Elsa the giraffe (WIP)

Genete · Post by **Genete** » Tue May 22, 2007 11:51 pm

Just to show you an animation of the ear of the giraffe I've created and shown in another post. It still being in construction but wanted to show you my intentions.
Here is a screenshot:

The parts of the head (ears, nose, eyes, mouth and so on) will be deformed for front and side views using point motion recorded into actions. Also shape ordering will be performed with a simple switch keyframe for every shape ordering I need. Then the switch layer can have bones to deform the points in a funky way...

Later all the switch layers or the alone shape layers will be putted inside a bone layer with some springy mechanisms that will rotate the switch layers around the Y and X axis. In this way I will have a complete head that can perform a whole head turn. Layer ordering will be performed with actions for the root bone layer.

As first approaching please watch this ear rotation and its funky movements.
Done with 5 actions and bones rotation and scale. Also the switch layer order the shapes. As well as both vector layers share same actions and also the switch layer have actions with the same name, then both layers play at the same time. Switch layer bone option is "flexible binding" and all the points of the vector layers are flexible binded.

http://darthfurby.com/genete/Other/jira ... artest.mov
http://darthfurby.com/genete/Other/jirafa/jirafa2.anme

C&C are welcome.
Best
Genete

EDITED: here attached to a simple springy mechanism
http://darthfurby.com/genete/Other/jira ... artest.mov
http://darthfurby.com/genete/Other/jirafa/jirafa2b.anme

Mikdog · Post by **Mikdog** » Wed May 23, 2007 8:52 am

cool! I'd dig to create something and then have you make it 3D

p6r · Post by **p6r** » Wed May 23, 2007 9:40 am

OUAWWWWWWW...
Fantastic what you can do with a "simple" giraffe !!!

Bravo Genete !!!

Genete · Post by **Genete** » Wed May 23, 2007 4:04 pm

Thank you guys!

I am very self surprised about this "simple" animation. Never thought I can draw something decent beyond my sticky man. Thanks p6r!!!! you inspired me!!

I think that the whole head turn will be not as easy as that ear turn. I have not figured out how to subdivide the rest of the head into parts/shapes to perform the complete side to side turn. And also I still have pending the oposite turning of the ear (0, -45, -90, -135, -180). Three new actions are needed. Eight in total. Now I have 5 positions recorded in actions that respond to 0, 45, 90, 135 and 180 degrees of rotation.

If you look carefully to the anme file you will find some interesting things.
In the switch layer there are three bones. I puted there thinking that they will have influence to the ear as well as the points pass thru them. Let say that I wanted to draw a 0, 90 and 180 bones position. My surprise was that the points respond to the bones as they (the points) were in the original position (the 0 degree position). For example the left bone scale would enlarge or shrink the ear when the ear points are at position 0. But when the points are at position 180 degrees, the influence of the bone over them is the same!. It enlarges the ear when the bones enlarge!! I have to confirm that this night. If this happen in this way it would be a bery important discover! Imagine that you rig a mouth to talk only with bone motion. Later you distorts the mouth with point motion and the mouth still talking the same but distorted by point motion. It would be a god gift!!! I have to confirm it.
I have been researching the way to distort the bone rig itself to move the bones to a 3D position and move the points to the new 3D position and continue making its work. To achieve that I compromised the point motion feature to be null and let the bones to do all the job (for example the 3D eye or the 3D hand). Now if I confirm what I have mentioned before, I can have only springy mechanisms to do the global turning and the fine turning can be done with point motion without loosing the ability of the bones of have a "flat" rig influence over "deformed mesh of points by point motion".

I supouse it is a little confusing but hey! "I'm confusing"!!... that's my nature

One example will show you what I mean. I hope it works

Tonight more
Best
Genete

Genete · Post by **Genete** » Thu May 24, 2007 1:00 am

It doesn't work as I expected. It could help to make funny distortions but no more beyond that. Nothing consistent.

Genete · Post by **Genete** » Thu May 24, 2007 11:39 pm

Already finished a complete 360º turn for the ears of the giraffe!!

http://darthfurby.com/genete/Other/jira ... woears.mov
(1MB)
Also show some funky movements

If someone is interested in how I did it check out the anme file:
http://darthfurby.com/genete/Other/jirafa/jirafa3.anme
(0,6MB)

I have done the rest of rotation for one ear (-45, -90 and -135) store them into actions. Later duplicate the ear and make a mirror of the points (not he layer because if not it does not work) and adjust them to the correct position. Also create a new simple springy and attach the layer to it

Please your comments are important to me.
Genete

donnie · Post by **donnie** » Fri May 25, 2007 12:16 am

Genete you do some amazing stuff that I don't think I will ever understand fully how you did it!

That 360 degree ear turn is simply amazing. I'll have a look at your anme. file but I dont think im clever enough to be able to decipher it!

Thanks for sharing though!

D.

beautifuldaymonster · Post by **beautifuldaymonster** » Fri May 25, 2007 5:16 am

You are a natural animator. I could not begin to figure out how you did this. That is such smooth movement.

Explanations? Descriptions? Pity for little beginners?

human · Post by **human** » Fri May 25, 2007 6:11 am

Very impressive demo--sure wish I knew how you do this.

(Also, artistically speaking, I really enjoy your character and your use of color.)

Genete · Post by **Genete** » Fri May 25, 2007 6:20 am

@donnie and beutifulday: Really there is no trick for the ear turn. Just draw it at eight turned positions and store them in actions.

Tips:
1) Think in your model to be a reversible one. Take a look to any of the vector shapes of the ear inside the switch layer and take a look to the names of the shapes. Every vector layer have the same shapes but with different ordering. Switch layer change the ordering only.
2) I draw only in one layer. I draw the complete turn (or what turn I need at different frames in the timeleine) Once I'm happy with the turn I store the keyframes into actions but the actions are defined in the switch layer. Remember to create a keyframe for all the points on each action if not some points will remain static. If you don't know how to do this step I'll explain in another post. (See below)
3) Once stored the actions just duplicate the main vector layer. change the order of the shapes properly for every turn position(s) on each needed vector layer copy. (They also have the same action stored inside).
4) Select a frame an insert an action. Also insert a keyframe to shape ordering where appropriate.

Mainly that's the process.

For the bone layer and those strange mechanisms please watch my video tutorial tutorial #1 in the webpage in my signature.

@human: thanks for your kindly comments.

-G

ANME FILE LINK CORRECTED

p6r · Post by **p6r** » Fri May 25, 2007 7:20 am

always fantastic !!!
Congratulations...

I can't download the anme file !?!
...

I have changed the link and it's OK ! (you forgot the dot !)

6R

jahnocli · Post by **jahnocli** » Fri May 25, 2007 10:31 am

Genete, I just downloaded your giraffe file and played around with it, and it is just MAGICAL the way those ears rotate in 3D! Something really important is happening here!

Genete · Post by **Genete** » Fri May 25, 2007 10:33 am

@p6r: Thanks to you! who made me inspired with your Learning to Draw with Anime Studio online book!

@jahnocli: Thanks for your words. I hope that sharing the amne file someone else get inspired.

@all: Regarding to the conversion of a particular keyframes in the timeline to an action please follow this thread. I never create directly an action to store a particular pose. I always do it in the mainline and then paste it into the action. It is better because you can see the transition between one pose and other. If you do directly inside the action it will be very difficult to achieve when the pose at frame 0 is quite different to the pose at frame 1.
Also I store actions for only a frame (frame 1). Recording actions beyond frame 1 is not good for a pose to pose style of animation. It could be valid to a kind of special movement that return to its original movement like a cycle point or bone motion. For example an action recorded to achieve the movement of a flag by the wind.
See Darhfurby video tutorials in Tips & Techinques area related to actions to head turn. I have applied some of his techniques here. Thanks Darthfurby for all you have done (still doing) for me!!!

-G

DK · Post by DK » Fri May 25, 2007 10:52 am

¡Ése es Genete fantástico!

D.K

Genete · Post by **Genete** » Fri May 25, 2007 11:07 am

DK wrote:¡Ése es Genete fantástico!

D.K

Jajaja, Gracias DK!. Tu también eres fantastico!

-G

Elsa the giraffe (WIP)

Elsa the giraffe (WIP)

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