Maya Outliner and Rigging

I've begun to try out some deformation tests using the lattice. However, I still want the option of using a rig, particularly on the arms, and to create a good sitting position.

I'm going to use the actual controllers that we created in Sang's class over the past two weeks and, thought this would be a good opportunity to practice rigging.

The image below has taken just over an hour...

Onwards...

Lattice Deformers and Image Planes

"Keep it simple. Cheat like mad"

So today I'm going to create four different ice men. Starting with the same T pose geometry, each one will be deformed using a 'Lattice Deformer' (green grid below), the vertices of which I will select in component mode and keyframe. I'm using the photoshop image that I created for my animatic, as an image plane for reference.

Here goes!

Facial Rigging in Maya

Facial rigging:

Create new eye joint, from existing head joint. Create 'locator' inside of eye ball geometry and 'contstrain point' Maintain Offset 'OFF'.

Parent constraint the eye joint to the eye geometry.

Do not 'parent' in the outliner, as the hierachy will become complicated and messy. In the outliner, keep all geometry together and all joints together.

Create an eye controller (mask shape with circular eye holes) using Nurbs cuves, in component mode and scaled/stretched to created shape.

Modify centre pivot and snap to centre of eyeball: then move in the Z axis away from the geometry. Clear history and freeze transformations, once the controller is in the final place.

Create tongue joints, 1,2,3, and 4. Parent constraint.

Parent constraint to the root

Create head controller using nurbs curves. Start with a polygon primitive pyramid. Turn off wire frame mode and select CV curve tool, 1 point linear. Snap curve to each point on pyramid; it's fine to duplicate lines. Once complete, rename nurbs curve in outliner and then delete pyramid. Centre pivot and snap to head_bn joint.

Delete history and freeze transformations.

Contstrain orient and maintain offset 'ON'

Repeat for jaw controller, root, spine, chest, neck and global controller.

Parent controllers in outliner, choosing the 'child' first, then CTRL and select the parent. Press 'P'

To bind:

In outliner, show only joints (*bn)

Select all joints, then select geometry.

Skin bind.

Skin weights next!

What's the story that links Hoover, Bros and Vikings VFX?!!

Random connection of the week:  

There was a Hoover randomly stood in our hallway the other night. It reminded me of a story that Deborah Melsom told to me, when we were both in the art department on Pie in the Sky III.
Deborah lived in a block of flats, and 'Bros' (80's trio - as pictured above...lol) also lived there too. Deborah said she had to fight her way through screaming fans to get to her car each morning. She told me of the morning that she was taking her Hoover to the repair shop, and during the chaos of getting through screaming teenage girls, promptly forgot to put the Hoover in her car, and left it stood on the pavement. When she called the security guard on the gate, to check if her Hoover was there, and he confirmed that, yes it was, indeed, still there,  she asked him if he'd mistaken it for a Bros fan...hahaha.
So remembering her story, I looked her up on IMDb; and in this process found Julian Parry; who was the Art Director on Pie in the Sky III. He's now in VFX and was responsible for theVfx content Vikings – including vfx bid breakdowns, ‘on-set’ supervision – Vfx direction & addition 2nd unit director.
I got in touch and we are now connected again!
And all because of a Hoover.

(love how the Hoover image, is a silver and red 'V' shape, as per the Vikings image too)

Masters Project THAW: Camera shots and timings

I've put together a visual shot list, in preparation for the live action shoot in the green screen studio at DJCAD on Feb 23rd...
These timings are likely to change, however, with this list, I'll have a good idea of how long to shoot each particular shot.
This has also flagged up that I'm going to need an extra plate after shot 9, which will involve bright sunlight and snowy trees.
I think some timelapse photography up at Glenshee would be a good idea fairly soon!

Rigging in Maya; 'connection editor', 'expression editor' and 'Set Driven Key'

Using the connection editor in Maya to connect finger controllers (blue flags) to the joints.

Click on the relevant controller, in this case the Left Pinky Contoller and load it into the left column of the connection editor.

Select the joint you wish to move (showing as 'green' selection) in the model, and within a blue highlight line in the connection editor.

Select which rotation axis you wish it to connect to, on the right hand panel (in this case the Rotation X).

 Using the 'Set Driven Key' commands in Maya, to select drivers (in this case the foot control) and the driven (foot locators to make the feet bank)

 Creating simple 'expressions' (simple mathematic MEL script) for the forearm joint. An additional forearm joint was inserted into the arm.
Without this additional joint, if the wrist is rotated 90 degrees, then the geometry and associated textures can become very deformed...particularly textures such as clothing or tatoos.
By creating an expression, the forearm can also rotation, say by 45 degrees, keeping the geometry and textures between the elbow and wrist in tact.
Image below shows the Expression Editor floating panel with the objects (left panel) and rotation axis (right panel) and the 'new' expression (script) highlighted in blue.

 Flag shaped finger controllers, drawn with nurbs curves (snapped to the grid in the front view panel) and then respositioned. The centre pivot of each flag was moved to the bottom of the flag 'pole' and then snapped to the finger knuckle joint.

 Testing the controllers and the rotation of the finger joints

Showing the contollers mirrored.
Blue for left and red for right.

Previs Still, Maya lattice deformers and a moody backdrop

Previs stills - working on the final shots of 'Thaw' and the timings...
I prefer the look of a growing 'shoot', rather than fully formed leafs....and I love this moody, abstract backdrop...
It's been great to scroll through the saved render shots, as it's given me a glimpse of how the water droplets will look once animated, by way of lattice deformers....