http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARh6zbd86_A
Enjoy :)
Thursday, 14 April 2011
Sunday, 10 April 2011
Custom Toolbars and Controls
“To achieve the complex and natural motion of human characters, the rigger can use scripting to automate some of the movements and help speed up the animation process”(Murtack, 3).
In order to access certain controls and tools quickly to further speed up production and ensure an efficient workflow the user must customize their toolbars and controls.
In Softimage 2011, a custom toolbar is a floating bar that contains commands and access to menus; these are in the form of one-click buttons. (Unknown, 1) The function of custom toolbars is to have a quick access to commonly used controls and menus that have no shortcuts in the actual program. The program is limited in its access to certain functions and controls and so when one sets up a scene, the availability of these controls can be configured according to the user’s preference through toolbars. An example of such controls is a select all custom button. Instead of selecting all of the components one at a time, one can do this once for the scripting, take it into the toolbar and a button will be created and once accessed, the full selection will appear. This helps with animation and makes the process less time consuming.
Certain areas of the rig need to be controlled differently. Some areas only need to rotate, some to translate and some to scale. Some like to use the method of setting specific transform controls to specific parts of the body. This is done in XSI by just selecting the control point, selecting property and accessing the transform setup. There, one can choose the specific transform tool they will need for this control point. This is a time saving method as it prevents one from having to keep switching to the tool they want.
An example of controls is to reconfigure ‘sliders’ which are control points usually associated with fingers. One can adapt new sliders to the fingers and alter the control over them. This is done by firstly deleting the default sliders, creating a set of parameters and specifying a driving force( a control null as an example) and a driven target (the finger/s). You then link the two and set relative values and this is done through the parameter setup that uses a set of 0 to 1.
Now adding to this, one can also make sets of toolbars for transform points. In XSI one can create a tool, use the script and drag it onto the tool bar to create a button. So in my own project (I used the default rig and set certain transform settings for specific control points) I used the translate tool for moving the feet as a default. Then I made a toolbar that consisted of buttons that when accessed, automatically selected the rotate tool for the appropriate body part. This saved me time on making the man move through space and animating him as I did not have to take extra steps to get to the same desired result. The great thing about toolbars with XSI is that you can import pictures as your buttons which makes it easier to find for the eye and eye-catching.
I decided to use my own setup and project because I wanted to test out the toolbars and prove the efficiency of the toolbars. The toolbars proved to an effective way of accessing control tools and accessing areas of the body simultaneously and quickly.
I tried to animate my project and move the man along the z-axis and with the toolbars and control default I created, the animation was quicker than without those custom settings. For future projects this type of customization is essential when working on any project whether small or big because time is costly and workflow slows down when things are not organized.
Works Cited
· Murtack, J. Softimage XSI: Tutorial: Scripted Operated Shoulder. Avid Technology Inc. 2003
· Unknown. The Softimage XSI Interface. http://www.kxcad.net/Softimage_XSI/Softimage_XSI_Documentation/interface_TheSOFTIMAGEXSIInterface.htm
Sunday, 03 April 2011
Rigging- Difference between default rig and an internet rig. Discuss the importance of a good rig.
Rigging is a process whereby the character one has created from modelling and texturing, is provided with a skeletal structure. This skeleton allows and aides movement for animation. Like anatomy, the bones in the software provide a sturdy structure and the weights of the bones are distributed along the mesh of the character evenly enough to prevent deformation. (Softimage’s User Guide) Softimage and other 3D software programs have a set default rig that one can use. These programs also allow for the user to create their own rig based on chains, joints and control points. One can also acquire a rig from the internet, where expert ‘riggers’ post up their rigs for downloading. There are many pros and cons to each method and acquisition of rigs and one must find a method that suits their own personal needs.
Before one goes jumping to rigging and enveloping the skeletal rig to the mesh, one should use a guide to help them lead their rigging process. Most 3D software programs come with biped guides that guide your rigging. (Softimage User Guide) This guide can then be converted to a rig with the click of a button. This seems simple enough, but the weights of the rig may become distorted to a certain extent and when the leg is bent or the foot is rotated, distortion occurs, more than that of a rig made from scratch. This becomes problematic as the process of painting the mesh to fit the bones, character and movement is long and almost redundant in some respects, as the allocation of weight is very specific and once one changes the weight of one point, it will affect and deform another part of the mesh.
This default rig & character are slightly adjusted in their pose and positioning.
From recent, personal experience, I would preferably create my own rig as it is a fixture for a specific character and allows freedom and a certain amount of creativity. The amount of work effort is quite large and one may run into problems but it does not limit one’s needs in a rig and the weight painting in theory, should be less of an issue regarding deformation than that of the default XSI rig.
Using a rig from the internet is a much easier and more practical solution, as it allows for freedom of choice; one can compare the specifics of the rig and compare it to one’s character. For comparative purposes, I chose to use a rig designed around the XSI default character, but the creator made his own rig that was done over the course of two days. This rig is from the internet and it has been claimed to be made from scratch. Now just judging from the length of time it took, one can observe the laborious nature of rigging your own character. However, the controls are easy enough to use, some controls may be a bit confusing at first but one can figure out the controls by fiddling about. This rig, although similar to the default rig has more advantages as it allows more control for the neck, the chest and the twisting of the legs and arms, giving the character a diverse area and means of movement. The default Softimage rig is limited in its ability to move certain areas of the body and twist them according to how the character is needed to move. The internet rigs also seem more user-friendly and diverse in their rigging as the controls, bones and joints are easy to figure out and the rigs seem easily adaptable.
Figure 1.2- the internet rig.
However, when it comes to the weight distribution, it seems both the default and internet rigging is a bit of struggle to get right.
Rigging is an important aspect of 3D animation and if done correctly, one can get amazing results from a good rig setup. Rigging is understanding how the human, animal or character will move. The bones must have the correct angle drawn, to get the right inverse and forward kinematics. (Reallusion, 1) Rigging is a very complex process, each bone must have a certain hierarchy which determines the way it moves and the relative bones that move with it or move it. This is essential as one hierarchal mistake may lead to an intense distortion of not only bones, but the mesh and movement of that mesh.
Another important factor of rigging is naming. Although naming does not seem important in the beginning of the rigging process, one will find it difficult later on to identify which bone is which and how it must be placed within the hierarchy. This naming process makes parenting, moving and weight painting easier and quicker. One can get lost and ultimately stuck when trying to rig a character with no names attached to the bones. Other users of your rig will find it easier to use your rig if it is named. (Kundert-Gibbs & Dariush Derakhshani, 128)
Sometimes, it may be important to use a guide, the guides help form the rig for you and even if you do not use the default rig, it may come in handy when the rig you have is not working the way it should. It helps you pick up mistakes in the rig and align the rig to the character. (Valve Developer Community, 1)
One must not use too many bones in the rigging process unless the character or object requires so. The bones should be just enough as well as the control points. A good rig seems to give the character its ‘life’ and sense of realism. The more control, and the easier the control, means the better the control of the animation.
Rigging is a process that specificity and discipline. In order to create a great rig, one must have a great amount of knowledge on the process and be able to understand the ability of a good rig in order to create one. In regards to choosing a rig, whether the 3D programs default or one off the internet, one must the decision out of personal experience and ‘test driving’ both types to find the perfect fit for the character.
Works Cited
· Kundert-Gibbs, J. L., D. Derakhshani. Maya: secrets of the pros. 1999. USA, Inbit Incorporated. Web. Accessed 2011/04/02.
· Unknown (Wiki). Softimage’s User Guide 2011. Wiki, Accessed: 2011/ 04/02
· Unknown, What is IK/FK. Web. Accessed, 2011/04/02.
· Valve Developer Community. Rigging in XSI. (2009) Web. Accessed 2011/04/02
- Internet rig acquired from https://www.creativecrash.com/maya/downloads/character-rigs/c/human-rig.
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