Vectored fully dynamic character 360 turn around

super8mm · Post by **super8mm** » Sat Feb 20, 2010 1:32 am

This character can be smoothly animated in any pose as with any typically fully bone rigged character. And since the chest, head, hands, and feet are on separate switch layers the pose possibilities are vast. It's as close as you can get to a 3D character done with only vector art done in AS.

Info on the model:

Fully animatable in 8 directions
Head, body, hands, feet are all Interpolated switches.
The body switch layer uses the "Bone parent master" script by Mike Green.

http://vimeo.com/9588619

lwaxana · Post by **lwaxana** » Sat Feb 20, 2010 2:04 am

That's so cool! Especially the hands. You'll be able to make some really cool action scenes with that rig. ...And maybe a tutorial?

super8mm · Post by **super8mm** » Sat Feb 20, 2010 2:31 am

Thanks!

There are so many aspects I could make a tutorial on with this. If anyone wants to know something about this rig I'll gladly answer questions anyone has about it.

lwaxana · Post by **lwaxana** » Sat Feb 20, 2010 3:12 am

I'm sure my questions are overly basic because I haven't tried interpolating switches yet. ;D

But essentially you have 8 separate bone rigs and they're all moving together? And then you have switch layers within those rigs for the chest, head, hands, and feet?

If you're using interpolated switches, that means you need the same number of points on each switch, right? So in the back view, you still have the face, but you changed the shape or layer order so that it's behind the head? Are you using any masking?

patricia3d · Post by **patricia3d** » Sat Feb 20, 2010 4:37 am

Thanks super8mm for sharing the video. Please make a tutorial for this. Great Rig.

super8mm · Post by **super8mm** » Sat Feb 20, 2010 6:08 am

essentially you have 8 separate bone rigs and they're all moving together?

No. Too complicated. I want to keep it simple and manageable as possible.

One bone rig that's the MASTER bone rig. All switch layers are binded to a bone as a typical setup. Except for the BODY (torso) it's in a switch layer but not binded to a bone.

The BODY switch had the vector art of the torso 8 sides.
It has an identical bone rig to the MASTER bone rig.
It has an embedded script file that makes the BODY switch bone rig copy exactly what the MASTER bone rig is doing.
The bone rig in the switch layer you can't even move the bones manually, they only mimic the MASTER bone rig.

If you're using interpolated switches, that means you need the same number of points on each switch, right?

Correct but you can have different amount of points on the same switch. I toss and swap when I do transitions. For example:

A plus symbol + to a circle O to a T shape and back to a + plus symbol as my interpolated switching animation.

my switch layers would look like so:
+#1
O#1
O#2
T#2
T#3
+#3

My switch layer in the timeline looks like this:
keyframes side by side V
...............................oo...................

Two keyframes are side by side are the exact shape such as +#1 is next to frame +#3 look identical visually but have the extra points needed to turn into the next or been a previous shape. All #1's are compatible with other #1 point wise but you can't interpolate a shape with different # numbers.

So in the back view, you still have the face, but you changed the shape or layer order so that it's behind the head? Are you using any masking?

What I did mostly with the hands, a fist seen from the palm side to a fist seen from the thumb side. Turn your hand and see, as you wrist turns the fingers disappear behind the thumb. Instead of hiding them all the vector art lines of the fingers gets push against the thumbs edge making them seem like they are disappearing.

For the head I used skin colored shapes for concealing and varying line width between interpolations and the pushing to the line edge like with the hand example.

lwaxana · Post by **lwaxana** » Sat Feb 20, 2010 7:18 am

Thanks for giving such an in depth explanation. I think I'm understanding it much better now. And I hope to try this one of these days.

kidboom · Post by **kidboom** » Sat Feb 20, 2010 7:54 pm

Can you post some pictures? I saw the vid you posted and it looked really really good! But I just can't get a handle on your directions.

2ner · Post by **2ner** » Sat Feb 20, 2010 9:05 pm

This looks great!

Please do a tutorial.

Also please post links for downloading all scripts you use.

Do all the scripts work in AS Pro 5.6?

super8mm · Post by **super8mm** » Sat Feb 20, 2010 9:41 pm

2ner wrote:This looks great!

Please do a tutorial.

Also please post links for downloading all scripts you use.

Do all the scripts work in AS Pro 5.6?

A tutorial? Please be more specific, a tutorial on how to do what?

Copy parent bone:
viewtopic.php?t=15841

And I use this to keep track of switch layers:
viewtopic.php?t=15857

I don't know about compatibility, if anyone wants to download and try them and let us know would be nice.

AmigaMan · Post by **AmigaMan** » Sun Feb 21, 2010 1:32 am

That's very clever Super8mm. The turnaround is certainly impressive. Have you attempted any animation with it yet?

neeters_guy · Post by **neeters_guy** » Sun Feb 21, 2010 2:05 am

Impressive demo. I haven't studied your explanation and samples yet, but I'll take it on your word that it's not too complicated.

Thanks for sharing your innovations!

super8mm · Post by **super8mm** » Sun Feb 21, 2010 3:22 pm

AmigaMan wrote:That's very clever Super8mm. The turnaround is certainly impressive. Have you attempted any animation with it yet?

That turn around is animated considering that his stance means the angle of the arms and legs constantly change angle in order to maintain the illusion that he's not moving.

I've already started animating a fight scene, I'll post it once I'll have it done.

lwaxana · Post by **lwaxana** » Wed Feb 24, 2010 8:09 am

For the 360 turn around are you moving the leg bones and arm bones so that they kind of orbit around the back bones etc?

super8mm · Post by **super8mm** » Wed Feb 24, 2010 8:25 pm

They aren't really orbiting but you need to change the offset from the center.