http://img72.imageshack.us/my.php?image=bsd4x600019oa.png
When the character’s finished, I’d like to rig it, so that I can put him in some nice poses, and maybe change his facial expression. Are there any good tutorials on how to do things like this?
Also, I’m having trouble doing to the hands. Do you have any suggestions?
And, should I model the feet, and then put the shoes around them? Or should I just make the shoes?
Just model the shoes unless you foresee yourself taking him out of them at any point in the future. As long as you have enough leg/ankle that you can’t see the inside bottom of the shoe from any angle, it should be fine… nobody will ever know.
As for rigging, you may have a tough time of it with that model, particularly where facial animations are concerned. The best advice that I can give you (not worth a great deal) is to include more vertex loops around the areas that you intend to bend. It’s vital to have enough weight distribution or your joints will fold like paper tubes.
The face, as I said, is going to be particularly difficult. The best advice I can give is that you should look at the official wiki manual and look up “driven shape keys,” as well as “shape keys” themselves.
No, you’ve actually modeled it very cleanly. Making it work better on a rig isn’t too much of a big deal beyond what you’ve done. Basically, you need to add at least one more vertex loop to each arm… you have to build the character an elbow even though it won’t show when the arm is stretched out.
Tell ya what… give me a minute to whip up an example of what I’m talking about.
Okay, the first example has only one vertex loop in the joint. The first bone in the chain has influence over the joint, the second bone has influence over the end of the mesh.
The second example has three vertex loops in the joint. Both of the bones have influence over the middle part, while the first bone only has influence over the loop left of the joint and the second bone has influence over the loop to the left of the joint and the end of the mesh.
Notice how the “bend” in the second example is more controlled and more defined as a joint. Of course, it’s far from perfect, but it does not crumple at the joint as the first example does.
If you look closely, the cheeks of my model begin at the side of his eyes; the cheeks of the the reference picture begin just underneath. I appreciate now that It’s not been modelled as accurately as I’d’ve liked, but, because of the way the cheeks are, it’s very difficult to change them.
But, as characters go, mine’s not that bad, so I’ll keep this model just as a tool to learn the basics of animation with.
Candall, thanks for taking the time to draw up that example - and I can now see how the arms ( shoulders ) would react to the rigging. I will, once the hands are modelled, ensure that I put in a few more loop-cuts
It’s difficult to see, from the reference, any detail about beasties hand that could be used to create an accurate model. I don’t know what to do guys! Any suggestions are welcomed
Jimmey, you’re quite welcome. You arrived at just the exact conclusion that I was trying to get at. Sorry I neglected to mention that the bone sticking outside the meshes in my example are NOT part of the bone chain, so the “first” bone is the one that extends from the left side of the mesh to the joint. I guess you must have figured that out, though.
The screenshot shows the actual wireframe - it’s disappointingly high-poly, which means I can’t do any changed of expression using shape keys, because, it’s just to hard.
It’s been rigged, and there is a small walkcycle, but I just don’t know where to host it. Screenshots on the way!
