Rigging & Creature FX

WEEK 1

Introduction to module, HumanIK in Maya.
Simple Rig

Get your model by importing or creating them

After acquiring your model, to start rigging your character,
Toggle Character Control at the TOP RIGHT of the screen
This will enable the HumanIK additional sidebar to the right, under Modelling Toolkit.

Next in the options available, select Quick Rig Tool
This will open the Quick Rig dialog with settings to set up your Rig.
I recommend selecting your whole model before using the settings in this tool.
First, select Step By Step, and with your model’s mesh selected, Click the add (+) sign to add your mesh and all its part for rigging.

All parts of the selected mesh will be listed in the Geometry Box.
Under Guides, from the drop down list below it, select Polygon Soup.
Then hit the Create/Update button

Joints will appear on model. They may or may not be accurately place, so adjust individual points if neccessary to the correct place on your model
And use the User Adjustment of Guides to mirror each accurately to the opposite side of your model.
Once done, in the Skeleton and Rig Generation section, Select Skeleton Only from the drop down list in the next box below and hit the Create/Update Button.

This will create Bones for your model connecting the joints in the model like in a real human.
Next, you parent the Model with created Joints/Bone;
First select the Model part(s)
then select the Rig Joint
and press P to parent it.

Once all parts are parented as required, rename your newly created Rig Character in the HumanIK tab, to easily identify it.

Now import your MoCAP data. and use it to drive your rigged model.
After getting your MoCAP data, Firstly select it by clicking on the ROOT JOINT, found in the middle of the pelvis.

Then go to the menu at the top left and choose Select>Heirachy
Make sure to do this in the FIRST FRAME in the animation timeline.
In the ChannelBox/Layer Editor, input 0 for Rotation in the XYZ slots. To reset the Mocap.

Then DESELECT the MoCAP, and reselect it from the ROOT JOINT again.

This time input 90 in Rotation X.

This will orient the direction the Mocap will face, to align with your model’s direction.

Now you can assign the joints in the HumanIK Panel.
First selecet none in the Character drop down list, and you will be provided with a few options.
Select Create Character Definition from the available options.
Now Select a joint from your MoCAP data, and assign it to a corresponding spot in the HumanIK. You can have mirroring enabled to automatically assign the opposite corresponding spot.

If done done correctly, you see a visible GREEN tick.

If done inccorectly, you will see a visible RED X.
If there are minor issues, you will seee a Visible AMBER exclamation mark.

Once completed, Rename your character rig to easily identify it from others.

Now you can use the MoCAP Data imported to control your Model.

To do this;

In the HumanIK panel, there are 2 Drop-Down lists at the top. ‘CHARACTER’ and ‘SOURCE’.

Under Character select the Model Rig first created and renamed in the earlier setup.

Then under Source, select the MoCAP rig you just created and setup and renamed.

This will automatically move your model to the position of the MoCAP rig.

Hit the Play Button and your Model moves like the MoCAP data captured.

APPLYING THE SAME WORK FLOW ABOVE TO THE TROLL MESH

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WEEK 2

Mech – MoCap – Simple Pipeline

Knife tool Zbrush
Zremesh
Export substance painter
Basic material
Export to Maya
Build material in maya
Build legs & arms beware pivot points no scaling
Rig using quick rig
Link using parent
Import Mocap

ZBrush Foot – Updating…

Use

SUBSTANCE PAINTER
File New , Import Model.

Bake Texture. Texture Set Settings.

Go Des

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1st ASSESSMENT Project
Building Metal-Man (IronMan-Inspired)

Finally Completed my model.

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Now for some Rig Test to see how well my model works.

My model was significantly smaller than the Rig and that had potential problems in the end.

My joint were so big because my model was so small, so I had to reduce their size to make it more visible to see what I’m doing more accurately.

To do this go to Display>Animation>Joint_Size

I applied simple Aistandard materials and gave it a blue hue for the body, and Eyes a dark pink for contrast.

RIG TESTING

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WEEK 3
Substance/Maya/Nuke workflow

JerryCAN updating…

Motion Capture

I wore a MoCAP suit. James helped setting it up.

He took me through a range of motions in the set up process.

Im sorrry but here i just looked cool. What can I say?

A view of Captured vs Reality.
Here we see what the computer sees. What is translated as Mocap data.

I had the pleasure of role playing for different character.
Yes I got free dance lessons.

This take below was a total fail. But as expected not all takes will be great, so we had to retake quite a few.

I used some prosthetics here, and role played a character from PLANETOF THE APES.
Yes, very cool.

Goes without saying that we messed about a little.
T’was great fun, but really exhausting.

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WEEK 4

Face Cam

Updating..

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WEEK 5

WEEK 5
Presentations

We did presentations today, showing what we achieved so far.
Below is my reference images. I made a madel that looks like Iron man called METAL-MAN, heavily inspired by one of my favourite characters. I used some blueprints i prepared which I found online to help me get my proportions right and get good details. However for the most part, I freestyled the modelling process.

Though they look similar, mostly in the face, they are quite different in detail.

REFERENCE IMAGES

After my previous test, I had to remodel a few parts of my model like the shoulder for example.
Made it look better too.

Then I tried to used ID masks to texture, but didnt come out quite like i wanted it, so I went with the traditional method.
Assigning materials to parts with colours, face by face, after first UVing my model.
I also Deleted history. Froze Transformations, Reset Transformation to help avoid errors.

I then selected my model in Object_Mode and Exported Selection as FBX Export.

(Fbx was initially unavailable, so enabled it by going to Windows>Settings/Preferences>Plug-in_Manager and checking both “Loaded and Auto Load”)

I saved MULTIPLE versions along the way, because I can’t count how many times I had to go back and find a working version due to silly mistakes made along the way.

Substancer Painter is what used to texture my MetalMan model.
I only made 4 materials for the different parts of my model.
Red, Silver, Gold and White.
Except for the White material which was for the white light being emitted, The other three were metallic, with different colour variations.

First i Baked my model to help substance painter better know what is what in my model, like the hard edges and such.
I used paint layers and generated worn edges and dust to depict worn out usage.

I painted so dirt on for irregularity and a more natural flow.

After which i then exported my textures back to Maya for Application.

I had my IPR_renderer Active to help see what I was applying live, making adjustment as I go along alot easier, as I could troubleshoot a texture as I applied it.
I applied all four shaders I created to my model successfully.

Next comes the Rigging.

This was Painfully Time Taking to apply the mocap correctly.

I selected my whole model and all its parts. (I had previously Paranted all the parts of my model together.)

I used a Quick to Rig it.

– Step_By_Step>Add(+)

– Under Geometry Add(+) again.

– Changed Embed Method to Polygon Soup, then Create/Update.

-Adjusted the points created to match my models Knees, ankles, Hips etc and mirrored them identicaclly to the other side using the User Adjustment of Guides.

– Selected Skelton_Only in the Rig generation box under it. Then Creat/Update.

Skinning wasnt needed.

I then parented the Joints I created to the model and renamed it to easily identify it.

I then imported a MoCAP data we recorded and prepared it to be source driving my model’s motion by;

– Select the Root Joint. The Middle Hip.

– Then go to Select>Heirachy

– In the channel_Box/Layer_Editor input 0 in rotation XYZ value

– Deselect selection (very important) then reselect the Root joint once more, and input 90 in X rotation value to align the mocap data.

In the HumanIK panel, under Character, select none.

With the new options made available, select Create Character Definition.

Match the Joints in the MoCAP data to the Character deinition in the HumanIK panel, until they all have green ticks.

I had to deleted redo a few joints like in the foot and follow the process all over from the start as you cant modify a rig on your model after it has been Created/Updated.

After successfully assigning joint definitions.
I renamed the newly created character definition and Locked it. (Clicking the Lock sign)

Next, In the Character i selected my Metalman_Rig model
In the Source i selected the MoCAP definition I just prepared.

It automatically snaps your model into position.
Hit the Play button and your model moves like the MoCAP definition.

I then created a DomeLight and applied an EXR texture file from PolyHaven Website for fine light.

Screenshots of my Model with Mocap Applied.

For my background, I create a simple landscape and applied textures to it from poly haven.
I made a simple road, and desert island and applied some Noise for the Bump map

James MotionCapture

Dance Motion Capture

WEEK 6
Workshop _ Mech Submission

After facing numerous issues with the MoCAP data, I tried various setting under the Control Tab, to adjust the motion, fidgeting and shakes.
I used the animation Editor to ease motion for more subtle movements, and some I just flat out deleted as they were eratic.