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.