Pose Sliders for Eyes

[flashawd]

Hi - I created a character and need to set up some pose sliders for eye lids shutting, turning left & right, etc. Should I set these up using CP's or put small bones for the eyelids, eyes, etc? What is the proper way? Thanks - Eric

[Paul Forwood]

Bones. The only way to get CPs to animate in a smooth curve is to attach them to a bone and animate the bone. Without the bone to rotate around your CPs will just move in a linear motion, or a succession of linear translations.

 

Place bones at the centre of the eyeballs and assign the CPs of each eyeball to their local eyebone. Take a look at some of the models on the A:M CD or on the Extras DVD. Do a search for rigging tutorials.

[flashawd]

Hi Paul - thank you. So pretty much the only thing you wouldn't use a bone for is when you are creating the mouth poses for the dope sheet? That's where I was getting confused. Thanks again - Eric

[itsjustme]

Hi Paul - thank you. So pretty much the only thing you wouldn't use a bone for is when you are creating the mouth poses for the dope sheet? That's where I was getting confused. Thanks again - Eric

 

You can use bones for that too...the bones setup in the Squetch Rig uses bones for the mouth as well. For eyelids, I use the eyelid bones for about 80% of the movement with some Smartskin for the remainder. I'll be using strictly bones soon though.

 

You can use muscle movement as well, but to get a good arc you will have to put in more keyframes. Muscle movement moves in straight lines.

[flashawd]

Thanks David - sound like to do it right and not lazy it - get in the habit of bones for everything.

Have a good night - Eric