Got some animation in and around the eyes, also tried the nose but it seems insufficient somehow. In all, the face is VERY cartoonish, I think, but… Bit by bit, closer to the final version 6…
And yes, I went for “crazy eyes”. No better way to be expressive than that!
Well… Clearly the head is a problem. The model is very wrong and has horrible topology, and the rigging makes it look cartoonish and disturbingly rubbery. I am now missing thumbs, but once that is done, version 6 is essentially done, safe for some last touch-ups. So most likely, this is the head we’re saddled with. But version 6 did a LOT of what it was meant to: It created usable animation joints for the entire body, most of them definitely good enough to build on in version 7. The body almost looks realistic at the right angle and lighting. I take it as a win. Further self-criticism will follow when the whole thing is done, and then on to version 7!
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Added controls for brow and some other facial details, allows a bit more emoting. Not a big deal, but sometimes, it’s the little things…
Just for kicks I tried using the existing posin bones as body modfiers. This is just experimentation for future work on 7+, but hey, got a chunky boy from it, and that ain’t bad!
Edit: Okay, it’s bad. Like, real bad. But human experimenting is tight!
Thumbs are all but done. The only thing flat out missing is the palms, although I smell a fair bit of adjusting in my near future, especially with that gumby neck…
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An hour of fiddling resulted in a sliiiiiight improvement of the head and neck, but significant improvement will require a full retooling of how I do the muscles. Again, this is what version 7 is for. For now…
I have to say I’ve never seen someone pose first and then model. It’s like an artwork following the process of skinning this guy. Very cool!
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Ha ha, oh no, I don’t pose and then model, dear lord that sounds advanced! I just have some saved poses that I regularly test the rig in as I work on it. I do use them to track bad deforms, though, but I fix that in the regular T-pose later.
Thanks for the compliment, I like keeping a ‘journal’ of my work, and every little comment makes it feel a little more worth it!
It’s finished! Version 6 is finished!
I feel that I got very, very far with this version. The goal was to make a rig that could be posed and animated properly, with joints working right and everything looking right. Not realistic, just… right.
There are still many things that need improvement, even to do really proper poses, but they are now far minor, most of them falling into the category of “details”. The face is still unrealistic, but the body and most of the limbs look far, far better:
This was a great learning experience, and while I had more things I wanted to implement, I am okay with leaving the more elaborate work for version 7. I’ll let you all know when I get started on that, but for now, I think I should learn a little more about the human body. Might come in handy, after all!
For reference, here is version 5 when animated beyond very simple motion:
Yeah… We got a bit farther on this one…
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Oh, and if anyone wants to tamper with the poor guy, here’s the file (in 2.79, for reasons too complex to go into, I just hope it converts well):
character_base.blend (1.4 MB)
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Congrats on finishing version 6! I’ve been silently lurking and watching this come together, and although the workflow still puzzles and baffles, it does seem to work for you, as you’ve clearly improved over the previous versions!
Regarding your last point, about learning more about the human body: I don’t think that’s entirely necessary. It might be helpful, but generally, you should instead get into the habit of using references, and as many as possible, and then observing. There are many stock photos you can find of characters in action poses too, which you can use to compare to your rig, etc…I’d also always model with a reference of some kind, especially when working on a human form, just to make sure the proportions are as good as they can be. Most people can’t make a human form from scratch without reference. It helps massively.
Regarding Version 7, I still firmly believe that this process is a little odd, and you could save yourself a whole bunch of time by doing everything ‘right’ once, and then only ever making small tweaks. But again, that’s not for me to say. However, I would once again suggest you watch the Blenderella series, which you can find on YouTube (just search for it, it’s there) or on the Blender Cloud:
https://pillar.blender.cloud/p/blenderella/56040ecf044a2a00a515ada6 - However, only the head portion is ‘free’, but again, you can find it all on YT, and it’s incredibly helpful.
I really think it will help your workflow to understand how others work. An easy example is I always see you modelling abs. generally, this would be a lose detail, that might be sculpted and later baked. Also, if the character is wearing a shirt, do you really need the abs? It’s a lot easier to just have a smooth form. It’s also going to help you achieve much cleaner topology.
Finally, I will once again be a proponent for Rigify. I know you’ve said before that it’s not suitable for your needs, and perhaps your old blender version is partly the reason, but honestly, there is nothing I’ve sen from either of your versions that Rigify can’t match, or better. It’s a very good base rig for your characters, and saves so much time.
But yah…that’s my two cents, as the saying goes. I look forward to seeing version 7 
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Thanks!!! I’ve noticed you several times, thanks for the views and likes!
Why does it do that?
But isn’t that… learning? Anyway, I use a lot of references, but most are suitable for modelling, not rigging. I am currently looking for clear views of joints bending and the like, I would loooove if anyone has some good stuff on that! So, yes, you are right!
I hear that a lot, but I still don’t quite get what the difference is from my method? I mean, I have extra steps, but I am a bit compulsive, so…
Please do say! Better ten things I do not use than one thing I could have used long ago!
Oh wow, I haven’t seen that in years, thanks!!! A lot of good detail stuff in that one!
Oh, I study others like my life depended on it. But this is meant to become a general purpose rig, so I cannot cut corners. Everything needs excessive attention…
See the above answer. I cannot ‘cheat’. Also, smooth stomachs make deforms hard to see and thus fix, if needed.
I still am not 100% sold on Rigify. The time saved seems to get lost on tuning it for my needs. I do study it, but there is a lot of experimentation in this, and I feel cramped by using Rigify straight out of the box.
I look forward to your comments! Even if I seem a bit dismissive at times, I do take advice, I just twist it brutally to suit my needs. I highly appreciate seeing you in the thread, never doubt that!!
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I set up the dev thread for version 7. Gonna be a bit slower for now, with some other work needing me, but come along and enjoy the ride… again!
Yes I was “lurking” the thread as well, I have not been back for a while and am very impressed with your results.
I downloaded the character and did not abuse him much but I love the way the muscles actually react to the posing.
I will follow the new generation!
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Thanks! Do post any abusive results!
Popcorn, and a new bush to lurk in found, looking forward to watching Ver 7 unfold.
…Bring it!
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I’ve been following this project for a long time and i have to say that your approach is very unique. I hope you are still working on it and i would love to see the final product
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My last year or so was horrible for many reasons, so I kinda turtled up and tended wounds. Things are not better (quite the opposite), but for various reasons I am planning to return from hibernation. I intend to post about it once I get through my message backlog!
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Rig is coming together nicely.
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