Werewolf Request...

[Gaduunka]

Can anyone create a Werewolf model for me? I've tried to make one, but I just can't get the modeling thing down.

 

I can probably handle rigging it. (Done the tutorials, it's not as scary as it looks)

 

I know Werewolves don't actually exist, but I would like it to look realistic.

 

I'll upload pictures later today... Kinda late and too tired to draw.

[TheSpleen]

show us what you have when you tried.

[Rodney]

If you have the A:M Extra CD... I seem to recall seeing several of Alain Desroacher's wolves there.

 

As a werewolf is the imagination combining a human with the traits of a wolf... combining a wolf model with a human in A:M should produce the results you need.

 

David Simmons helped Hybrid produce a werewolf character HERE.

Read the whole topic for a lot of interim models, materials and a nice play by play.

[Gaduunka]

Okay, I started tooling around with David Simmons' werewolf model. Made one closely resembeling his, except I added the features I needed for my video.

 

Two questions:

 

I want to add some features, such as wrinkles. I drew an image of some small details I'd like to add to him as a decal, but I can't make the white part go away? How do I get rid of it?

 

My werewolf has a lot of hair, so all of it is hidden so I can animate him. The realtime rendering is still pretty slow when I move him around, or travel along the timeline. How can I make a proxy for my wolf?

[Rodney]

I want to add some features, such as wrinkles. I drew an image of some small details I'd like to add to him as a decal, but I can't make the white part go away? How do I get rid of it?

 

Without seeing an image of what you are seeing we are guessing here but...

 

There are generally two ways to get rid of the portion of a decal you don't want to see:

 

1. Use a Cookie Cutter decal (one of the options under the Decal Type) to make that area transparent

 

2. Use your image program (and/or A:M) to make the area you wish not to see transparent.

 

The first method deals with making a particular color transparent.

The second with creating a mask or Alpha channel to let programs know which area to set as transparent.

 

How can I make a proxy for my wolf?

 

The standard way is to make a copy of your model and then remove or delete portions that are not needed. WARNING: DO THIS WITH A COPY OF YOUR MODEL so you don't modify the original. Just open up the model and start removing what ever is not needed.

 

I should also point out that A:M does have an icon you can select to simplify the view of your model in a Chor window. In some cases, this may be all that you need.

 

It should go without saying that you should turn Particles off (Hair is a particle effect) as that will slow down your system's real time response dramatically.

[Gaduunka]

Okay, thanks. Where can I find the simplify button?

 

Also, where can I find a good smartskin tutorial?

 

(Or at least an insider on how to apply one.)

[Fuchur]

Okay, thanks. Where can I find the simplify button?

 

Also, where can I find a good smartskin tutorial?

 

(Or at least an insider on how to apply one.)

 

There is no "simplify button". You will have to do it by hand. Select spline-rings you dont need using ","-key (select key branch) and delete them where you dont need them.

 

SmartSkin-Tutorial: Tech Talk - SmartSkin

 

Another Thread about when to use SmartSkins:

Time to learn SmartSkins

(I think, smartskins are better than described in the thread so... they have real advantages over any kind of CP-Weightening and Helper-Bones, because you can easily form any kind of shape, not only preserve volume or make a knee look right... you can make the knee look like a dragon, if it is bend... something any other method can't do... (just an example))

 

One of the best SmartSkin-Tutorials can be found here:

William Sutton - CP-Weights and SmartSkins

 

Hope that helps. If not, use the Forum Search... search for SmartSkin... there are plenty of searchresults for that or just ask us... I'll try my best to answer your questions.

 

See you

*Fuchur*

[NancyGormezano]

My werewolf has a lot of hair, so all of it is hidden so I can animate him. The realtime rendering is still pretty slow when I move him around, or travel along the timeline. How can I make a proxy for my wolf?

 

You may not need to make a proxy for your model. For better responsiveness in real-time, do as many of following as needed:

 

1) turn off hair (biggest effect in real time responsiveness) - Shift + 8 (toggle hair & particles on/off)

2) Decrease display resolution of your models: hit the "page down" until you hear the bong-bong. Your models will be displayed at 1 poly/patch (makes real-time display update most responsive) or 4, or 16 or adaptive. Hit "page up" to increase display resolution.

 

If you have a very complicated choreography - lots of models, lots of patches and responsiveness is still sluggish:

 

1) turn off visibility of those other non-essential models not needed for animating (object render mode = hidden in for shortcut to model). Or if you must see other models, make their visibility mode = wireframe and keep the model that you are interested in animating in shaded, or shaded wireframe

2) make object draw mode something less than curved (vector or bounding box) for those models that don't require accurate real-time display

[Gaduunka]

Thank you so much Fuchur! I didn't think of using the forum search engine. The splines and control points are moving a lot more smoothly now.

[Gaduunka]

My werewolf has a lot of hair, so all of it is hidden so I can animate him. The realtime rendering is still pretty slow when I move him around, or travel along the timeline. How can I make a proxy for my wolf?

 

You may not need to make a proxy for your model. For better responsiveness in real-time, do as many of following as needed:

 

1) turn off hair (biggest effect in real time responsiveness) - Shift + 8 (toggle hair & particles on/off)

2) Decrease display resolution of your models: hit the "page down" until you hear the bong-bong. Your models will be displayed at 1 poly/patch (makes real-time display update most responsive) or 4, or 16 or adaptive. Hit "page up" to increase display resolution.

 

If you have a very complicated choreography - lots of models, lots of patches and responsiveness is still sluggish:

 

1) turn off visibility of those other non-essential models not needed for animating (object render mode = hidden in for shortcut to model). Or if you must see other models, make their visibility mode = wireframe and keep the model that you are interested in animating in shaded, or shaded wireframe

2) make object draw mode something less than curved (vector or bounding box) for those models that don't require accurate real-time display

 

 

Yeah, I found out how to lower the resolution of my models, which makes animating possible now! Thanks for the reply.

 

(Also, I have my particle hide/show button on my toolbar.)