Human IK Intro
Week_01
In this session we were looking that basics of Human IK in Maya.
We looked at the quick rig.
It was important to have a 'T' pose, that would help to achieve the right animation.
We combined given mo-cap to get an animation look.
Workflow of the mo-cap:
1. Camera set-up
2. Collaborate the system
3. Dress performer
4.Arrange the movement
5.Capture the movement
6.Once have data, apply to rig
7.Attach motion
8.Tune retargetin
9.Edit & Animation
10.Deliver to the client
Workflow of applying a mo-cap:
1. Load Skeleton
2. Motion builder loop
3. Import mo-cap animation
4. Delete cameras system and markers
5. In 'Character' section select 'none'
6. Create character definition (Need to make into a 'T' pose)
7. Select hips and press hierarchy
8. In the channel box select rotation and force '0'
9. Select hips again and in X rotation make 90 degrees
10. Create character definition and by selecting bones on the right hand-side map press right click and 'assign selected'. Will mark in green color.
11. Lock definition
12. Call 'Vicon'
13. in the characters name section select : 'Skeleton' and in the source 'Vicon'
Motion Capture
Week_02
This week, we went to the green screen room and tried to set up and prepare for the green screen shooting.
The workflow of the set-up:
1. All the cables are color coded (connect internet and cameras)
2. When cameras are on, red LED light will turn on
3. Turn on pc
4. Open Vicon Eclipse and set-up data base ( naming: year, month, day_give it a name)
5. New Capture day -> call it (Cal(Collaboration)) -> new session (ROM (range of movement)) -> New session (AM & another one called PM)
6. Open Vicon Shogun
7. Clear the space to prevent reflectiveness and press 'Start masking' after awhile press 'Stop masking'. It is important for the software to register objects in the area that will be ignored in the software.
8. Press 'Start wave' and the person needs to start waving specific object with the sensors on it. Every came has to register at least 1,5k waves.
8. After movements is registered, press 'Stop wave'
9. To set up the floor:
10. Put the marker onto the ground in the centre
11. Register that in the software
12. Mark the location of the marker by putting a high visibility tape
13. Place markers (high visibility tape) in the different area corners
14. Press 'Start set floor plane"
15. Save it in the CAL folder
16. Prepare the actor
17. Place all the markers onto the person (~53) (where the joints are)
18. Subject collaboration:
19. Give it a name -> create subject -> start capture
20. Start with a 'T' pose
21. Do extra movements to set-up (similar to warm-up movements)
22. Stop Capture
23. Once subject is calibrated - save it.
Week 03
Prop Mo-cap
Week_04
To prepare a prop (in the software):
1.Spacebar to stop the view-> Select prop markers (closest to the hand first ) ->Subject Calibration -> choose a mesh ( for ex. katana) -> rename it -> create prop.
In Maya:
1. Import the prop file -> Import weapon ->move weapons pivot point to the handle -> Modify -> Match Transformation -> Match Translation -> rotate the weapon to match the mo-cap and and Parent weapon to the Mo-cap.
Week 5/6
On the week 5,6 and 7, we were getting ready for the assignment, which required to apply a mo-cap to our own model, rig it and render it in the scene.
Modelling a character
Breakdown for the Assignment:
FAC'S system (Blendshapes)
Facial Action Coding System is a system to taxonomize human facial movements by their appearance on the face, based on a system.
It helps to create facial expressions and mimic's a lot easier, just by using different facial movements, which are numbered.
In this video, I am showing, how to make blendshapes in Zbrush.
They work incredibly well, when exported to MAYA as well.
This video shows, how we can export the blendshapes into the Maya and how to apply the head along the blendshapes onto the mo-cap rig.
Assignment:
Drama Shot
Reference Pictures:
The character is based on Lithuanian folk characters.
Process:
1. Creating Body in Maya (Keeping low poly)
2. Creating Head an Zbrush (trying to keep low poly)
3. Creating Blendshapes in Zbrush
4. Exporting the head to Maya
5. UV'ing head an body
6. Creating quick rig (fingers extended)
7. Applying mo-cap
8. Parenting the head to a head joing
9. Adding textures and adjusting the render and lightning settings
20. Rendering
P.S. It is important to delete history from the mesh, to avoid deformations, when rigged and using animation or a mo-cap. As well, deleting a non-deformed history is important on a head as well, to avoid lags.