Character Modelling and Edge Loops

Why is it so important to construct sound models? Edge loops are particularly important under a humanoid character’s arms and on their face- why is this?

The most essential lesson to learn in modelling a character is too make sure not only that your model and geometry are neat but that there are less triangles and five sided polygons as these tend to cause problems when manipulating the mesh for animation purposes. Triangles (although all polygons are ultimately triangles) are the worst for deformation of the character, they act like spear heads and points jut out when deforming and therefore the operatic ability of the triangle is limited (Ratner, 40). The best solution is to form quads instead of other polygon types as they allow for maximum control and deformation. Low geometry is also good for a character as it allows for high definition smoothing whereas a high polygon count will allow for little smoothing capacity and will slow down the animation and render process (Unknown, 1)

Character modelling is quite a complex task consisting of a variety of formulas and methods that will produce the required results. There are two types of modelling techniques, namely polygon modelling and patch modelling. Polygon modelling refers to a subdivision surface type of modelling whereby one can choose from an existing shape or polygon and begin modelling there. Patch modelling is a more detailed and intricate process that deals with NURBS and spline-based surfaces. It is seen as building from scratch and is used for organic modelling which can allow for amazing results in facial modelling (Murdoch; Allen 37). Now with these techniques come sub-techniques/ methods that can be used with for modelling but here we shall pull focus to edge loops.

Edge loops are defined as a series of polygons connected by edges in a loop, end-to-end format. Therefore where the loop begins is where it ends and so the edge loop is a recurring flow of polygons (Murdoch; Allen, 44).  Edge loops act and are defined similarly to the muscles of the human body. When creating a character the edge loops must run in the same fashion as the muscles of the face and body as this will create a natural and real deformation for animation.

 “Edge loops will make deformation, motion and even texturing quite a bit easier” (Osipa, 80)

Edge loops are essential for expressions as there is a natural flow of motion in the loop, giving a natural effect of movement and deformation.  Murdoch and Allen describe a couple of advantages of edge loops- edge loops allow for easy movement, and changing the position of an edge loop is quick and easy. They segregate different major features of the body and allow for even greater definition such as wrinkles. Heavily deformed/ animated areas need edge loops to stop the mesh from distorting and pulling unnaturally. The polygon count is quite low in edge looped characters as the need for definition is lower as the edge loops provide maximum definition. (Murdoch; Allen, 45-46)

Here are some examples of edge loops and the key areas in which they should be created:

Facial topology:

 

The eyes and the mouth are the main areas and then the nose cheeks and forehead should be connected to the adjacent areas as seems natural. (Cryrid, 1)

Limb and connection topology:

The shoulder’s movement must be diverse and fluid, and must be able to handle any stress the arm deals it. It must therefore allow strain in the chest area, the shoulder area and arm area, which in turn becomes edge loops connecting these areas. This is one method; another one is to take many edge loops to the shoulder allowing for much slack to deform and animation. ( Chadwick, 1)

The knee and elbow areas of the character must have edge loops like that of the mouth dedicated to handling the strain of a bend. Weight painting may become redundant if the loops in the areas are limited. (Chadwick, 1)

Edge loops are a clean and safe way to model, texture, rig and animate. They have many advantages and whether one uses the patch or the polygon method, the edge loops should be there making 3D character animation an easy and quick process. By using edge loops, one not only prevents problems, but creates a greater outcome.

Works Cited:

•  Chadwick; Cryrid. Polycount Wiki. 2010-09-17.Web. 06 May 2011.

• Murdoch, K. L. and E. M. Allen Edgeloop Character Modeling: For 3D Professionals Only. Indiana, Wiley Publishing, Inc. 2006. Print. 
•        Osipa, J. Stop Staring: Facial Modeling and Animation Done Right. 3^rd Ed. Indiana, Wiley Publishing, Inc. 2010.
•        Ratner, P. Mastering 3D Animation. 2^nd Ed. New York. Allworth press. 2006. Print. 
•     Unknown. Modeling With Edge Loops. 2008-04-02. Web. 01 May 2011.

Showreel- Masters Quarter 1- Kelly Harding

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARh6zbd86_A

Enjoy :)

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

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.

http://www.reallusion.com/iclone/Help/iClone3/08_Animation/Motion_Layer/What_is_IK_FK.htm

·         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.

Motivation for Lighting

Task: Attempt three different tones or moods through lighting per render style to see how each scene differs in mood and style. 

Scene 1: Night

The first scene I chose was a night scene, counting on shadows and colour to portray an uncomfortable and scary mood. Based on my background obsession with horror and thriller films, I decided to use the colour palette of blues, greens and blacks. People are generally uncomfortable when they cannot identify objects. The stranger the object, the more unease is felt and by distorting an object the unease is increased. So shadows and a sharp contrast (chiaroscuro lighting) was my intention, matching visibly lit couches with dark silhouette cushions, the bowl on the table is unidentifiable, but the table can be as it is illuminated. I chose moonlight and a television displaying white noise to further my intense blue/ green light and that caused even greater shadows to be projected in a minor distorted manner. These projections inhabit the floor and walls, casting subtle ambiguous shadows. The television is bright as it seems abandoned and unnatural with its accompanied white noise.  The blues in the scene create a cold, unwelcoming mood. The hour/ time of day is identified through the television’s lack of display, the colour displayed by the moon and the outside’s eerie dark trees and moonlit sky (done through a contribution of the darkening of ambient texture and a dark blue light on the projection).

Visual references:

Here is my final outcome below

Scene 2: Afternoon

The afternoon scene was inspired after the cold night scene. I wanted to create a ‘sundowners’ effect, displaying an afternoon just before the sun sets. Inspired by pictures of sunsets with its range of colours from pink to yellow, the mood is light and warm. The sun in the afternoon creates slanted quite hard shadows, usually of the colour orange. Although it is still daytime, some areas become slightly darker if not hit by the sun so a slight contrast is created. 

Visual References:

Here is my final result below:

Scene 3: Flat Lighting/ Midday

From what I learned in my research for the recent essay is the quick fix of flat lighting. Although it seems like an easy task, (and in comparison to my first two scenes, it was) I did have difficulty in finding a balance with the lights I used. Flat lighting eliminates most shadows, so I used infinite and flat lights to create a flat edge. It represented a midday timeframe where the sun is overhead, creating a flat light, and no angling of light to allow for shadows. Even more so, in the room, fewer shadows will be projected as the room does not have the harsh light of the sun, but a more general flat type of lighting. Like in the example of news rooms and sitcoms, (although this applies to film, one can adapt to 3D animation) the midday lighting is very simple and even.

Visual reference:

Here is my final scene below: