Hi Gary,
"so many improvements in V5 and service packs ,
it seems the time for Realsoft3D character animation is so
very finally here at last if people would only try it out ."
Personally I would not make this statement ........... yet.
=============================================================================================
HERE IS A SNIPPET FROM PAST MAILS:
am doing my best to put the animation thing top of the user list :)
http://www.tidalsound.com/3dstuff/hoppy.avi
This used LIGHTWAVE 8.5 with a model exported from REALSOFT [ obj ]. Have a
look [ 370kb xvid ]. To do this quick anim in LIGHTWAVE 8.5 took about 10
seconds. Set key frames and just move the bones, the tail bone out the back
of his ass actually - up and down and left and right - it does exactly what
you want, no errors, rock solid. His feet do not go down through the ground
- this is done by using NULLS [ similar to IK Objects, but more reliable ].
LW File available if required!
My dream - RS with LW type Solid Character animation AND an FBX import /
export to get full use of MOTIONBUILDER [ previously owned by Kaydara, now
owned by Alias ]. As a point of interest - WINGS, the free modelling app
has FBX support.
==============================================================================================
This stuff still stands. A NULL type facility is required in RS. I know I
hear people saying IK OBJECTS. But if you try IK OBJECTS or DRAG they dont
do exactly whats advertised. Matthias - as you stated - made a script to
try and fix this - but as far as I remember it relies on the character and
skeleton being at 0 0 0 for it to work [ what of multiple characters ]. And
when one did manage to use it properly the feet still did not stay solid if
the body was pushed downward. A few unpredictable things happen.
===============================================================================================
MORE FROM PAST MAILS:
Thanks for your mails on the Char Anim thing [ above ] . I realize that my
little anim done in Lightwave was not perfect, it was to illustrate a
character being bounced up and down with his knees bending while his feet
DO NOT go down through the floor. With LW I could achieve this with minimal
difficulty [ nulls, yes skelegons ]. FEET on the ground and not down
through it. That IK 'responds' to a characters skeleton [ feet ] hitting
the ground. So pushing a character down from say his spine will result in
his knee's bending because his feet are firmly positioned at ground level
and will not go down through the floor. I find doing same in RS at the
moment very difficult - alot more Skeleton adjusting to achieve the same
thing where the feet will go through the floor and have to be adjusted not
to. [ I hope all the above is reasonably clear, best I can do to explain in
text ]
===============================================================================================
I reckon it would be no loss for you Gary or others to have a go at
Motionbuilder LE over at the www.alias.com site OR at Lightwave Layout -
just to see whats possible and then come back to the RS Mothership with a
list. ALOT MORE THAN WHAT I TALK OF ABOVE.
I also remember a conversation about all this at the IRC. Anonymous - a
very long time RSer - eluded to the fact that for CHARACTER ANIMATION to be
fixed [ in RS ] would require some base code rewrites AND a different
approach to how Skeletons are handled to bring RS into line with the above
apps and the 'big boys' where Char Anim is concerned. I will leave it to
others more in the know and far more technically adept than myself to
refute or agree and expand on this.
Hope the above adds to the continuing debate. What little Char Anim I have
done - I have resorted to porting a model into LIGHTWAVE and did it there
instead. I would love - eventually - not to have to do this.
So with respect to - Realsoft3D character animation is so very finally here
- mmmmm, You know where I stand :)
Cheers
Aidan
At 06:24 09/03/2006, you wrote:
Hey Stef (from around Christmas , a mail) :
> Hi Matthias and Aidan.. and ofcourse all others..=)
> I see you have got going, and hey.. you also got me going too...
> I have started my Interpolated Character Tut... I have already
> finished some stages of it...
> Hopefully I will get to the finish line...lets hope so..
> (before all fancy Character Anim Tools gets released
> for RS... =)
> I hope you two later could test the tut out and proof read it...
> (If I get it completed) =)
> It has some workflows that makes it pretty easy to get things to
> work...so maybe it will be useful to some, like it has for me..
> Back to Tut making..
> Best Regards
> Stefan Gustafsson ( Beg-inner )
> A Proud Owner and User of Real3D and Realsoft3D..
Going through old mails trying to find the best info on RS3D
character animation . Did the "Harry Tute" with some success ,
but am wondering which way to go next ?
Aidan did his Tute around the same time as Matthias and your
mail (above) was right after that , so , I'm curious if you
ever did finish that tutorial ? hope so 8^()
I have a Frank Dodd example skeleton , Carlo's SkelDia free
Plugin , and RS3D 5.1 . I see we have the "Drag" tool for foot
slippage as well .
Frank's Steel Mannequin also is a very very interesting piece
of the puzzle , I think . It really looks awesome , the way he
has all the constraints set up ! Just top-shelf looking , and
is probably a great way to get going .
... but how to build this from scratch ? Harry is cool , but
RS3D has so much potential now , it seems , and yet interest
seems to have tapered off lately ...
Too bad ... so many improvements in V5 and service packs ,
it seems the time for Realsoft3D character animation is so
very finally here at last if people would only try it out .
studio
www.niagara.com/~studio
www.studiodynamics.net
Hi Aidan,
the script causes this behavior, you've moved the skeleton
under y-axis 0. Have a look here:
http://www.matthias-kappenberg.de/index.php?id=118
Your file and a XVID-Video.
Always place the teachers (IK-objects, deformer, etc.) above
the teached objects. RS is working hirarchical.
Matthias
----- Original Message -----
From: Aidan O Driscoll
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Sunday, December 04, 2005 8:57 PM
Subject: Re: !!2nd Message to the REALSOFT Mother Ship .... CHARACTER
ANIMATION!
Hi Matthias,
Yes I did that - the constraints previously. Forgot to do in the file I
sent you. Did you see my Adendum mail
re the fact that I save the file with all your settings [ the one I sent
you ] and when I reopen it I find the
skeleton above the Hip Ik Objeccts, even though I saved same in position
with the IK Objects. Any idea whats
up here? Did this happen to you when you opened my file? If I now move the
IK Objects it only - my skeleton
goes nuts.
I attach pic
Aidan
At 19:35 04/12/2005, you wrote:
Only thing to modify are the angles of the skeleton.
(see attached picture)
And at this point, you should only modify the IK-objects position
to get a proper animation.
I think, you got it :-)
Matthias
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