Default paint weights - prior to re-influencing

New hip geometry - retopoligised with quad draw tool.

Default paint weights shown, prior to adjustments of the influences with the paint weight tool

New geometry and rig - skinned

New geometry and rig - skinned

Creating new topology for the knee joint, for good deformation

During the paint weights process I realised that the geometry I'd created (particuarly the knee joints and shoulder joints) would have poor deformation...

So, whilst it was time consuming, I decided to make my existing model a live surface and re draw the topology with the Maya quad draw tool.

tip: if the quad draw tool begins to lag, then delete history..

I then selected my geometry, and exported the selection as an .obj file. imported it directly into my scene that includes my rig, made sure everything was lined up and re-skinned it...

Below is a shot of the old knee topology and the new knee topology.

Although my ice men won't move much, they do need have a lot of knee, shoulder and hip deformation, and this process was definitely a great practice exercise in modelling

Painting skin weights in Maya

Painting skin weights on a rainy Saturday...and my print screen function with my new dual screen set up, captures both monitors!

Scene set up for shot_12

Setting up shot_12, using a still of the timelapse footage as a backdrop.

Next is painting skin weights so that the geometry deforms correctly. Although these ice men won't move like real people would, the geometry needs to deform correctly, particuarly around the knees, armpits and hips...

Previs for Thaw

    Previs for Thaw. 

Good to see in this rough Previs how the live action and the animation will work together; and to see that the movement of the ice men needs to adhere to how real ice would behave. Any movement that ice can't do e.g a hand reaching out, moving forward etc will look odd and break the illusion. 

       

Applying a normal map to a mia_material_x

So, after rigging my model I was unable to bind it.

Sang Yu helped me fix some of the geometry and export it as a selection (creating an obj file) and import it back into the scene. This cleared some hidden history and junk that we couldn't detect and then it worked!!

Sang Yu also created a UV map in Zbrush and from that create a normal map using the high poly model I sculpted in Zbrush and applied that as a normal map to my low poly geometry.

So today's work has been testing the textures with the normal map, and beginning to set the scene with a still image (applied as a file node to a polygon primitive plane).

The shader material (as shown in the render panel of a glassy looking figure in front of the sky) is mia_material_x (meaning a mental ray material) with a solid glass preset replacing the default setting. This is the link for the tutorial I followed https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuECClDjXNQ&index=29&list=PLR6NkeqscAx1r2b3gn0xPJqqfAe7tIEYy

Below is the final image of where I've got to so far, plus a link to a tutorial in how to apply a normal map to a mia_material_x shader.

http://www.3dtutorials.org/video/5235/mia-material-normal-map-and-bump-map-tutorial/

Workflow process and tests today...
Basic geometry with a standard lambert material and an applied normal map

Blinn material with normal map

Transparency of the Blinn material increased

Transparency increased further

UV snapshot taken and imported into Photoshop with a high res texture file layer,

Texture applied to a file node

Adjusting the transparency settings. I didn't like this version as he looks as if he's made of marble (good to know though)

Testing removing some of the texture in Photoshop and then applying a solid blue layer in Photoshop, so I could see where I'd removed the texture

Removing ice texture and reverting back to a mia_material_x solid glass shader

Mia_material_ x with solid glass preset

With the normal map applied, plus two point lights (one in front of the man and one at the rear) plus a directional light which illuminates the backdrop

Using the relationship editor and the light linking option - to remove the translucent shadows on the backdrop, caused by the point lights highlighting the character