wiz one looked wrong). Next comes a tommy gun and some new characters. )

[JohnArtbox]

and after some more time

[JohnArtbox]

and the beginnings of a car before bedtime.

[JTalbotski]

Great props you are making, John! Thanks for showing how easy it is to make mechanical items with the AI wizard. You make it look simple.

 

Keep updating!

 

Jim

[modernhorse]

John,

Sorry but what's an AI wizard? I'm away from A:M right now or else I'd check it myself. Don't tell me I've missed the Artificial Intelligence A:M wizard??

 

Doug

[JohnArtbox]

Thanks Jim )

I only used the AI wizard on the revolver, mainly because of the complicated bullet chamber. It worked a treat but it's a bit more spline heavy than I like.

Doug AI = Adobe Illustrator wizard. I drew the cross sections up in flash, exported an AI file, opened AM and then right clicked in my modelling window and picked AI wizard.

[Zaryin]

Them props are looking awesome. The car is off to a great start also.

[Phil]

Nice props

[Rodney]

John,

 

Since I'm praising you in my own WIP area I thought I'd move over and comment here.

 

1st:

Love your modeling--As I believe has been mentioned--the claymation feel to your characters really is a treat.

 

2nd:

Any comments on workflow and/or storytelling?

For instance: Do you have a preferred way to name rendered files and animations?

 

Rodney

(Not trying to be nosy)

[JohnArtbox]

Thanks all. Got a little bit further with the car. I hate the seats and it's not quite what I want, but I'll persevere for a while longer. I should have been more thorough with the designs

I need to add thickness to the shell, add windows and roof, create a boot and hood that'll open and add details like mirrors and indicators. Lots still to go but I've just been given a deadline that will knock this on the head for a couple of weeks.

That and it's my daughter's first day at school tomorrow ).

Rodney: I'm pretty systematic. Pretty much all of these development images go into a design record folder on my hardrive with logical names.

That folder sits next to my design sketches folder.

Here's my process.

1. get idea

2. write script, sketch images & designs

3. storyboard, record audio

4. create animatic with rough audio track

5. start modelling(we are here ) although i haven't recorded final audio.

6.animate and insert images into animatic

7. composite and post work.

When I get around to rendering I name the animations according to the scene number, the pass type(ambient, highlight, depth, normal etc) and the level(I sometimes render foreground, background and middleground seperately).

All of my models and textures wind up in a network accessable resources folder with a makeup similar to the data section of the AM disk.

Don't worry about being nosy.......if I was worried about that this thread wouldn't exist.

[JohnArtbox]

Add some quick surfaces.

don't like the bumper bar either

[DarkLimit]

JohnArtbox - this car is awsome.... simple and well modeled... keep up the good work.

[animas3D]

hi all, I'm in the middle of rebuilding facial controls  using smartskin based morph targets.  I figure that since a single smartskin can easily encompass 3 pose sliders using the x y and z dimension, then by using smartskins I can drastically reduce the complexity of my facial controls. At the moment I think I can reduce it so that three single bones control the eyebrows. jaw and mouth. with a couple of supplementary bones to add extra control.

John,

 

Really nice work on all your stuff. I am looking forward to seeing your project develop.

 

I am also very interested in your technique for facial animation. In the past, when doing some facial animation in version 9, I would make a separate pose for each phenome such as "A", "O", "E", etc. As well as one for smile, frown, etc.

 

Could you or someone else explain your technique a little more deeply? How to set up this kind of system? What do you mean that a single smartskin can easily encompass 3 pose sliders?

 

Keep up the good work.

 

Joe.

[JohnArtbox]

Thanks Robert.

Joe: I'll document it sometime next week when I get some spare time.

Basically I use the x y and z axis smartskins instead of sliders eg for the mouth x motion makes the mouth narrower or wider, y motion opens and closes the mouth and roll pulls upand pushes down the corners(happy / unhappy).

Another bones adds 8 different morph targets depending on the direction you pull the bone to further modify the mouth.

[Rodney]

Here's my process.

1. get idea

2. write script, sketch images & designs

3. storyboard, record audio

4. create animatic with rough audio track

5. start modelling(we are here  ) although i haven't recorded final audio.

6.animate and insert images into animatic

7. composite and post work.

 

John,

Here's where I am on my production:

 

1. get idea

2. write... (Uhhh... Go back to #1)

 

But I'm having fun, anyway.

 

Keep the WIPs coming... I'm collectin'

 

Rodney

(Thanks much for your detailed reply)

[JohnArtbox]

Managed to squeeze in another 20min on the car.

[animas3D]

Basically I use the x y and z axis smartskins instead of sliders eg for the mouth [snip]

John,

 

Love that car. Funky, but chic. I think you have a natural talent for art direction that comes through nicely.

 

Regarding the above statement, where would you, for instance, put this bone that controls the x y and z axis smartskin. Within the face? In the jaw? Outside of the model?

 

I look forward to reading any notes you may compile on this.

 

All the best,

 

Joe

[JTalbotski]

The car.....Love it!

 

Jim

[JohnArtbox]

A few people have emailed me about modelling and methodology. My deadline got extended because the client decided to change the entire concept.

So I started on another character and did this diagram of how I reuse and reshape models. Part 2 will come later, depending on the deadline

[Zaryin]

Nice, and fast way to work. Wish I was that refined in my work ethic .

[robcat2075]

Nice car and nice step-by-step!

[Hutch]

What's this mirror splines plug in you mentioned? Nice models by the way. I love the heroes.

[JohnArtbox]

Here's the mostly finished Gangster driver "Speedy Pete" He's a background character so there's not that much detail. Total build time was about 2 and a half hours. I haven't modified his lower body because he's not going to get out of the car.

MirrorSplines is a plugin by Masashi Watanabe. It takes one half of a model and compares it to the other half. Both halves have to have the some basic spline makeup eg created by copy flip attach or modelled symmetrically.

Then it will take one half of the model and move the other half to match perfectly, including moving bones.

It's great for reshaping models by moving bones which is almost impossible to do normally, and is much better than mirrored points at ensuring a symmetrical model. It's one of my "must have" plugins.

[zacktaich]

This is gonna be awesome when it's done.

[JavierP]

Hi John,

Good work! Are you using reflection maps coupled with ratracing on your models or is that a skydome with a texture map applied? I just wanted to know how you achieved the interesting reflections.

 

Javier

[JohnArtbox]

Thanks Zach and Javier.

Javier: No environment maps, just a sphere with one of the skycast environment maps decalled on it. I prefer no to use environment maps combined with reflections because they muddy each other. Giving AM a physical model to reflect works better and is not too bad a render hit

Here's the first stage of Billy Bullets, from thumbnail sketch to elaboration to roughout model.

[JohnArtbox]

Current Gangster shot -I've left hair off because I'm still not sure whether I'll use version 11 hair or go for a helmet head look.

Three Gangster designs left. Sometimes I think I'm mad considering they only appear for 10 to 15 seconds in the script.

[JohnArtbox]

And here's the third gangster. .

I'm not completely happy with the hands but I think they'll do. The shoes are another thing entirely, I've got a bit of tweaking before they approach being acceptable.

I also need to adjust the jacket collars so they are not as "puffy" looking. Still it is what it is, I'm going to press on with other characters because otherwise I'll never manage to finish this thing. The great thing is that I can always refine my characters further down the track without needing to reanimate.

I think Darklimit and I are competing for the longest WIP threads ever.

[Ross Smith]

Smashing. It'll be real good, see? Rocky likes his animations, see...

 

What sort of lighting rig are you using? Did you make it yourself, or is it squirreled away in some bit of A:M lore? In any event, it looks really good. =)

 

Also, just wondering -- is the Fat Man going to fit in the car?

[JohnArtbox]

Thanks Ross.

I use the Skycast rig.

skycast.artboxanimation.com

It's a stuttered light rig which uses one or two lights to create a skydome. I designed it as a sort of poor man's hdri, and I use it, or a variation in almost every render I do now. There's a basic explanation of how it's achieved on the site. The main advantage it has over conventional spinning light rigs is that the stuttering is designed to minimise motion blur artifacts, and it utilises an image to alter the colour of the lights as they spin.

Fats rides on the side platform, but if he wants to ride in the car he gets to ride in the car.

[Ross Smith]

Wow. This looks amazing!

Glad I asked.

[Dearmad]

Looking nice. Enjoy the style.