#IK-Follow/Interactive ?
15 messages in this thread
I'm just starting a project involving an animated character. The character is a
robot but is supposed to move like a human. I'm wondering what people's
opinions are concerning doing the movements via follow objects or the
interactive mode in the IK module. What do you think?
David West
Hi David,
<< I'm wondering what people's opinions are concerning doing the movements via
follow objects or the interactive mode in the IK module. What do you think? >>
I'm personally attached to follow objects because I want IK to respect all of
my joint parameters through all keyframes. Using interactive mode, I'm only
guarenteed that the joint parameters are respected at the keyframe in
interactive mode and not through all of the keyframes. The in between frames
will just interpolate. To me this is very important.
If you'd like to see my use of follow objects, please download flip.zip from
the meshes section of the lib.
jonas[adesk]
>>I'm personally attached to follow objects because I want IK to respect
>>all of my joint parameters through all keyframes.
AHA! I knew it! Jonas is ACTUALLY a 3DS-generated interface for some
sophisticated AI software that the Yosts are developing! <g>!
Dave
:-)..
<< for some sophisticated AI software that the Yosts are developing!..>>
I wish! I keep putting 3d text books under my pillows at night to absorb *the
world of 3d* through osmosis. It's not working too well and my wife says the
pillow's lumpy..:-)
jonas[adesk]
DR>> AHA! I knew it! Jonas is ACTUALLY a 3DS-generated interface for some
sophisticated AI software that the Yosts are developing! <g>! <<
ROFL!
JR>> I keep putting 3d text books under my pillows at night to absorb *the
world of 3d* through osmosis. It's not working too well and my wife says the
pillow's lumpy..:-) <<
"My wife" = IK_WOMAN. She's made of metal, why would she complain? <g>
Paul S.
Hi Paul,
<< She's made of metal.. >>
Only when she's upset at me <g> ..
In addition to what Jonas said, I'll add that the IK system was designed to be
used with follow objects if you want control over exactly what's going on, and
if you want the objects to interact with the rest of the scene. I recommend
that you study Jonas' diver sequence and spend some time with all the examples,
learning the follow-object technique.
– G
Thank you both for your opinions. I've seen the diver flip and it is
impressive. The only thing that I questioned was whether on not interactive
mode could give a more intuitive feel. I was not aware however of Jonas' point
about how the key frames are interpolated.
Thanks,
David
Hi David,
<< The only thing that I questioned was whether on not interactive mode could
give a more intuitive feel. >>
The animator will never be replaced. IK is a tool for the creation of many
exact keyframes per your spec. (the follow object). Now it's up to the animator
to imbue feeling to the motion. Ana (krazy images) *immediately* pointed out
the lack of feeling in the dive to me<g>, but my intent was to show what a
quick IK solution looked like and for it to be a small tutorial on two seperate
approaches to using IK effectively.
Thanks for spending time looking at it.
jonas[adesk]
Character animation is not as intuitive as you might think. For some good
background re this, you might want to read through "The Illusion of Life" by
Thomas & Johnston, re the core Disney animation methods. The follow object
technique forces you to use the same precision that the masters used to lay out
the motion for each of the character's moving parts.
– G
Gary,
Believe it or not my copy of "Illusion of Life" is dog-eared. I guess
my point is that for those of us who got into computer animation as a way of
trying to find a very personal form of expression, we are always looking for a
way to get our hands on and 'playing' with our subjects. That is what
Interactive Mode seems closer to.
As for my project at hand, I think that Follow Objects will do a job
that my clients will be very pleased with.
David
I'm glad to hear that your copy has dog ears on it! <g> You're right in that
the interactive mode is for giving you an intuitive way of understanding how
your model is linked (but that's about it). Have fun with the project.
– G
Dog ears ?!
surely that should be mouse ears?
Eeeek Grahame
and don't call me surely
Gary,
Pardon me for butting in, but I've been looking for that book. Who publishes
it?
Ian.
Abbeville Press.
– G