Pose script and instances?

madrobot · Post by **madrobot** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 9:49 am

I've just realised* that I'm getting ahead of myself.

I have some tests to do but thought in the mean time I'd put it out there
and see what you guys reckon.

I'm rotoscoping a car
full 360 rotation with camera on the ground plane
then rising in increments in a crane shot
with rotation on each increment
right up to 90 degrees looking straight down at the roof

the plan being to key it with a pose script setup

The issue:

Could I use the pose script to drive mesh instances?
(Because the near side of the car will need to be in front, then pass behind the other side, front, back layers, and so on... you get the idea)

The pose script is a layer script, as is meshinstance
but if i clone the master layer,
use the clones to do the colours etc,
drive the master layer with the pose script and create keyframes...

could I then strip the pose script from the layer and replace with meshinstance?
and apply meshinstance to the dup layers?
would that hook them up to drive the dup layers with the (keyed) master?

Or can layers hold more than one applied script?

Does anyone have any thoughts or ideas?

*had it pointed out for me

synthsin75 · Post by **synthsin75** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 12:28 pm

I don't think that'll work. Pose array has to interpret those keyframes on a frame by frame basis (like any layer script). If you remove it, you'll lose the poses being calling by the pose bones.

Genete made an on/off button for pose array. Perhaps using it would allow you to key frame the point positions manually. If so, you'd then be able the use meshinstance.

But I haven't tested that.

chucky · Post by **chucky** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 1:36 pm

I suggest you try not using the mesh instances if you can possibly avoid it.

You won't get all the in between frames and flexibility if you sacrifice the array.
Got cut off internet earlier sorry 'bout that.

synthsin75 · Post by **synthsin75** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 9:50 pm

Genete's 3Drig scripts are a much better solution I think. Although, then you'd have to sync your model rotation to the camera movement.

madrobot · Post by **madrobot** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 10:40 pm

Thanks guys

What about this:

Multiple layers of pose arrays
(the same array, but with different shapes on different layers)all driven by the same bones?
Then I could animate layer stacking to move surfaces behind and in front of each other as the car revolves
Do you think that might work?

My other option is to do it in bits and assemble in After Effects,
which sounds fiddly to me and I'll avoid that if I can

Synthsin thanks for the idea
I'll post some gifs when I can work out where to host them
Those will give you a clearer idea what I'm doing
(Genete's 3Drig scripts are cool but I don't think they're
right for the look I'm getting with this)

synthsin75 · Post by **synthsin75** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 10:44 pm

Multiple layers of pose arrays sounds like a good idea.

Try ImageShack for GIF hosting.

madrobot · Post by **madrobot** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 12:49 am

Thanks Synth and Chucky
I'll keep at it

This is the first rotation only, I also have rotations with the camera rising incrementally to directly above looking down.
Still some tweaking to do (corrective morphs) but looking ok so far.

synthsin75 · Post by **synthsin75** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 2:23 am

That's still a ton of work there. Believe me, I was doing something similar before I finally looked into Genete's 3Drig. I still think it'd be easier. If you have good references images of front, back, and side (or even better, AS vectors of these), I could be tempted to try setting up a 3Drig. If you have them all traced into AS, post it or PM it to me and I will.

And ImageShack has the option to post the animated gif, but I think it has a file size restriction.

slice11217 · Post by **slice11217** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 4:43 pm

That's a nice rotation! Which script was used: pose array or meshinstance?

-S

madrobot · Post by **madrobot** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 7:47 am

slice11217 wrote:That's a nice rotation! Which script was used: pose array or meshinstance?

-S

Thanks!

It's just a work-in-progress straight up rotoscope of photos
of a model roatting on a lazy susan. I tweaked it some more since then

,
it's looking a little better
(rescaled the keys out and out in some
corrective morphs.)

No use of pose array or mesh instance at this stage,
Just geometry morphing over time.

madrobot · Post by **madrobot** » Tue Oct 07, 2008 7:22 am

The 3d rig has worked a treat on the combi
BIG thanks to Chucky for support from the outset
and especially Synthsin for the extra nudge to
find some courage and tackle Genete's amazing
3Drig scripts.

Thanks guys, I can't tell you how happy I am with the results.
I'll post results soon

Tomorrow, the Charger. Ooooooh yeah.

chucky · Post by **chucky** » Tue Oct 07, 2008 7:38 am

That looks great madrobot!!
Precise and humorous design, good one to go with Synthsin's suggestion and Genete's 3d script, I believe it works with lens widening too so that car chase sequence could come up awesomely.

It's a stopper, it's a goer ! It's a fuel injected suicide machine!!
......Burnin' a rubber road to freedom aaaahaaaaaarrgghhh!

synthsin75 · Post by **synthsin75** » Tue Oct 07, 2008 12:12 pm

Nice to hear you're getting along well with Genete's 3Drig. Can't wait to see the results. I'm sure you'll end up with a much more flexible model.

madrobot · Post by **madrobot** » Wed Oct 08, 2008 1:41 am

I forgot to do the roof yet

Going to have a shot at adding that on seperate layers driven by same bones. Reckon that will work?
We'll see

I'm really please with the result. It's 3d in the sense that I have
rotation available on all axis, but still has a degree of wonky hand drawn
look about it.

The headlights float off but that's not a big deal, I can hand tweak or remove and add later or whatever.

The tires were a coup, I made the wheels and then a tire piece hanging off each side like petals.
They close in behind the wheel for the side view and then fold out in the front view.
That way view from any angle has the tire showing appropriately.

Thanks guys

PS if anyone has front/side/back ref of a chopper with fully sick ape hangers pls let me know

synthsin75 · Post by **synthsin75** » Wed Oct 08, 2008 2:07 am

A few tips...

I don't remember being able to add to the existing rig. I'm pretty sure you'll have to add the roof to the same layer and regenerate the rigging.

If you add some vector lines that cross each headlight vertically, you can make two shapes that meet at each light. That will take care of the 'floating'. Just hide the edges of these lines.

Nice trick with the tires. I don't quite follow though. Could you show a clearer example? I had just used split curve on the circles making each side and connected these points across.

Let me know if you need the tires to turn (spin and steer).