Quad Draw
This semester's animation module is focused on retopology, rigging and preparation for mocap animation. For our first week we were taught what good model topology is and one of the methods used to achieve it.
This method is callled 'Quad Draw' in Maya and it involves hard modeling on a live surface in order to reduce the poly count as much as possible.
I used this feature to model parts of my mech as well.
ZBrush Retopologise
This week we were taught a similar method to retopologize models in ZBrush. This can be achieved using ZRemesher, starting with the automatic retopology and further optimizing it, ZRemesher guides in order to control edge loops more and give the character more definition in areas of interest, or using the Topology tool and draw squares on top of the model in a similar way Quad Draw works in Maya.
HumanIK in Maya
This week we looked at Maya's automatic rig system which we'll be using for both of our assignments. The way the a automatic rig works is first we have to create guides for where the joints would eventually be, then bones and then skin. The last step of the process is called 'skin weights painting'. This is crucial because otherwise the model would bend weirdly. This step allows the rigger to ensure that specific bones have control over specific parts of the model only. For example, the forearm bones will only control the forearm part of the model and not any torso or armpit areas.
Assignment 1 - Poses
For this assignment we had to model a mecha character, rig it using the quick rig tool in Maya and come up with 5 different poses for it.
Mocap session
In preparation of our final assignment, the mocap animation, we were split into groups and took turns in the University's mocap studio. I was the one trying on the suit from my group. We were shown how to calibrate the environment, the motion tracking and how to process the mocap data once it was recorded. Down below you can find video snippets of what we did.
Assignment 2: Mocap Animation
Making this animation turned to be quite difficult and troublesome for me.
First of all, for some reason my original mocap data was compromised and unusable. It was supposed to be a limping animation, having the character bent over a bit and hold his side with one arm. The spine was bending incorrectly, causing the arm to clip through the torso, ending up at the back of the spine bones instead of where it was supposed to be placed and how I acted out the scene. After having a discussion with my teachers about this, I was advised to use someone else's mocap data.
I decide to use one of Rodrigo's (from the VFX course) mocap data since I think his ones fit the best with the initial concept of a zombie-like or hurt, half-mech person.
After I created and environment and rendered out the scene, I added sound effects and edited it in Adobe Premiere Pro to make it look like CCTV footage.