Major Projectish - Workings for a background

I have been trying to figure out how to make a transition between a landscape and a white room.
The method I wanted to use was Houdini, but it has a very steep learning curve and my result are pretty poor at the moment. I did however manage to code this. which doesnt look like much but a step forward in Houdini.

Major Project - Environment WIP

I have decided to stop animating for a bit to try and work out the holodeck transitions into a landscape. A more refined matte painting is needed, but trying to figure out how to transition between the two.

Major Project - Lighting Test

Quick test to see how the lighting behaved on my model. Colour correction is still needed, but wanted to check shadows and how they fell on the character.

Major Project - Intro Scene 02

Blocked out the second half of the intro, I am having a few issues with the trip at the end, so leaving this for the time being as to get a few more scenes blocked in.

Major Project - Intro Scene Pass 02

Cleaning the second pass of the Intro section. Nearly there, got a few issues that need sorting, especially in the first walk and the face.

But, the fun thing is, this all works as Alembic caches, as I thought I was going to be stuck with rendering in arnold as for the nodes it placed in at the begining. But now I can chose which renderer to use and its not going to be arnold.

Major Project - Blooper

I was having trouble with the transition of the last shot into the final stage of the first scene. I did want this scene all to be one take, but proving abit tricky, so thought that if he knocks the camera over, I can have a blooper / cut sound and he can just carry on. Then I can reset the character so easier to manage. 

Major Project - Introduction Scene Blockout

Blocking out the first half of the introduction scene. Step animation was used and then convirted with the auto tangents so I could just check things were looking OK and no gimbal issues. There are alot of timing issues, but looking OK at the moment, and will sort out in the next pass.

Major Project - Blocking

Blocked in a idea with steps in the graph editor and at this stage convirted with the auto tangents. Needs some work and not sure about the shocked pose in here. But will start to clean up the animation and malke the offset peices.

Major Project - Run, Trip, Fall - WIP

Trying to make the beginning  of a run and a stumble before the set of jumps. I have a lot of timing and twirling issues, but had fun with this today. though it did take all day.

Major Project - JetPack Previz

Previz to see if the jetpack clip works. A jet pack and controller is needed though, but imagine he is pushing the go control. Criticism welcome as finding animating hard.

Major Project - IK's Working

So, after my tantrum of a broken rig, I had to seek some help from a very kind person, whom fixed it so quickly. I would not of been able to figure this out on my own, but with the guidance given, I have fixed the Final rig and it is now working.

A quick jump to show that the character can be rotated with the root control in IK mode. 

Major Project - Eye Darts

Had ago at making some eye darts, the mouth please don't look at as was not working on this part, as have to figure that out. But the eyes dart, randomly but they dart.

Major Project - Run Cycle First pass

Had a go at doing a run cycle, this is the first pass and a lot needs to be fixed and polished, but I think its OK. I want to make it alot more poppy when he runs but will do all this in the next pass.

Major Project - Posing

Before I try and attempt any animating, I want to practice just posing the character, so that I can get used to the rig and how it behaves. 

Major Project - Textures

Sorting out textures and Need to do the Skin today, but almost done. At highress which this is not, only takes 50seconds to render, which for Arnold im guessing is quite good. 

Major Project - Textures

What you see in Substance painter is not what you get in Maya. Testing and swearing

Major Project _ Cavity Maps

Just making sure the cavity maps work, means I can make the decisions of where I want the colours, rather than relying on a ramp. I did not take too much time on this just wanted to make sure it worked.

Major Project - Terrain Testing

Whilst working on the Sol character, I have been developing a method, to be able to place mountains and canyons as I wish and so that they merge together. With the combination of Houdini, Zbrush and Maya, I am able to drag and drop each individual mountain where I want it to be. These are loress and tests but the method works and with the ability for painting cavity maps I think it will look ok once the highress mountains are made and the set dressing has better composition. I was toying with the idea to place Sol in a whiite room, but I think it will be a shame not to show this method off.

Major Project - The Only Way is Up

Testing out the rig, to make sure that all the keys are active in the character set. they all seem correct and working. Though I have only moved the root ctrl in this, but this is clumsy Sols, first ever tubble.

Major Project - Rig completion

Rig complete and ready to animate. 

Major Project - Figuring out Problems in Substance

I think I have figured out the problem I was having in substance, and how to fix seems. I think my new skin job looks lovely, time to move on to the gloves.

Major Project - Textures

Bringing textures into Maya, from yesterdays substance test. They work, however there are some issues with the seems, and the combination of the displacement map and normal map, so will have to try and sort this before carrying on.

Major Project - Eye Lashes

Eye lashes connected. Need to look into why my sticky eyes are not working at the moment, you could say its come unravelled, but I would prefer to call it, a learning curve.

Major Project - Substance test

Making a better attempt at the bodysuit, takes some layers to get the grunge

Major Project - Texture Test

Working out the textures I want, I did see a worn leather look, but looking at this, not to sure now?

major Project - Eye Rig Complete

Eye rig completed, time for eye lashes.

Major Project - Fracture

Got a bit sidetracked, but wanted to learn about alembic files and what is the best way to move files around from different programmes.

Major Project - Logo Test

Major Project - Eye Rig Test

Test from todays eye rig workings, still away to go yet, but I want to go to the pub now.

Major Project - Eye Follow Rig Complete

If there was a monster

Major Project - Final Eyebrow Rig

Final eyebrow Rig, not really too happy with the result, as something is off. But will have to do at the moment. If I get the time, I would like to have another go at this, as I think the eyebrows are a important thing for facial emotions.

Major Project - Eye Brow Test

Test to see if the eyebrow system works, need to tweak the shape of the eyebrow and skin the brow proper, but it works, so happy

Major Project - Brow Base Shapes

Have made all the shapes needed for the brows, there is a few correctives that need to made, but want to makes sure I can attach the brow first.

Major Project - Eyebrow Workings

Test from todays blendshape sculpts, not quite there, so will have another go tomorrow. He wont really be too angry in the animation but wanted to get this to work incase.

Major Project - Hangry

Major Project - Eye Brow Test

Spent yesterday researching the method I will try and use for rigging the brows. I think I have found a way, but a lot of refinement is needed. I'm thinking I will make the ctrls first and all the blendshapes, see how they react so I can see what correctives are needed. I think this is going to be trickier than the mouth as there is alot of fiddly parts.

Major Project - Mouth Rig Complete

Mouth rig is now complete, there are some slipping issues in the extreme poses, but I dont think these will be used much in animation.

Major Project - Big Smile

Starting to get the bigger shapes that I want - I wanted to achieve Megaminds crazy smile, not quite there, but will do. He also has a Bubba Shrimp bottom lip from certain angles which is a bit disappointing, but still pleased.

Major Project - Mouth Down

All major shapes have been modelled, ready to make correctives for all shapes and hopefully the mouth will be done.

Major Project - Smile Progress

Todays smile workings, this is a tuff process, but finding my way through slowly. I did want to get a nice crease line from the nose to the corner of the mouth, but proving difficult for me to do.

Major Project - Smile workings

Test to see if the four main blendshapes worked for the mouth. Correctives still need to be made, but needed to see if the character held. the bottom lip is a bit LIPPY but think it will be OK to carry on.

Major Project - R.I.P

Might have to start again, as all hell has broke lose in my file lol

Major Project - Working on Ideas

I wanted to make a assault course for Sol to try and navigate through, failing at everything. Taking inspiration from Ninja Warrior, I would like to make some scenarios in a similar style. This is just working out ideas of whats good and bad, and finding out scale, this one is a little too big atm.

Major Project - Terrain look Development

Another test for the look of my landscape, these are more of the colours I am thinking to use, and better attempt at the rocks I want.

Major Project - Minefield Terrain Test

Experiments for the minefield terrain, have made the Craters, but will not be able to get the Displacement maps out of this file. But ready to make the final landscape.

Major Project - Landscape Test

Experimenting with landscapes, I don't really like this but I do like the effect of the sand dunes on the floor. Which I want to work on some more.

Major Project - Failure

I wanted to try a model a massive mouth, but think I pushed it too far and really does not work.
I think I will have to tone down how wide I make this, and as normal, try, try again.

Major Project - Ribbon Lip Results

Results from ribbon spine, the skinning was hard and not entirely blended, but I think it will be OK

Major Project - Lip Rig Progress

Starting to get somewhere, I think the makeshift ribbon has worked.

Major Project - Test Ribbon for Mouth

My geometry on my head model was having a hard time orienting the joints to the hair system, I'm thinking that my geometry is to skinny to handle. So I have made a test ribbon to see if I can place and then use these joints to rig the mouth. This is a test and unsure about if it will work, but giving it a try.

Major Project - Lips

Major Project - Blendshape Test

I have hooked up some blendshapes to see how accurate you need to be, and I think abit of time will be needed to get these to look correct as they lose alot of form. These are the most extreme of the positions, but could be better I think.

Major Project - First Blend Shape

Test to see if the mouth squash blendshape worked correctly and scaled with the rig. All seems to be OK and deforms with the muzzle control aswell.

Major Project - Head Skinning

Head Weighting begins

major Project - Skinning Test

The rig seems to be working correctly. Fun trying to work out how it works.

Will be moving on to corrective shapes soon.

major Project - Skinning

Still along way off, but just testing skinning so far

Major Project - Wrist Fixed

Amends to the rig, to make wrist look less deformed (Left and right comparisons). New joint placement works much better. 

Houston we have a problem

Begining to skin and have realised the wrist pivot is in the wrong place and looks like he would have a broken wrist. Time to restart the arms again. oh dear

Major Project - Rig

Finally finished the rig, that has the option of IK, FK and bendy limbs. Rigging the head caused some issues as for the dynamic control the head uses, but it was a lot my own errors, which I now know how to fix.