Encouraged!!!

[entity]

Hi,

I've been rigging a character for about six weeks now and finally got the hard part done. I used NO smartskin or expressions with these bones, only the constraints.

 

I started with a simple idea... create a control rig for the mesh, what I'm saying is create a rig that reacts to the primary rig (i.e. the bicep/forearm control the bones that deform the elbow.).

The first problem was to build a rig that could be placed around the primary bones- just like it was a mesh, contouring the mesh. I had to do a test using a tube to figure out the position and constraints that would make the bones move in reaction to the main bones. Then turning on the bone falloff and tweaking it til I can get a nice overlap to the bone next to that one.

 

*It's sortof like the distortion mode tool--> it's a cage around your character that moves the cps that this segment is closest to, and while doing that the cps farther away(outside that region) are affected less and less the farther out of that region they are.*

Understand?

well heres the animation link (480kb- .mpg):

AnimationRigTest

 

I also have the project file with the model and action in it. Sorry, no chor setup. I'm not a person experienced in tut making--it would be a LOOOOOOOOOOOOONG tut. So I offer the actual digs to you to play with so you can see the result.... there are only constraints and bones driving the mesh, most of it is reputicious.*Note: if you want to try for yourself you have to turn off "HideRigBones" relationship. If you want to see the entire secondary rig (it's really heavy in bones and hard to see individual bones) turn off "HideCages" relationship. Also you'll notice that there are on/off poses for each section of the limbs and torso... beware: I haven't fully riggied the forarms or the neck and head, yet. It is HERE (1.78 Mb- .prj):

ProjectFile:KaractorKage

 

Disclaimer:

1.) Use the rig anywhere you want-- but if you use the mesh, at least change the head or the face... after all, it's the main character of my story.

2.) Don't tell anyone you got it from me.

3.) If you encounter any problems- it's just a test! The rigging technic is the reason for me giving you the prj... it's easier than making a tut.

4.) It was created with A:M, version 11 beta10.

[KenH]

I had a look at the rig....boy you have some patience!

[martin]

Rich;

 

That's a great rig!

 

As an aside: Noel once spent some time trying to get the "motion capture" plug-in to convert Actions created for one rig to work on another. There have been a couple of new rigs lately that make me want to resurrect that project.

 

Keep up the good work.

 

Sincerely,

Martin Hash

[entity]

As an aside: Noel once spent some time trying to get the "motion capture" plug-in to convert Actions created for one rig to work on another. There have been a couple of new rigs lately that make me want to resurrect that project.

 

Thanks a LOT!!! That would do the trick. I created the rig when I had version 8.5 and this was before the big "naming convention" call so that all rigs could be used with any action in A:M. I wish I had named them correctly the first time. I tried to add the secondary rig to the Anzovin rig(2001+), but some of the parts didn't work with the rig, and I don't understand enough about the rig to "add" a whole new bone setup. If it worked with that rig---- it would've been revolutionary!

So I ended up using an old rig I made, because the constraints were already there and it is easier for ME to navigate the structure.

[Rodney]

Rich,

 

I'm not smart enough when it comes to rigging so I didn't initially comment.

I did have one of those "eureka" moments when I saw and downloaded your project though.

 

Unlike most true "eureka" moments where one then trots off to apply the new knowledge to a project, I remain in a useless state of not being able to anything with the information you've presented. I'm sure others can do that though.

 

So all I can say is "Wow, that is cool!"

And I'll leave it at that.

 

Thanks!

[entity]

I'm not smart enough when it comes to rigging so I didn't initially comment.

I did have one of those "eureka" moments when I saw and downloaded your project though.

It'll hit you again, later. It took me a while (six weeks) to get past a some things. I don't suspect it's a remedial problem. You probably have to be a bone/constraint type of person to really see it at first glance.

 

Think of the possiblities. Drop this rig on another character and reposition the bones (not so easy though) then just right click in modeling window/ bones mode and assign wieghts --( have to fix the falloffs where the legs are close together ) -- and you have less smartskin headache. (I wonder if that would be less work than smartskinning) Of course if you added some smartskin in a few places it would increase the bends smoothness more, but I was not looking forward to that! I was looking for an easier/more efficient route.

This is what happens when you think about things too hard.

[KenH]

If you drop that on to another character, wouldn't the character have to to have the exact same dimensions as your model? I wouldn't fancy tweaking all those bones to fit! Hell my computer seized up just unhiding them all!

[entity]

really. I didn't think it was that dense....

My computer had no trouble and isn't even sluggish when I was testing the whole thing--- strange. The only time I ever froze or crshed was when I deleted some patches, but that was because the patches were still part of some new groups- reminds me, I got tons of groups in the model to-- so that later when I need to texture and bone the fingers and other hard to get to places I can select/hide things more rapidly. 1.78 mb is a rather large A:M file. Sorry. I still have even more bones to add. The neck and the wrists/hands.

AND it would be worth it only to control those models so dense with patches that smartskin would be out of the question. would it be easier to move the bones once or move all those cps several times for smartskin. For cartoon like or not so dense patchwork fanbones/ cogs is a better solution. I only intended to use this for the joints, but it seems to work on the torso and waist pretty good also. If you do have to move theses bones the easy way would be to move the group's bone called "sizer(X)". Most of the bones can be moved with that and then the others.

But your right it's still a lot of work. But the end product is more worth it if you have a high density of patches in your model.

[entity]

OKay,

I've been working on more rigging and now have the neck, wrists, hands done, but I got issues with my primary rig so I may change things in the base rig once again... but I did do some animation again to test the rigs. The results made me consider more changes to the rig because of some parts not responding the way I want them to. Mainly, the elbows point at a target controlled by the hand ancor/target. Everything else seems to be okay for animation, but I want more control over the elbows, so back to work .

 

New animation (discr: jump backward, 3 sec, 640x480, 1.53 Mb, cinepak-avi) :

Jump backward animation

 

New updated project (Just the necessary parts: model + action; 1.81 Mb) :

Project: KaractorKageB

 

For this animation I worked a lot harder on using the tools AM gives us, so I tweeked a loooooot of movements in the timeline. It's so much eaisier to do it there rather than in the action window. You have to choose two views for the action window as opposed to using the time line, in which you just adjust one value and if you hold the "1" and/ or "2" keys you can shift the values without screwing things up. I love the fact that the timeline is intuitive. Depending on whether you want to add a point to the curve or move a group or another point. A:M has an EXCELLENT INTERFACE!!

 

I've decided on a workflow:

• Block out Pelvis, Hand and Feet placement
  
• Elbow, Knee and Head
  
• then Shoulders and Hips
  
• and finaly, Fingers and Toes.
  

Note: Of course the order would be based on the focus/object of the shot. Obviously, if it is a closeup of a character speaking, you won't be animating the feet, unless your character happens to be in front of a reflective object that the entire body shows up in, but that wouldn't be the case if your character happens to be a vampire.

LOL

Okay, I'll stop now.

Thanks for your time.

 

P.S.- Using v11a.