Posted November 15, 2009 Why won't Maya duplicate anymore? Its just suddenly decided not to and I can't think why. I think it wants me to go to bed. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 18, 2009 This is what I've been working on over the last 10 days (at a guess 15-20 hours). Its not perfect, in fact there's a lot of things I want to change but I've already spent enough time on this and I should be using Maya to learn how to animate really. I know the hand drawn stuff (the loop around the bottle and the cage 'hooks') are naff, and I know there's no door at present (and im sure there used to be a bar in the foreground corner of the first pic. had lots of problems with Maya and layers, it keeps forgetting whats in them and all sorts of weird shit). I'll come back to this project at some point but right now I need to move onto other stuff. But this was useful in me learning some stuff (wow when did those images get so poor quality?) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 19, 2009 Ashley I'm jealous, its been so long since I used maya I wouldn't have a clue how to start these days. Its looking very good, with a door and maybe making some hay etc within it, its shaping up nicely! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 19, 2009 Ah yes I was planning on doing a bit of hay (and some food) next time I can be bothered to clean her out I'll take a photo of a fresh layer of hay. Although I probably won't come back to this for a while. And thanks Glad you like it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 21, 2009 Having a bit of a nostalgic moment earlier today as I looked through last years Uni work. Just wondering if I posted these before.. & Gawd... back when I actually liked the course I was on. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 21, 2009 I love them both, I do think the guy should be moving his torso slightly, he looks abit stiff in the upper body. But otherwise its a good walkcycle! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 22, 2009 Ta. Can you spot the flaws though? Everyone says they don't notice them until I've pointed them out but I think they're really, really noticeable. I'll give you two; the mini waterfall in the fish pond rises near the end of the clip, and every few walk cycle the guy jerks a bit to the right. I really don't know why I thought it was a good idea to spin him in one frame and think it'd look good. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 22, 2009 I love your cage Ashley! Way better than anything I started out with in 3D. It's good to see you getting on top with the fundamentals of modelling (I know people who still struggle with it...) and it's coming along well, what you got planned next? And Stef: You never liked the course. But I like your animations, as you already know. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 22, 2009 Speaking of animations you never showed me one of the pieces you did which I remember pestering you about. You should show it me now because I'm not on the course. I can't now come into lessons and just laugh at you if I thought it was shit. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 22, 2009 What animation was this? You mean this piece of crap? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-zBWJiyAsU Or do you mean the fish thing? I never uploaded the fish thing anywhere. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 22, 2009 (edited) Nah I obviously saw your final animation. I saw your fish animation aswell. I think it was Visual studies, something you did for that. I watched that again and the animation is really good but man does it make no fucking sense at all. Edited November 22, 2009 by Stefkov Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 22, 2009 Oh the Christmas thing? Yeah that is never being shown due to it being shiiiiiiiiit. It's not even 3D so quit talking about it in here you bad ass. Er... To make this post on-topic I will do an update to that character head I was doing a while ago. So, in short I gave up on the bone system for now. I manage to create the rig, make the bones stretchy, set up controllers for the points and skin the head to the rig. But the results were lacking and the time needing to be spent on refining the skinning would be considerable; and then factoring in all the other stuff meant it was going to be too time costly. But I might try it again over the Christmas period. So here's some images: This is the face as it is using the morph system. I also have an attribute holder that changes the pupils size. These are all the current morph targets, I haven't done the ones for the lips yet. I need to set-up an attribute holder where I can store facial expressions. It'll help to quickly block out my animation and then go in and further tweak it. But I can get pretty cool expressions by just changing the brows, top eyelids and corners of mouth in a uniform direction. As for the bone system I got this far: In this image you can see I've connected a few controllers to the jaw bone so some of the bones stretch with it. And here you can see how if I just adjust one of the controllers and move it up, the skinning process takes control of it. The really cool thing about it is that I have a lot more control over the face and I'm not limited by the morph targets I've set up. So I can do things that are even stupid. But at least I have that option. But yeah I didn't continue with the bone rig... Might have a go again at Christmas. I've just typed the same thing twice but one with images... Idiot. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 22, 2009 Alrighty. Did you follow some tutorials for this stuff? Looks pretty damn awesome. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 22, 2009 Cheers man, yeah a mixture of different tutorials online, a few DVDs, stuff covered in lessons, etc. The bone system was purely DVD stuff, not covered in the lessons. Which is kind of why I tried it out, to be a smart ass. Looking at the bone system again and playing with it I really wanna carry on with it... Things would be a lot better if I just concentrated on one system... Things would also be a lot better if this week I had actually done work instead of playing MW2 (I had a study week, nice long period of time to finish things up, etc...). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 22, 2009 (edited) Having a bit of a nostalgic moment earlier today as I looked through last years Uni work. Just wondering if I posted these before.. & Gawd... back when I actually liked the course I was on. I like em At the end of the second one I was like "WTF?" Random. I love your cage Ashley! Way better than anything I started out with in 3D. It's good to see you getting on top with the fundamentals of modelling (I know people who still struggle with it...) and it's coming along well, what you got planned next? And Stef: You never liked the course. But I like your animations, as you already know. Thanks I'm working on animations now, starting yesterday. Trying to learn skeletons and walk cycles and stuff. There's a book in the uni library (handy I'm still there really) that is called something like 'Anatomy for Artists' which looks really useful....but is huge. I walk 2.5 miles per way to uni (and train too but obviously thats easier) so I'm going to have to spend some extra time at uni one day. But yeah, I've got a basic human model to learn on, then once I feel more confident I want to design my own human being. Then eventually move onto animals as I have an idea in my head for a quick comic animation. But I need to keep on doing more drawings I think. Trying to build a portfolio but I'll see on Tuesday when I go to Central St Martins how much they want of me. Aaaaanyway the bone rigging stuff looks really cool. Something I hope to work towards one day ^_^ What is the assignment, just rigging a face or something? Edited November 22, 2009 by Ashley Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 22, 2009 The assignment is to create an animation using a 22 second audio clip we've been given. There was a choice between four. Anyway, I'm going to be creating three characters and and a small environment for the act to play out in. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 22, 2009 Sounds cool, keep us updated I was just working my way through this tutorial for creating a skeleton and got near the bottom thinking I was nearly done...only to discover I'm on page 1 of 4. D'oh. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 22, 2009 This is why I like 3dsmax, I'd used a biped for that and bend and shape it til it looked like a skeleton, then texture that bitch up. Meh. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 22, 2009 Mhm I think that was an overly complex tutorial in case I want to be like a super skeleton expert but for now I just need the basics. The tutorial that comes with that Maya guide I posted a while ago is alright, but some of the pics are unclear. Theres one in a book I got from the uni library a few days ago so going to try that when I have time (ummm...Thursday night maybe?) and there is another book at uni I'll check out. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 23, 2009 So I've finally started my animation. Its going to be a mad scientist whos created a mechnical spider (the 3d animation is supposed to be anything with that can be class as 'man vs machine') and he's using a controller and he bashes it and the spider won't move. Then the typical it moves without the man doing anything. Hehe. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 23, 2009 I like it nightwolf, and by coincidence I watched Spider-Man 3 last night! Actually, there have been mechanical spiders in Spider-Man - some of the "Spider Slayer" robots. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 24, 2009 (edited) I'm doing it now as a side project, went back to making a bumper car, which is a pain imo..but fun I guess. EDIT: Bumper car (excuse the colours, its easier for me to see when they vary like this) Edited November 25, 2009 by nightwolf Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted December 2, 2009 Just out of curiosity what courses are you all doing? I'm on a Computer Games Technology course but I have the option to switch to animation and visualisation at the end of my 1st year. Programming is seeming more and more tedious the more I do of it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted December 3, 2009 Games Design at Hallam, my course is mostly based off modelling/animating rather than doing actual level work which annoys alot of my friends as they seem to want to do character/level design whereas I'm more the modelling side. Its alright, except they load the coursework for the same dates..its just irratating. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted December 5, 2009 Its alright, except they load the coursework for the same dates..its just irratating. Happens with all unis. And I love around assignment/exam time lecturers will set readings and say "I know you have a lot on but...", or some just say "yeah, you've got lots of assignments to do and I'm setting reading. The real world's a bitch". Anyway I'm not doing a course at present. Hoping to do character animation. Does anyone know of a particularly useful reference book for Maya animation? I'll look myself when I get the energy, but just wondering if anyone knew of one in particular? And Wesley you LIIIIIIIED you said in HWYD you'd post in here a few days ago :p Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
