"Routine checkup" - wip animation project

[ander]

Hello,

I am a third year student at the media and advertising department at Tartu Art College. This year at our 3d-graphics course, our main assignment is a short animation. Our evaluation is at january, but its better to start early.

I have done 3d modeling before, but I have never prepared models for animation, this is where I need help from you guys!

The idea is a sci-fi scene at a police station, where at early hours an engineer comes to check up on a police mecha, only to find out it has been tagged by some local kids and it ends with the engineer painting the tags over. With this plot I could learn how to rig a character and at the same time learn about parenting and keyframe animation. Our teacher told us, that the level of detail on models is not important, but proper rigging and animation.

I sketched out the engineer and I have now started modeling and I have questions about the poly distribution and edge flow - what will I need to keep in mind when modeling for animation. Write, draw over the model to get me on the right track!

http://i.imgur.com/OMAo4.jpg (http://imgur.com/OMAo4)

Here is the in progress model. I thought I will post it here, before I move further with my mistakes. :D

http://i.imgur.com/VcS8z.jpg (http://imgur.com/VcS8z)
http://i.imgur.com/kdfEG.jpg (http://imgur.com/kdfEG)
http://i.imgur.com/qsaU6.jpg (http://imgur.com/qsaU6)

Goal - start early, do thinks right and get an A in january!

Il post my progress here - I'm finishing some environment sketches, will post soon!

Thanks for your time!

[Rhinokey]

sounds neat, tho routine maintenance would probably fit better. when i read checkup i instantly asumed it would be medical doctor related.

[MiAlx]

http://pig-brain.com/tut02/tutsteps/ex1.jpg


http://pig-brain.com/tut02/tutsteps/ex2.jpg

http://pig-brain.com/tut02/tut02_02.htm

Take a look at the link, I would suggest you do something like in the tutorial, that would most certainly help the mesh deform better and more natural :)

hope that helped, cheers

[ander]

Holy crap! That site is loaded with info I need, thanks a million! And if anyone has any other comments on the model, edge flow, shape, anything - feel free to shoot! :)

And yeah, maintenance sounds better. I will change it, thanks!

[ander]

Hey, little update. I redid the crotch area and gloves, also added extra edges to animate limbs. The boots are different from the concept, but I like these sneakerish boots better. Should have a look at, what can I simplify even more at the model before continuing with the face and extra equipment.

http://i.imgur.com/63pMi.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/14QCe.jpg

[ander]

Did some face sketches, the first side view was too vague. I think I will go with the first one, the other seem to evil. :D

http://i.imgur.com/N2YaF.jpg

And belts and straps!

http://i.imgur.com/zuCQq.jpg

I have tried to do characters before, but never ended any - seems like this one is going pretty well. :)

[ander]

Doing the face at the moment, the mustache needs tweaking, problems with mirroring. Thought more about the plot too - the mechanic enters the mecha bay drinking starbucks coffee, smoking cigarettes and listening to music at the morning to evaluate a riot mecha only to find out it is broken and tagged and starts to paint it over.

Im thinking about doing it low poly style - like the short animation called Pivot.

http://i.imgur.com/PIm8b.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/1Y1mt.jpg

Any critiques about edge flow or anything else?

[MiAlx]

Hey, looking good!

I am not a modeller so i cant tell you that much about topology, I'll best leave that to the pros..

Two things you could maybe do, if you think it makes sense:

1) Maybe define the laugh lines from the mouth corner to the nostrils a bit more, that could make his emotions and facial animations look more natural.

2) Use the same technique you used for the knees and apply them on the elbows as well, if you havent done so already!

Now, maybe this kind of stuff are not that relevant for a low poly char, so i dunno..

And thumbs up for applying deformation friendly edge flows, you make the animators happy with that :D

[ander]

I need to make the animator happy, because I will be the animator. :D

Thanks for the feedback - I don't know about the face, there probably will be no close-ups, but then again, for the sake of learning, I should also try to rig the face - to get extra points at the evaluation. :D

Anyway, to keep things moving - I did two quick thumbnails of the environment to flesh out some ideas - never mind the mechas at the moment, just placeholders.

http://i.imgur.com/LmNPX.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/6dXBI.jpg

I like the round bay better, seems a bit more logical than the one against the wall.

To be specific, the engineer should enter through a door, get to the controller, push some buttons so the mecha would be transported out of the "cave" (the blue and green ones are holographs) - then a robotic arm will take the engineer and get him close to the mecha for inspection.

The reason I post so often is to track progress and to collect materials for a presentation at the evaluation about workflow. :)

[ander]

Tried to pose with some lights (no rigging, hardcore transformation). No eyes here.

http://i.imgur.com/Ye5uQ.jpg

And sorry, but I just had to do this. Made him some headphones - so he could enter the bay/hangar while listening to dubstep. :D

http://i.imgur.com/WOVbh.jpg

[ander]

Hi again, thought about the low poly look and I am ditching that. But smoothing generated errors - small material patches rampaging on the model - would anyone know, what is the cause for this?

http://i.imgur.com/r0Xp6.jpg

[ander]

Rigging is almost complete, before I start painting weights, I'm going to model some parts again and more detailed. Seriously need to have a look at the face, arms and boots - and the inventory. Then off to weight maps and then selecting materials for the character.

http://i.imgur.com/QfRtO.jpg