VIZA685 Finalizing

Fine-tuning animation
Tweaking lightning and enhancing shader
work work...

VIZA685 Lighting & Rendering

Detailing animation
Starting lighting and rendering

 

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Animation/ first render ...

VIZA685 Animation

Continue animation...
walk in...look around...
dashing forward...jump up...
roll into ball...
fall down and bouncing...
roll back into armadillo in mid air...
flying off screen.

VIZA685 Motion system & Skinning update

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Added more local controls for detailing<
Added node for attaching to motion path
Clean-up rigs and hierarchy

Reference for walk cycle
Study and Tracking gait pattern

Ready to animate! yay~

VIZA685 Skinning (continue)

Skinning in progress

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May utilize copy skin weight function in Maya through unwrapped UV
Added more features for wing and facial controller
Rig is complete and scale-able :)

VIZA685 Skinning

Skin test

[click to enlarge] Unwrapped, yay!

VIZA685 Rig Controls

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Rig's features:
IKFK switching for both front and hind legs
Reverse foot
Spine twisting attribute
FK & Dynamic Tails
Dynamic Wing membrane
Joint based facial

VIZA685 Rig's Control

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Test pose 1

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Test pose 2

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Rig update

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Rig in process ...

VIZA685 Joint placement

Joint placement update

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VIZA685 Adjustment (models & joints)

Skin test

Models update, added more details and necessary span for deformation.

Transformation into ball

Bat wing folded reference

VIZA685 Basic Rig Test video

Basic Rig Test 1st attempt.
Few amendments needed in modeling and joint placement as below:

 

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VIZA685 Basic rig test

This is the first and simple rig test. Main idea is to check the body proportion to fit well with the ball transformation. Also, to check with the mesh topology in order to achieve better deformation.

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The skeleton was procedurally construct in Python.

Will need to paint weight to better judge the deformation, more to come ...

VIZA685 Storyboard

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VIZA685 Modeling

Modeling stage

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Wings still need to confirm if the surface is big enough to cover the body when rolling into ball form.

[Early stage]

VIZA685 Reference Video

Armadillo documentary

Armadillo: Full shot & Close up

Armadillo: A little dinosaur?

Armadillo more detail

Armadillo more detail

Armadillo running & roll into ball

VIZA685 Directed Studies

My Directed Studies will be 'Fantasy Creature Rigging Project'.

The project's brief info:
Objective: To build a rigging for quadruped creature, based on armadillo with wings.

Challenges:
1. To build a wing creature with proper deformation.
2. To have a transformation system for the creature to roll into a ball-like form.
(Based on southern three-banded armadillo)
3. To have the wing folding/spreading mechanism integrating well into the ball
transformation.

more to come ...