Rigging Tools v1.0

I'm gonna write this post only in English because it's gonna be a long one:P.

As I promised here is a set of scripts I've called Rigging Tools. Those scripts are really useful in facial rigging. This is a v1.0 because I have some ideas in mind that I might add in future versions. But just with this small set of tools you can really speed up your work.

I will just list what you can do with those tools:

Parenting group - lets you parent selected object(s) to a Point Helper with or without inheriting the hierarchy.

Set points - this tool just creates points and aligns them with the objects. Update option lets you update(size, point's look) already created (and selected) points.

Make stretchy bones - As it says it creates stretchy bones of selected chain of bones.

Freeze Position, Rotation - freezes the rotation and position of an object.

Info section - displays the information about position and rotation of an object. Displayed values are from controller that is set to active.

Mirror - mirrors objects along each axis. Can copy selected object or whole object's hierarchy.

Control - is an viewport control that is helpful in facial rigging. It has already assigned limit controllers.

Spinners - these buttons create Empty modifier (optional) and assign set of spinner as custom attributes to is. Face button is in progress. It is gonna create whole UI for facial control.

Face Controller - Controller used in facial bone based system. First you need to pick an object that is going to be a control. After picking and clicking on the the Create button, script copies(optional) the controller you selected and place it in place of selected point in bone based system. Then it creates some wiring structure. It ends up with a fully working control for facial control.

How-To video will be posted tomorrow because now i'm leaving to see the match:P.

You can download the script here: Rigging Tools v1.0

Bone Based Facial Rig

Bone Based Facial Rig of mine. Second method of facial rigging after blended morph targets. I have found this method better then the last one. It is much faster after you have scripts that I will post soon. Those will really speed up your work, only thing that remains the longest to work on is skinning. What is more, this method once done well provides you a lot of fine face expressions, while in the blended morph system you have to create LOTS OF(!!!) targets to achieve the same effect. Another important thing is that the Morpher is additive modifier so the more targets you create the more difficult work becomes. The targets starts to overlap.
When choosing the method it all depends on the purposes of your character how much he will have to express. If it is just a few phonemes or just a smile, it is faster to use morpher with a few targets in other cases bone base system is what you need. It may take longer to finish it at the first time without scripts but after like I said the Skinning part is the longest.

Powyżej możecie zobaczyć filmik z możwilościami rigu opartego na kościach. To drugi sposób na animację twarzy po metodzie którą przedstawiłem wcześniej, korzystającej z wielu zestawionych ze sobą "targetów" dla Morphera.

Body rig + facial blended morph system

This is my very first attempt in rigging done on my own model. Full body and facial rig controlled by UI. Face is based on morph targets blended together. When working with Morpher and with many targets you have to keep your work very clean. Morpher is an additive modifier, what it means is that if for instance you use two times the same target and set it on 100% it will move the verts twice. So if you have moved same vertex in more then one target and in the moment they are set to 100% or less they both targets will move the vertex by its distance.

To moja pierwsza próba rigowania. Wszystko robione było na modelu mojego autorstwa. Jest to rig całego ciała ale również twarzy. Twarz jest oparta na systemie zestawiającym wiele różnych targetów dla Morphera. Jest ona sterowana przez interfejs który jest podczepiony pod rig. Przy pracy z wieloma "targetami" w Mortherze trzeba uwazac i utrzymac prace bardzo czysto ponieważ odbije sie to pozniej na jakości animacji. Morpher jest modyfikatorem addytywny. Oznacza to że majac wiele targetow i zmieniając położenie jednego z vertexow w wielu targetach przyczyni sie do przesuniecia vertexu o odleglosci w kazdym targecie, czyli dostaniemy sume tych odleglosci, co nie zawsze jest tym czego chcemy.


EDIT:
I have found few renders on my hard drive regarding this post, that I've decided to post. Those are emotions that I was able to achieve with this setup.

 

Demo Reel 2010

This is my first DEMO of my projects i have been working on. It was made in a hurry so it's not all I wanted to do. Anyway happy watching:)

DemoReel zrobiony trochę w pospiechu. Zawiera moje prace oraz te przy których pracy brałem udział. Miłego oglądania.

RandomSelector v1.0

Hi there!

I would like to share with the script I wrote in Maxscript. RandomSelector is a tool for selecting the of levels of object: verts, edges, faces. It requires previous conversion to Editable Poly. Interface is pretty simple. "Random" button is a normal random selection from all the elements in object (Coin Flip). There is an other option of random selection under "Select" button. It randomly selects faces, edges, verts but after you can reduce or increase the amount of randomly selected elements. It can by done by pressing "+" and "-" buttons or throughouta slider "Amount:". Below see "HowTo" video.

Please report bugs and versions of 3ds max that you have run it on because it was written for 2010 version. I hope you will find it useful.

You can download the script HERE.

Transformations in 3D Space

I came across really improtant clues and tip regarding transformation in 3D and i've decided to share. These tips are from Paul Neale a professional rigger. It's a kind of help file describing how really the transformation tools work.

Bardzo pomocne porady od Paula Neal'a opisujace jak naprawde działają transformacje w 3ds max.

Warte przeczytania.

[link]

Coffe Mugs

Two post in one day?!?! I have to mark it in my calendar :P. These are my coffee mugs that I made for a weekly contest in one of the 3D groups in deviantart.com. Image was rendered by Mental Ray.

Full image is available at this link.

Drugi post dzis to naprawde ewenement jak na mnie:P. Zaznaczam to w kalendarzu:D. Wrzucam prace renderowana w Menta Ray'u na konkurs jednej z grup 3d na deviantarcie.

Tu jest link do pracy na deviantart.com link.

Flying high

Hey this post brings a big project on which me and my friend have been working. This was our university project. We will work on it to develop full story. This is only the first shorter version.

My personal part regards worn on the hole character starting from scratch (modeling, creating UV's, texturing, rigging, skinning, animating in some scenes).

Hej ten post wnosi troche więcej. Jest to projekt nad którym pracowałem z kumplem i byla to nasza praca zaliczeniowa na uczelni. Projekt będzie jeszcze maglowany by przedstawić cała historię. To jest póki co pierwsza wersja.

CAUSTICS - tutorial

Jak mowiłem zanim sie odezwe minie troche czasu no ale coż :P. Chciałbym sie podzielić takim małym tutorialem o efekcie kaustycznym w Mental Ray'u (oczywiscie w 3ds max'ie), który powstał swego czasu. Pokazuje jak uzyskać w miare fajny efekt tak więc zapraszam.

As i said it's gonna take me a while to respond again:P.

I would like to share a small tutorial about Caustics in Mental Ray (3ds max of course;]).

It shows you how to gain an effect as shown above.

CLICK HERE.

English version comming soon :).