sprockets The Snowman is coming! Realistic head model by Dan Skelton Vintage character and mo-cap animation by Joe Williamsen Character animation exercise by Steve Shelton an Animated Puppet Parody by Mark R. Largent Sprite Explosion Effect with PRJ included from johnL3D New Radiosity render of 2004 animation with PRJ. Will Sutton's TAR knocks some heads!
sprockets
Recent Posts | Unread Content
Jump to content
Hash, Inc. - Animation:Master

Exercise 6: The Door's Stuck


Recommended Posts

  • Replies 337
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

Posted Images

Exerecise 6:

 

This one was really fun.

 

There's a little problem with Motion Blur I had no idea how to fix but what I tried made my wife laugh and THAT felt cool!

 

That turned out well. I don't think I've seen that solution before.

 

yeah, weird motion blur. The non-multi-pass motion blur probably wasn't meant to deal with camera motion like that.

 

 

Here's an alternate idea for the last pose. You don't need to redo what you have done. It's just "FYI".

 

post-544-1232688075_thumb.jpg

 

That is a better ending pose.

It's shows more emotion, shifts his focus more clearly, and looks like a more realistic way to twist around to see where Thom went and figure out what just happened.

I do really appreciate the time you guys take to help us learn.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
dammit...wouldn't load up! have to try again later

 

Make sure that you render to a .mov (Quicktime), as that is the preferred format for the forums. Also, to get a sensible size, render (using the Advanced Options) using Sorenson Video 3 compression, or if you don't have that, try H.264 or MPEG.

 

Looking forward to seeing it :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's really good - I love the toe-tapping anticipation.

 

My suggestion? Move on to the next exercise :)

 

The black sky, in case you were wondering why it is not blue, is caused by one of the Advanced Render options - under buffers, turn the Alpha Channel OFF. If you were to render this to a .tga sequence instead of a .mov, all those .tgas would have an alpha channel selection where the black is. This is useful for integrating layers of pics / videos when doing final edits.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Hash Fellow
well...here it is, my first clip on the forum :) as i said before, i only noticed the hands coming off after i'd rendered it :) but all thoughts and suggestions are welcome :) roll v.t. :)

 

I think that was quite successful!

 

There's a "Keyframing Options" vid in the tuts link in my signature that may help you to keep bones from slowly wandering between keyframes (like the feet seem to be doing).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

yeah, i had real problems with the keyframing on this one. when i first changed shaggy's feet position to be on the door i forgot to key frame them before, and found his feet floating upto the door postion throughout the piece! arrrgggghhhh!!!! i'll definitely look for your tuts. i've watched a couple already and they're really useful! thanks! :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 months later...

I was wondering if there is an easy way to hide the door and doorframe while leaving the door knob visible - it would be easier to adjust the fingers around the knob if that were possible?

 

I looked down through the Choreography and Model choices in the PWS but I don't see any obvious way to do this.

It must be possible though - right?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was wondering if there is an easy way to hide the door and doorframe while leaving the door knob visible - it would be easier to adjust the fingers around the knob if that were possible?

 

Open a Model window for the model the door is in.

Select the splines that make up the door knob.

Hit [H] on the keyboard to hide everything but the door knob.

In the Chor, the knob will be the only thing showing.

Remember to un-hide the geometry in the model window before you render.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was wondering if there is an easy way to hide the door and doorframe while leaving the door knob visible - it would be easier to adjust the fingers around the knob if that were possible?

 

Open a Model window for the model the door is in.

Select the splines that make up the door knob.

Hit [H] on the keyboard to hide everything but the door knob.

In the Chor, the knob will be the only thing showing.

Remember to un-hide the geometry in the model window before you render.

 

 

Thanks - I knew there had to be a way to do it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...
  • Admin

...and the judges go wild! (That last judge is a *$@#!)

 

If you edited that just a little tighter that'd flow really well.

 

You made me laugh so I figure that deserves a rendered response.

I think I detected a little Jim Henson in there.

jutenjuten001.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Hash Fellow

Hey that turned out well!

 

The voices were fitting too!

 

I think the worst part is the fact that his hands aren't all the way on the door... :(

 

A translate-to constraint and orient-like constraint would help the hand to stay on the door knob better.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ha ha, thanks for the comments guys, and... OMG IT'S ROBCAT :o

 

And... what's a Jim Henson? (Prolly a newbie question, but go ahead and knock that out for me..)

 

Both of the voices were mine, so I'm glad those turned out to be fitting! I hope my next animation is a lot better than this, I certainly know I can do better to make it more... Life like, and

keep the characters moving instead of being completely still.

But first, I wanna learn how to make my own model! :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

I'm trying to do this exercise but with both kinematic and orient like constraints on the right forearm, the hand still floats around a bit when I move the hips null or rotate the door knob bone. I read where this may be a problem with the model but how do I determine if it's the model or "user error"?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Hash Fellow
Name: Mike

 

Exercise: 6 - The Door's Stuck

 

Completed: September 8, 2009

 

Comments: Fun stuff, I decided to 'break away' from the traditional and add some personal flavor . . . I was feeling saucy at the time :). Animating for only five seconds was the biggest challenge! I wanted to add more.

 

StuckDoor.mov

 

 

Hey Mike, that turned out well! I'm guessing the popping of the hands is from pulling the arms just a hair too far.

 

I'm sure you;ll have longer productions ahead of you.

 

 

 

 

Gerry:

 

I'm trying to do this exercise but with both kinematic and orient like constraints on the right forearm, the hand still floats around a bit when I move the hips null or rotate the door knob bone. I read where this may be a problem with the model but how do I determine if it's the model or "user error"?

 

Are you sure it's the forearm that should be constrained? I'm thinking an IK target is a more likely suspect.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

NAME: Gerry

 

Exercise 6 - the Door's Stuck

 

Completed: Sep. 15, 2009

 

Comments: Don't know if this particular gag has been done yet (probly has!) but once I read the instructions CORRECTLY it went well. Some slipping when the feet are on the wall, and the hands and arms would be a little messy if you saw this in closeup. It may also be a little fast.

doorstuckv1_h264.mov

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Hash Fellow
NAME: Gerry

 

Exercise 6 - the Door's Stuck

 

Completed: Sep. 15, 2009

 

Comments: Don't know if this particular gag has been done yet (probly has!) but once I read the instructions CORRECTLY it went well. Some slipping when the feet are on the wall, and the hands and arms would be a little messy if you saw this in closeup. It may also be a little fast.

 

You can fix foot drifting foot drifting by zero sloping keyframes that bound periods of should-be-staying-in-one-place-ness.

 

A successful effort! congratulations!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Exercise 6: The Door's Stuck

 

issues/comments: The left arm kept getting stretched to the limit and then bending backwards, extremely awkward. Had to tweak just about every frame to get it to behave. Most of the exercise was straightforward but the parts that were annoying were very annoying. I think I'll revisit it later once I get more comfortable with the program and do things like SFX and a moving camera (which I was hoping to do in this but the frustration level was so high on this I decided not to try and add it in here; I'll do a whole new and improved one later. If you're not having fun you're doing it wrong ;-) )

 

I am however getting antsy to move on to modelling. I just don't want to do them out of sequence. It seems, looking them over, there's a method to the order of the exercises, so I'll just keep going with this. Almost there!

 

(ETA: I have it .avi file at just over 1 meg and it's telling me I am not permitted to upload this type of file here? So, I'll upload to my site and link here:)

 

Exercise 6: Door's Stuck

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Hash Fellow
Exercise 6: The Door's Stuck

 

issues/comments: The left arm kept getting stretched to the limit and then bending backwards, extremely awkward.

 

Simple solution... don't pose the model so that the arm is trying to reach farther than it physically can. When the computer tries to reconcile to two incompatible goals ("hold door knob" and "be too far away to reach door knob") you will get unpredictable results.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Had to tweak just about every frame to get it to behave.

I think you may have the arms set wrong OR constrained wrong to the knob.

 

IK arms should be ON (the default). I can move the arms all over and not get that flipping, so some step has not gone right

 

Most of the exercise was straightforward but the parts that were annoying were very annoying. I think I'll revisit it later once I get more comfortable with the program and do things like SFX and a moving camera (which I was hoping to do in this but the frustration level was so high on this I decided not to try and add it in here; I'll do a whole new and improved one later. If you're not having fun you're doing it wrong ;-) )

 

Watch the "Keyframing options " video in the tuts link in my sig for more info on keyframing characters

 

 

 

(ETA: I have it .avi file at just over 1 meg and it's telling me I am not permitted to upload this type of file here? So, I'll upload to my site and link here:)
you can upload quicktime mov files. They work better anyway.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Exercise 6: The Door's Stuck

 

issues/comments: The left arm kept getting stretched to the limit and then bending backwards, extremely awkward.

 

Simple solution... don't pose the model so that the arm is trying to reach farther than it physically can. When the computer tries to reconcile to two incompatible goals ("hold door knob" and "be too far away to reach door knob") you will get unpredictable results.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Had to tweak just about every frame to get it to behave.

I think you may have the arms set wrong OR constrained wrong to the knob.

 

IK arms should be ON (the default). I can move the arms all over and not get that flipping, so some step has not gone right

 

Most of the exercise was straightforward but the parts that were annoying were very annoying. I think I'll revisit it later once I get more comfortable with the program and do things like SFX and a moving camera (which I was hoping to do in this but the frustration level was so high on this I decided not to try and add it in here; I'll do a whole new and improved one later. If you're not having fun you're doing it wrong ;-) )

 

Watch the "Keyframing options " video in the tuts link in my sig for more info on keyframing characters

 

 

 

(ETA: I have it .avi file at just over 1 meg and it's telling me I am not permitted to upload this type of file here? So, I'll upload to my site and link here:)
you can upload quicktime mov files. They work better anyway.

 

 

Thanks for the feedback. I spent a lot of time wrestling with the "stretch arm vs. too close to door" conundrum.

 

And yes, duh, .mov. I had it automatically set to .avi and thought I'd switched it to render to .mov so I assumed (yeah I know) that it was on the right format. I'll rerender and upload here.

 

eta: Yeah, I think I'm going to just revisit this; after looking at what I did here, I had a whole other idea of how it could be done. I'll keep trying to download the Exercise 7 tutes (server keeps timing out on me) but meanwhile I'm going to give this exercise another go:

 

lesson6doorstuck_ver2.mov

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Just a quick FYI, have not abandoned this exercise or given up! I am knee deep in Nanowrimo right now. I managed to get another couple of exercises done from later ones (like the dust one) but I'm holding off posting those till I redo this one. I've gotten as far as drawing a quick script for it.

 

Back in December :-)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...
  • Hash Fellow
Exercise 6 The door is stuck

Complete date: 10 Jan 10

Instructor: manual and tutorial

 

A successful outing.

 

Now that you've reached the task of character animation you may want to watch my "Keyframing options" video that explains nore of the nuts and bolts of keyframing in A:M.

 

It's on my screencam page

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Exercise 6 The door is stuck

Complete date: 10 Jan 10

Instructor: manual and tutorial

 

A successful outing.

 

Now that you've reached the task of character animation you may want to watch my "Keyframing options" video that explains nore of the nuts and bolts of keyframing in A:M.

 

It's on my screencam page

 

Yes, I have been through it a couple of times now. I still miss some spots where I need to add key frames. It is forcing me to think ahead.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...
Just a quick FYI, have not abandoned this exercise or given up! I am knee deep in Nanowrimo right now. I managed to get another couple of exercises done from later ones (like the dust one) but I'm holding off posting those till I redo this one. I've gotten as far as drawing a quick script for it.

 

Back in December :-)

 

 

Did I say December? Silly me! I meant February XD

 

No, seriously. I mean it. I bought books and everything :-)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...