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Test Animation, trying to build a rig (AM Complete Guide)


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I was just trying to teach myself how to rig a character (again) and decided to start out with a simple model. It's just a Box with boxy legs. It's not very refined, the jump aspect I think needs the most work. The knee targets will *pop* when extended fully and I think that's my problem. Here it is, enjoy.

 

 

Updated 2-5-2006,

2MB Sorenson3, quicktime

http://renderwild.com/3d/26rig_test_anim.mov

 

rig_test.jpg

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It looks pretty good Taco, yeah the jump does have a few quirks, It looks to me like he jumps straight up in the air but doesn't have real forward momentum to carry him toward the feather. He needs to lean back for the pre-jump and then push himself forward more? I realize since you don't have alot of space before he get's to the feather you may have to have a smaller hop. Just my thoughts. Nice work, he's definately got a bit of character starting to happen. Looks like your rig is working :). His feet also stay nicely planted.

 

-Ethan

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The knee targets will *pop* when extended fully and I think that's my problem. Here it is, enjoy.
It's a natural result of the relationship between knee angle and body/foot-target distance. A small change in foot-target gives a small change in knee angle when the body/foot-target distance is much less than its maximum, but it gives a relatively big change when the body/foot-target distance is near maximum. The trick is to keep that body/foot-target distance less than at full stretch - in your case not letting the body get so high before taking the feet off the ground (or taking the feet off the ground a little bit earlier). I find this quite a tricky feat. In my own (incomplete) rig I have separate IK and FK legs, so that for extended periods with the feet off the ground I can constrain the true legs to the FK legs (so the legs ride with the body), while constraining them to the IK legs for normal use.
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I am trying to rig myself - hopefully TacoBallZ can upload the model. Or someone having some rig with targets can upload it. I believe there are many wanting to learn how to rig themselves. Constraining to FK or IK - having two rigs - how to do it - I just wonder...

 

:D

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Thanks all for the comments so far. I'm just adapting the basic rig from Dadiv Rogers Animation Master, Complete Guide. Even though the book is several years old now, most if not all of the constraints work the same way.

 

This block man is pretty straightforward rig, I will upload it. I "borrowed" the feather from the Constantine wing post. (Thanks Entity)

http://www.hash.com/forums/index.php?showt...hl=constantine#

 

[attachmentid=14147]

block_rig.jpg

block_man.zip

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The rig looks fine, I don't see any problems with it.

 

The 'popping' is normal in all A:M rigs, even the default characters that come with A:M disc have that phenomena. I learned that the hard way. Now I make sure that my feet targets do not go beyond the maximum extention of the knees.

 

Good animation BTW :)

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I don't know if your still looking for constructive critisism on this or not, since I know you're just testing your rig :) But nice additions, the momentum of the jump looks alot better. The only thing that catches my eye is it looks like his feet leave the ground while the knees are still bent. Giving a little bit of a disconcerting held back feel to his leap. Did you do this intentionally to avoid popping in the legs?

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Yeah, in trying to eliminate the pop, and fixing the torso trajectory, I may have dulled the pose of takeoff, which gives it less of a dynamic feel. Ohwell, its back to tweaking. I should probably rename this thread to animation sketching, because there is no real goal but to just practice. Thanks for keeping a sharp eye on it.

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I have had a look on the rig - it is not so easy to understand the thinking behind it!

You have to buy the book - David Rogers Animation Master, Complete Guide?

 

Or do you have some other tips on rigging and constraints - IK locks - some link(s)?

 

 

http://www.am-guide.com/SetUp/

 

of course you can always buy the book...

-David

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