Modeling for games: Body

Dynamics: Emitting from Surfaces and Particles

This lesson showed that surface amission can bring some pretty sophisticated effects, such as the disolve of a coce can. Similarly by using particles as main emiter  other particle emisions can be controled and so interesting effects created.

Human Modeling for Games; Week 2

The head is finished. I found the approach of softening edges instead of smoothing the mesh very interesting and useful for the near future. Especially that It gives similar effect ( especially if object is viewed from a distance) and you still have control over the level of detaill which is relatively quick and easy, just by adding normal angle values to selected edges, its crispness was controlled. For example, the lip line has a tight edge, whereas ears have mainly very soft edges.

Dynamics in Maya

Exploring further the possibilities with effects in maya. It is slowly getting to the point where you can think creatively in maya,  what parameters need to be combined when trying to reach the desired looks in the effect.


Sorry for the video quality, I seem to have lost it somewhere .. :/



For better viewing,  I upload stills as well.

Fireworks

Foam effect

Shock Wave

Flow effects

Dynamics and Game Modeling

Maya classes introduced some new tutorials. Up till now there wasn't much experience  with dynamics in maya. The approach to creating effects like smoke, clouds, explosions etc. is of different to creating..say, a character or environment.The looks, volumes and behaviour is achieved by manipulating physical setings (including forces etc.) Not by modeling the object and conectin it to blendshapes to give an example.

I enjoyed to discover that almost any desired looks of effects can be created from scratch and that there is so much control over it giving the chance to create both unique and highly stylized effects if needed. Also the looks can be pushed even further in aftereffects when it i rendered separately and composited on top.
So yes, nice to see that the part which makes the audiences wow is relatively easily managed :)




As for the second part of tutorials, the human body modeling for games, I found it much clearer and faster to do after having done two full characters before.

Narative Unit's Maya Tutorial Collection

For comfortable viewing here are all the finished tutorials:

Narative Unit's Maya Tutorial Collection

Cartoon Character's Turnaround

Resolved Mustang Model

 

Car modeling tutorials  were such a set of confidence builders in modeling. Enjoyable and useful. I am quite happy to have finily finsihed this.

Car Modeling: part 13 and 14

Character's Pipeline in Maya: Facial Rig

Weight lift Animation: Key Poses and Inbetweens

A professional approach to animating a character was presented last week. When having an idea of an action to be animated, it is vital to find appropriate reference, which you then analyze, edit and stylize.

When uni was shut I found the files of weight lifting video and character in my uca and figured its another homework task, much like lip synch, where we had to build animation ourselves. So I gave it a go and animated weightlifting using the first rig.

The result is as follows. ( refinement needed)

But when we came back Alan actually had tutorial prepared, presenting gnomon way of animating. So I gave it another go. So far this video is a result of key poses and in-betweens.



I  believe there will be a refinement stage and tips for thatin third week's tutorials. Because I would continue on refining the animation...Only that it is time to bring our own characters to life :/

Character's Pipeline in Maya: Facial Rig

I found dealing the  facial rig lot easier. Only that if there were any mess left from body rig it came  kicking in the but when rigging the head. I learned great lessons... things I found of less importance ( like thoroughly naming and organizing the scene) came to make life a lot easier and the task done quickly if everything was done as supposed to …

I have to admit this rig doesn’t function perfectly, due to without even me noticing I did some mistakes...

But I’m glad, as Alan said, it does get easier and with our studio project character, the toy maker, I had no problems at all. I’m looking forward to transcription project where rigging might even be one of the enjoyable stages of character’s pipeline :D

Car Modeling Progress; Week 9 and 10

Continue on adding front and rear details. With each one of them the car gets closer to its finished stage and really starts looking believable.

Character's Pipeline in Maya: Rigging

After a decent amount of struggling I finished the body rig.

Car Modeling progress week 8 & 9

It starts feeling like a car now.

Character's Pipeline in Maya 3: UV layout & Joint Placement

This week’s lessons were… a mind opener about, for example, Organic UV layout. I found it surprisingly easy and couldn’t help myself but kept on remembering my summer’s experience when I worked on Bird’s character. It took me round for days to prepare the layouts... Then I used the method we were thought for laying out city set’s UV’s. So honestly what a relief it was to find its actually that simple, I found myself even enjoying the process :D

On the other hand the second half of the tutorials; joint placement, was really difficult to finish. Honestly I’m not sure if its all gonna work, even if I really took my time and tried to position them correctly, even using the  mathematical rules :D for correct jaw’s joint placement.

Character's Pipeline in Maya 2: Modeling the Head

This week's task to model the head was most helpful. Before having no clue how  head's geometry should be organized now I could step in to modeling my  own character with confidence, I believe. Looking forward to fully preparing the character for animation by completing UV layout, rigging and skinning tutorials.

Character Body Modeling

After spending friday and monday I finally managed to get it done. But it was very interesting, and made lots of things clear. This is so usefull for our studio project where we'll have to moel our own characters.

11 Second Club Lipsync

“Finished” my second lip sync. But actually it now feels that truly it’s rather  you choose the moment when to abandon it.  Animation like anything else really showed the  numerous possibilities of  acting out the same information. It was a great fun to do this, and hope other ones I make will get better and better.  

For this one the goal was to get better acquainted with the facial rig and try use it but keeping it controlled, avoiding any over-the-top expressions. Also I tried to capture the expression suitable to the voiceover.

Car Modeling Progress Week 5

This week the task was to refine and even out geometry and add details.