WIP - "FKIK manipulate bones" tool.

capricorn33 · Post by **capricorn33** » Sun Jul 17, 2011 9:25 pm

funksmaname wrote:you could give the thigh bone a rotation constraing so it doesn't buckle on itslef? (so the knee can't bend backwards)

Haha, I'm so stupid. Why didn't I think of that? It was just too obvious, I guess. And that should make the "knee aim bone"-idea scriptable too. So that's a piece of good news, Gilles.

Thanks for the idea, Funks. I'll keep it in mind when I return to working on the script.

cheers!

GCharb · Post by **GCharb** » Sun Jul 17, 2011 9:58 pm

funksmaname wrote:you could give the thigh bone a rotation constraing so it doesn't buckle on itslef? (so the knee can't bend backwards)

Now that is a great idea, will try that right away, thanks funksmyname!

GCharb · Post by **GCharb** » Sun Jul 17, 2011 10:22 pm

Tried it, it works but only if I give it a tight angle, which limits the leg movement quite a bit, but thanks for the idea!

funksmaname · Post by **funksmaname** » Sun Jul 17, 2011 10:27 pm

try it on the lower leg bone at a tight angle forwards? (releast the thigh bone) - you dont really want a leg bending forward at the knee anyway and that constraint might stop it popping?

GCharb · Post by **GCharb** » Sun Jul 17, 2011 10:38 pm

In another thread, someone pointed out that the script supersedes the offsetting of bones, and yes it does, might be another reason to implement a strength value(since it seems to supersede everything else), if at all possible.

funksmaname · Post by **funksmaname** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 4:15 am

Finally got around to trying this script... very nice!

Gilles, if you give constraints of -135 to 40 on the rfoot.aim for example, I couldn't get the leg to bend the wrong way and didn't seem to have any issues with limited movement (the thigh is still free and you don't want the knee to bend the wrong way) no?

funksmaname · Post by **funksmaname** » Mon Jul 25, 2011 6:56 am

ive been using this today and its amazing. saved me so much time... infact I don't think I could have done what i did without it. it is MUCH better than bone locking.

I have two 'movers' rolling an 'O' a bit from left to right. I used the script to point both shin to foot, and arm to hand - so the hand is easily locked and the feet don't slip around. I didn't set up an intermediate bone like you and Gilles showed, i just pointed straight at the target which made it easier for me to animated the way i'm used to, but the rock solid locking it provides is fantastic!

As a note, I was using Mike Kelley's 'Swiss army tool' to actually move the bones, not the provided tool - on the rare occasion I got funky interpolation, clicking the keys with the provided tool seemed to fix it, while the swiss army tool gives you very quick control to move/rotate (with or without IK) and scale

Thanks!

capricorn33 · Post by **capricorn33** » Mon Jul 25, 2011 9:59 am

funksmaname wrote:I've been using this today and its amazing. saved me so much time... infact I don't think I could have done what i did without it. it is MUCH better than bone locking.

Well I am glad you find it useful, Funks.

And yes, you're right, you can actually use any translation tool you like (AS original bone translation, mckelleys swiss tool etc...) to move the IK .trg-bone as long as the embedded script is active.

So... at this moment in development the "FKIK manipulate tool button" I provided won't give you much extra functionality.... but soon it will !!! ...when I get around to developing the true "hybrid" function of it, meaning that you can easily go from FK to IK and back, even on the chain with the .trg-bone, at any time!

Stay tuned.

funksmaname · Post by **funksmaname** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 12:46 am

gotta show some love for this again... it's been so useful on my complex motion scene - it gives you the body control that selgins backwards locking technique gives you but all the time! I lost a scene and had to redo a bunch of animation but this really took the pain out of it.

Looking forward to the next control tool itteration! Thanks again!

GCharb · Post by **GCharb** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 1:00 am

It is pretty good indeed, I will redo my walk cycle tutorial using it, with comments this time, hopefully within a week, tons of things I want and need to to before!

funksmaname · Post by **funksmaname** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 2:29 am

my scene isn't a walk really - I might show it in a tutorial and go over the script too if that's ok? just to show a different take on it. I also use it to lock the hand on an object in the same rig so with the fixed points you have a lot of easy control over the body movements with solid locking... great stuff!

capricorn33 · Post by **capricorn33** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 10:05 am

Hey, funks and Gcharb, you guys are just great!

I think you two are spending much more time on exploring (and in that sense also developing!) this script right now than what I myself am. And I'm happy that you are, I'm all tied up with other stuff at this moment and will be for some time yet.

I'd be happy-happy-happy to see what things you have come up with, funks. So be my guest and tell us and show us what you've been doing. That might give me some new thoughts and inspiration as well when I eventually get back to working on this.

(hehe - "when I get back to this".... I've said that so many times I'm starting to feel ashamed about it... blushing)

uddhava · Post by **uddhava** » Wed Aug 17, 2011 2:57 pm

Hello,

I have been using this script successfully on some walk and run cycles after learning how to use it from GCharb's tutorial blog.
However now I am getting this Lua Consle message...attempt to index local 'AimBone' (a nil value). It seems like it still works, but very slowly. I can't figure out what could be wrong. Any suggestions?

Thanks, Uddhava

GCharb · Post by **GCharb** » Wed Aug 17, 2011 3:17 pm

Have you named all your bones properly?

uddhava · Post by **uddhava** » Wed Aug 17, 2011 4:06 pm

GCharb wrote:Have you named all your bones properly?

The controlling bone is called FL.trg and the controlled bone(the shin bone) is called FL.aim.

It does see to work only there are these messages and it slows down.

Thanks for the reply.

udd