Not your typical character models...

[williamgaylord]

These are not award winning items to showcase, but they are interesting examples of how Animation Master allows you to do some none traditional "character" animation: Bill's Experiments These originated with "The Mother of All Blobbies", my first experiment animating a character whose "limbs" were more like the pseudopods of an ameoba than arms and legs. This was done by manipulating CPs with the various tools of AM. I then created a "pseudopod" test model basically made of a tube with each spline ring along its length assigned a bone. The bones were then constrained to each other in a hierarchy so that I could stretch or squash the "tenticle" simply by manipulating a bone at the very end. "Pseudopod" was the result. The next experiment was "Roundhouse Slap", an application of the model inspired by Paul Hogan's detective character from his variety show. I then changed the model slightly so I could scale each spline ring separately, while using a single control bone to stretch and bend the "pseudopod". I gave it teeth and created "Pseudopod 2". I was then inspired to create a similar model to animate a tree growing magically from a sprout to a full grown tree. In this modeling technique I constrain the bones of the tube to a guiding spline which determines the shape of the branch. I can construct a complete tree with such branches. I am now creating an short film for a non-profit organization based on the tree model that "grew" from these experiments. "Toobs" is a simple experiment showing how tubes can be guided by splines. I call them my "flying cheese doodles".

 

Although Animation Master is designed for more traditional character animation, it is also amazingly adaptible for much less traditional "characters". Hope these inspire some of you to try even more interesting character innovations. Many thanks to the folks who helped me in these explorations. AM ROCKS!!!

 

Bill Gaylord

[Rodney]

William,

 

You and JohnL3D must drink from the same water fountain or something.....

 

Both your efforts and experimentation concerning what Animation Master is capable of doing are great resource to the A:M Community.

 

Keep up the fine work.

Some day.... There needs to be a compliation called... The A:M Laboratory: by JohnL3d and William Gaylord.

 

'Twill be all the rage...

 

Nice Work!

I need to go back and review your site more as I see several new things since my last visit.