community tutos

[createo]

Hello,

For the month of July, I plan to create a tutorial that groups the main uses of bones and their constraints on AM. No modeling, no mapping !

This will help me to better understand this area and to benefit the users and future AM users because I think that the lack of clear documentation in this area does not help the distribution of the software.

This is why I want to clearly illustrate basic and very simple situations involving one to three bones maximum without too much "mixing" of constraints.

Secondly, it will be interesting to imagine the possible applications. this work could be community-based in order to benefit from a group dynamic and above all to be able to leave video documentation that everyone could consult at their leisure !

What do you think about this idea ? Do you find it achievable, and interesting ?

Being a trainer on graphics and infographic software, I think a lot about the educational aspect of this kind of document   ...

I await your answer and advice

see you soon

 

[createo]

The first step of this project is to bring together the different situations and configurations that come up regularly in working with bones.

From the simplest and obvious to the most astonishing, including "special cases".

The first goal is already to reference before classifying, then to illustrate with concrete cases.

[robcat2075]

That sounds like a big project.

I'll note that beginning on page 141 of the TechRef there is a discussion of each constraint, usually with practical use examples mentioned.

Some, like "Spherical" and "... like Two" constraints are so rarely needed that it is hard to explain cases for them.

[robcat2075]

Teo, if it's OK with  you I'll move this to "Tutorials". No will be looking for it in "BUS STOP"

[createo]

The technical references are not, for me, didactic enough.

I already understand English very poorly and I remember the manipulations in a very visual way. This is why I particularly like videos !

I do not think I am the only one in this case. This is why I propose to make these videos. Making the videos is a great way for me to learn how it works.

Everyone benefits from it. As much me as the others ! That said, I want to base my approach on existing documents! The opposite would be a shame !

I prefer to just discuss it in community before so that the examples and illustrated explanations chosen are relevant for everyone

There are people in this forum with very good technical advice so that the situations presented best illustrate the possible choices.

Of course you can move into tutorial !! Thanks see you soon

[itsjustme]

You can never have enough tutorials.  Thanks in advance for making them.

[robcat2075]

The first thing I would want everyone to know is that they don't need to know ALL of those constraints to get their character rigged.

I think they need to know how to do CP weighting and why it is used.

I think they need to know how to make fan bones and why they are used.

I think they need to know about SmartSkin for when the above two are not enough.

I think they should know about bone hierarchy and how to arrange it in the PWS

I think they need to know that they can make great looking characters with low-density meshes and that will make the CP-weighting/Fan-boning/SmartSkinning simpler.

If they know those, then they can use one of the standard rigs (I recommend TSM2), add some CP weighting or fan-boning,  and get a better result and faster result than if they try to build a complete character rig from scratch.

If they know IK constraints, and Aim At and Orient like and Translate to, then they will better understand what those standard rigs are actually doing inside.

But if they know how to install one of the standard rigs, and properly attach and weight their model CPs to the "geometry" bones of that rig, most of the constraint work is done for them.