Rig Documentation

This video documents the final rig that I will be using in my animation. It shows the versatility of the man's facial expressions, the simple yet effective foot setup with multiple rotation points (ball, toe, ankle, heel.) I have had to re-rig the dog completely since my last post - I rigged the dog in a similar fashion to the way I rig bipeds (with a central control point and the center of gravity). The problem I found was that dogs spread their weight over their front and back legs so I needed a solution that resulted in a spine control system that mimicked a dog's physiology. I also integrated an advanced dynamic tail system that automated its whip action, thus reducing the time needed to animate it.

Animation Test

This is an animation test. I did not need to make a perfect walk cycle. I just wanted to test out my rigs to find any pitfalls, and to discover how to use Maya's animation tools.

so far I am quite happy with the way the rig for the man works. It is simple and does the job. However, I am not so happy with the Dog rig, I think I need to have less spine controls that drive the spine bones. Also I need to reconsider the feet setup, my dog design pays no attention to the actual physiology of a dog's leg which is why I went for the reverse foot setup on the dog. However after animating I found it hard to get them to look right in motion. I will be doing some more experimenting with the dog to find more suitable solutions.

It has taken quite a while to get comfortable with Maya. However, I now feel I have overcome the main obstacles presented with converting to the new software.

Almost finished my background

This is the progress I made with the scenery this last week. I'm pretty happy with it, only a few small things that I would like to change if I get around to it. I am happy with the way the buildings and trees in the distance are desaturated due to aerial perspective. I think the flowers on the bushes in the foreground were a good addition. It was difficult to tell what they were before. I think before I use this in my film I would like to alter the gradient on the floor slightly, I have found it difficult getting the colours to my satisfaction. I would also like to put some daisies and extra tufts of grass on the floor.

Scene is almost finished

This is a test to see what my scenery might look like in 3D. So far I am pleased with the result; there are a few minor details that I think need changing (for example, the tops of the trees, flowers on the grass and in the bushes). I am also aware at this point that the still image will need some movement in it so that it does not become stale. I have been thinking of ways I can introduce a variety of different elements to the scene that will keep it alive such as butterflies, joggers, floating leaves/feathers etc. However, at this point my main concerns about the scenery are with composition. I have spent a lot of time trying to create a pleasing image that reads well and does not distract the eye.

Gantt charts are so much fun.

This Gantt chart maps my predicted progress for the duration of this project. At this point I am just finishing up the rigging stage and preparing my two characters for animation. I have done a few tests with texturing, although I think it will take a bit longer before I get something I am happy with. I am almost ready to do some animation tests, during which I can work out my animation workflow, but so far I am on schedule.