working with smartskin

[Roger]

So right now I am working on learning smartskin.

 

I'm in bones mode, I right click the bone that I want to drive the muscle motion, then go to New smartskin (I didn't see an option to choose x, y, or z rotate though - this was listed in the technical reference, and the copy I have is pretty old so something may have changed).

AM then brought up a new Action window. I then moved my bone where I wanted it, and went into Muscle mode to adjust the control points at that extreme position.

It seems to be working, when I move the bone now the points follow. Is that more or less how it is supposed to work? Also, in Muscle mode, the points that make up the smartskin turn blue, correct?

 

I think I made an error in the way I was adjusting the CPs, though. I probably should have moved the bone to the most extreme position I expect it to be in, then adjust the mesh in Muscle mode. I adjusted the mesh at a few different positions the bone was in, so now when I move that bone I get a sort of undulating look to the skin.

[robcat2075]

So right now I am working on learning smartskin.

 

I'm in bones mode, I right click the bone that I want to drive the muscle motion, then go to New smartskin (I didn't see an option to choose x, y, or z rotate though - this was listed in the technical reference, and the copy I have is pretty old so something may have changed).

AM then brought up a new Action window.

 

terms again... it's a Relationship window. Did it really say "Action"?

 

 

I then moved my bone where I wanted it, and went into Muscle mode to adjust the control points at that extreme position.

It seems to be working, when I move the bone now the points follow. Is that more or less how it is supposed to work?

 

Yes. I presume you were doing this testing by putting the model in a Chor or Action, of course.

 

 

 

 

Also, in Muscle mode, the points that make up the smartskin turn blue, correct?

Yes. The blue shows that at that particular angle of the driving bone, those CPs are keyed

 

 

 

I think I made an error in the way I was adjusting the CPs, though. I probably should have moved the bone to the most extreme position I expect it to be in, then adjust the mesh in Muscle mode. I adjusted the mesh at a few different positions the bone was in, so now when I move that bone I get a sort of undulating look to the skin.

 

I recommend doing the most extreme position first if possible, then testing the result out to see if any intermediate keys are needed at all. Generally, SS keys should be at evenly spaced angles. Keys at 90° and 45° will give a more predictable result than 90°, 85°, 32° and 29°.

[zandoriastudios]

Check-out these Smartskin tutorial videos:

http://www.youtube.com/user/zandoria#g/c/0BF44797CD8BC2A3

 

I think it will help

[Roger]

In bones mode, I selected one of my leg bones then right-clicked it and chose "new smartskin". However, something odd happened. The leg bone jumps into a really wierd position.

I noticed in the resulting relationship window, 2 of my poses are turned off. If I turn them back on, the leg goes back to normal. What is going on here that starting a smartskin causes the leg bones to behave like this?

[Fuchur]

In bones mode, I selected one of my leg bones then right-clicked it and chose "new smartskin". However, something odd happened. The leg bone jumps into a really wierd position.

I noticed in the resulting relationship window, 2 of my poses are turned off. If I turn them back on, the leg goes back to normal. What is going on here that starting a smartskin causes the leg bones to behave like this?

 

Smartskins will move the leg to extrem positions. This is intended because in most cases you will need to create a smartskin for such positions to interpolate anything between that.

In general you do smartskins before you create poses, maybe even before you use constraints (depends on your character so).

 

To make it short: It is intended to work like that. Just rotate the bone you want to smartskin in the extrem positions you intended to go and move the CPs and bias-handlers llike you want the model to look at that position. After that go to the next extrem and do the same again... dont create to many smartskinkeys so... you will get jumpy interpolations otherwise.

 

See you

*Fuchur*

[Roger]

I am trying to upload a screengrab I did of the smartskin motion. Anyone know why .avi files aren't allowed? It worked last time I posted an .avi file.

[Roger]

This is a question for Will (or if anyone else feels like chiming in, feel free) - I was watching your tutorials on smartskin and noticed when you were doing CP weighting you weren't always selecting the entire spline ring? Or was I just seeing things incorrectly? Are there instances where it would make sense to weight one half of a spline ring differently than another half?

So far, I have been weighting the rings that make up the joints on my penguin 50/50 or 60/40 (or whatever value) but have been using the whole spline ring when assigning weights to the bones.

[Roger]

OK well I guess this wasn't a very good question. I imagine you can weight a half a ring but it probably doens't make sense to. I'll have to watch the tutorials again, quite possibly I missed something.

[Fuchur]

OK well I guess this wasn't a very good question. I imagine you can weight a half a ring but it probably doens't make sense to. I'll have to watch the tutorials again, quite possibly I missed something.

 

It depends... it can make sense to weight for example the kneecap in another way than the hollow of the knee, because you want to preserve the "disc" shape, etc.

Without an example it is hard to say if it is good or bad behaviour to do it.

 

See you

*Fuchur*