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Cutting edge CG rigging


robcat2075

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Some CG for cartoon-look type stuff

 

http://www.cartoonbrew.com/archives/2006_10.html#002394

 

The thing with the birds seems like a very specific-need situation but I'm wondering how one might incorporate A:M dynamics in a rig to do that. Somehow you'd have to be able to vary where the origin of the chain was... anywhere from the head to the tail.

 

We can't make a slider control constraint enforcements yet, can we?

 

More useful probably... The thing with the hedgehog obviously looks alot like A:M distortion boxes, but it's a distortion box applied from the "camera view".

 

[attachmentid=21781]

 

Anway to do that yet?

bernhardhaux.jpg

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Hey Robert,

Definately cool.

Makes me more eager to see how long it will take for dboxes in A:M to get back to functioning.

I used Dboxes in this test I made a while back to add some exaggeration to squish the characters

face more after I finished the lip synch.

 

http://www.vrcops.com/WebFolder/SamplesWeb...s/Furious1A.mov

 

I think this was done in v11 and since then the dboxes have not really worked right.... which sucks as

I started to use them to quickly and easily create my lipshapes and face poses....

 

Mike Fitz

www.3dartz.com

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Hello, Robert.

 

As you probably know, there are two types of Distortion boxes in A:M: Modelling distortion boxes and Animatable distortion boxes. The modelling D-boxes work great. They're not useful to achieve this idea of yours, though.

 

Theoretically, it ought to be possible to do something like this, in A:M, using Animatable D-boxes. You can specify the grid density of an Animatable D-box, and target the Root bone of the model so that only your model is affected. You can also create bones and assign Control Points of the D-box mesh to the bones. Afterwards these bones can be told to face the camera via constraints. You could even make an On/Off pose for the D-box, to store these constraints. In theory.

 

As Mike pointed out, animatable D-boxes have problems that thwart their utility.

 

If others users wish to file reports about animatable D-boxes, that might help push this feature into the mainstream of A:M's toolset?

 

Hopefully,

 

Carl Raillard

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Actually, much of the functionality of that distortion grid notion could be had if we used regular muscle mode animation from the camera view. The significant element lacking is a magnet tool that operated in a "2D" fasion rather than as the 3D sperical influencer it is now.

 

It would be like an infinitely long cylinder that always pointed to the camera. I'm guessing that woudl be easier to program than an actual distortion grid inteh camera view.

 

Theoretically, it ought to be possible to do something like this, in A:M, using Animatable D-boxes...

 

But as I understand it, animatable distortion boxes can only be animated in an action not in a chor, which limits their usefulness to make one-time adjustments from the camera view.

 

Or can they be animated in the chor?

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John, thats good news, but it's only one "potential" use for our little distortion boxes.

 

If you want to include a distortion box in your rig, and you put bones in the dbox and then assign those dbox bones to bones in your rig, the constriants don't remain persistant. Bummer.

 

Mike Fitz

www.3dartz.com

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Or can they be animated in the chor?

 

Hello, again.

 

Action Objects can be animated in Choreographies.

 

I'm not sure if this D-Box solution is feasible, though. Without the ability to apply constraints onto a D-Box bone, the user would not be able to keep the box facing the camera at all times. Another possible drawback: When the camera pans, would the character distort as the D-box grid follows the camera? :blink:

 

Here's another way of doing this. Approach this as a Post Production step.

First render the animation of the character alone onto a targa sequence.

Apply the image sequence as an animatable decal onto a flat mesh grid (25 x25).

Position the grid panel in front of the camera, obsuring the real character.

Hide the real charcter model (turn it's Active parameter to OFF).

Apply constraints to keep the grid model in place, facing the camera. In this way you can use the grid's image of the character as a substitute for the real one. Then use good old Muscle Mode to deform the grid.

 

What is that sound of barfing? Is that an indication that my idea is wretchedly complicated? ;)

 

Carl Raillard

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