Reegie - a new easy to animate character

2009-05-26 - Version 1.3.1

And download it here:

http://www.adrive.com/public/54c81ad55953690010806a4cb3e03e2addfa90d85f10dcf9c59257fee1cdb0aa.html

For more information: http://mangojambo.wordpress.com/2009/05/04/reegie-13/

Cheers


Hi all… It is the first Reegie version. Reegie is a character I developed last weeks. It is really simple to animate, with simple controls.
One thing I want to highlight is the knee and elbow controls. They are really handy! IMHO the traditional one is not so good because you can loose easily when animation in a scene with a lot objects or walls for example. And I think X-ray armature is not good to animate. And the armature layers organization. Mostly you can use just the 1st armature layer, but there is 3 or 4 options more on layer 2 and 3. “keeping controls close and simple”! :wink:
There is a text explain how to use it. PLEASE, READ IT ALL to know how simple it is! You need to know some tips before to animate, ok?

Here is the file: (Choose a link)

Hope you enjoy it!

Cheers

Really nice job. I really like the foot set up a lot. The head and chest don’t move naturally though. I am not sure how you would fix it, but something doesn’t feel right

Hi … for the chest and head use only rotation and trackball ( R and RR hotkeys)…G will mess a little bit. I mean, to translation is too fast, so … I don’t know why a keep it there ( IK without target)… works good to forearms… But use like FK controls for the belly, chest (ribcage), neck and head … Will work better…

Cheers

Interesting rig for sure - thanks for sharing. The FFK/IK is innovative, and I like the pole vectors’ locations limited.
The foot pivot controller is nice for the side rolls.

I’m not too sure about that top squash controller. I’d put a stretch to constraint on it ( or its deforming counterpart), if that’s your style, but I’m not really happy with that answer either.

But there’s a lot I can learn from this rig - thanks again!

Hi Mikahl … I did apply a deform mesh to the squash. It isn’t the best squash, I agree, but to simple moves, not too exagerate, works good I think.
But I had problems linking in another file. It was losting the squash and I need to unbind and bind again the mesh deform. I will try setting a bone with a simple strech set up. Hope it works. Dunno!

Cheers

That foot controls kick ass :evilgrin: like them allot and it looks perfect for martial arts animation :yes: that’s because the foot rotates over the toes… very important detail :slight_smile: thanks allot mangojambo :wink:

First glance looks good, mangojambo, but I haven’t had time to really play around with it. Thanks for sharing what looks like a great rig.:yes:

could someone upload it somewhere else than megaupload? I cant access the site from the school network :no: (I also live at my school…)

Yeah, I really like the pivot control too. When I was trying to work on my own rig a year ago that was something I wanted to implement because the pivot location on the feet changes all the time, especially with martial arts which is what I wanted to use it for too, or rather if a rig can be used for martial arts animation easily then that’s a good bar to set for a rig.

@GreassyMnky:
You live at school! :slight_smile: That’s way coll and reminds me of an anime called GTO - Great Teacher Onizuka that it still is one of my favourits.

Try this one:
http://www.box.net/shared/ong2tfmoho

@Metsys:
It was very dificult to do some moves in Orion Tear because I had a mancandy foot setup, which is also very good… the only exception is for martial arts moves :confused:

Muito legal mango!

Thanks for the cool rig, the eyes are quite fascinating! I need to dissect them a bit.

downloading right now- thanks for sharing!

Dude, that is a killer rig. Some great, simple ideas in there (the ability to track hand ik to the ribcage) as well as the foot controls. Nice work.

Hi! Thanks all for your reply. I am glad you like it. There is no new big features, but a new way to see and use what we already have. Thanks to a great friend, André Ivankio, his rigs are amazing, and some ideas I picked from there. Great rigger.
The Pivot constrain opened new possibilities, thanks to Macouno http://www.alienhelpdesk.com/python_scripts/pivot_constraint
Foot roll script from BBB.

There is a know ed “rig bug” on foot pivot when enabling/disabling foot roll. I will fix it soon…

I hope to see some animations with reegie!

Cheers

Well, I had to play with it. It isn’t much, and the vid file is pretty big (53MB); just a simple “spinny” animation using recursive background - i.e. render animation, set as background [with frame offset], render animation (now with two), set as background [offset again] and render…

Thought it would make a cool effect, not bad but not all that great.

Anyway, like with all Blender exercises, I learned something.

http://www.keesefil.com/jbart/art/blender/reegie2back3sm.jpg

More info (links to blend file and video) at http://www.keesefil.com/jbart/art/blenderanim.html.

really cool rig ! i’m going to see if i can do some animations with him an post them later.

Updated to 1.3.1 version.

The links are in the first post.

Great walk cycle. nice rig. Will play with it when I get a chance.
~Glenn

HI,

firstly thanks for the great rig, I have had great fun playing around with it.

Can anyone help with a question?

What would be the easiest way to get reegie to interact with an object - i.e. a ball to pick up and throw etc. In the intro to Char animation book, it says something about a “Hold Bone”. Does Reegie have one of these (I couldn;'t see one) or is it possible for me to add one?

I am fairly new to armatures and rigging etc. so all help greatly appreciated.

Many Thanks

Wayne.
p.s. I am on the earlier version of reegie as I prefer his shape! - Is there any need to upgrade?