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Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2009 2:37 am
by DK
This thread has now expanded to:

viewtopic.php?p=69477#69477

Cheers
D.K

Posted: Sat Feb 07, 2009 7:00 am
by JNandC
DK, just wanted to say thanks to this very helpful technique. It made it easier to have complete eyelid control. :D

I uploaded a short test animation with my character with a new pair of eyelids I did modify it a bit though. I added a 3rd bone to the top and bottom layers of the eyelids. The 3rd one controls the top (or bottom) vector point and is the root bone for both the side bones. This way I can rotate the eyelids to make it angry or sad (near the end of the test). It was hard to rotate it with out it cuz it would distort the overall shape.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nApC9Bg6kFU

I'll try to post a pic of it if any body wants. Just don't know a good site for pic posting.

Posted: Sat Feb 07, 2009 7:33 am
by DK
Great stuff JNandC!!! Thanks for sharing. It's fantastic to see any contributions to the idea. It's what makes makes this forum tick. Also feels good to see someone actually use it in their work. Nice dog too. Does he bite ? :)

Cheers
D.K

Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 4:03 am
by JNandC
Only when his owner misbehaves. I'm having some issues with it. That line that is in the middle of the body won't go away. I've tried to hide it/unhide, but no luck. I might have to redo the body. Oh well, its all trial and error, and maybe for a different post.

and thanks for the comments, I worked really hard on rigging him.

Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 10:38 am
by chucky
This is all kinda cool, but, and I hate to be negative, why are these eyelids falling like guillotines?
I have never seen an eye in real life that does anything like this.
I know this is a stylised cartoon but this image looks painfully flat.
By fixing the outer edges of the eyelids to the bones the eyes drop like sash windows, they should rather join at a common point , the centre of the lid should be the part that is raising and lowering.
I have been seeing this FLAT eye thing all over this forum and I'm starting to lose patience with it as I see it more and more.
DK you know I respect your work but what,s up with that?
Not to just be a lazy knocker I am backing up today,s rant with a couple of images.
Image.........Image

Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 10:42 am
by DK
Cool Chucky. Totally agree. How about a fix then?

EDIT: Sorry...posted a bit too quickly...from those pics it looks like you have a fix...or is this a seperate rig? Can we see it?

Cheers
D.K

Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 10:47 am
by chucky
Wow that was quick,
I know this method has problems , but I rushed this out just for the corner of the eye issue.
There are no masks here, and I used bone blinks just to stay close to the topic.
blinker file

Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 10:57 am
by DK
Hey that's great....only hassle is....you have to tweek the corner eye points with curvature tool to get it to work....there might be a way we can automate this though.....you got me going chucky again....and I was just about to watch a good movie.....:)

Cheers
D.K

Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 11:30 am
by DK
Here's an even simpler solution for all you guillotine eye haters :)
All thanks to the chuckster for this one....works on two bines using bone scaling.
and just in time for the movie :)

Image

http://www.wienertoonz.com/DKEYE2.swf

http://www.wienertoonz.com/DKEYE2.anme

EDIT: This eye rig has only 2 bones that control both eyelids via the main "control" bone using the "Scale Bone" tool and is all totally automated.

Cheers
D.K

Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 11:36 am
by chucky
Phew, thanks DK, I feel much better now. 8)

Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 1:32 pm
by toonertime
I think a manual called Anime Studio For Idiots
would be useful!

I looked at the above eyeclosing examples and
wonder if the system could be explained to an
idiot like myself? How are the bones constructed
and why the switch layer. How does the eyelid
work? When is my stimulous check coming?

Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 4:58 pm
by synthsin75
Nice solution DK, and great critique Chucky.

That's why this forum rocks. It must be sad working in other apps that don't have such a wonderful place to find inspiration for solving these kind of animation tasks.

Tooner, the only reason he used a switch layer is because you only really need a maskless eye for a single layer solution to work in a switch. Check out the parenting and constraints of the bones, and pull the points apart to see the details of construction.

I had to pull the points apart myself to see. :wink:

Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 11:45 pm
by DK
Hi Toonertime.

I hope this diagram clear things up for you. I removed the outer
eyeshape so it's easier to see the two lid shapes.

Image

EDIT: Bind all other points to a root bone to save unwanted distortion.

Cheers
D.K

Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2009 2:58 am
by toonertime
thanks dk

apparently you have had previous experience
explaining simple things to idiots

Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2009 3:04 am
by toonertime
forgive my foggy queries,
but what effect does scaling the control bone
have on anything?