Midterm: Self Evaluation

I have learned a lot about drawing sketches, movement, and simulating/animating movement in Maya throughout this semester. Before this class, I had never opened a 3D modeling program. Now I am able to animate character rigs, and I have been working on developing my own rigs and models on the side. That being said, I feel like I have come a long way this semester.

Most of my character animation work this semester was done using the SimpleMan character rig supplied by the professor at the beginning of the semester. I feel extremely comfortable manipulating that rig to achieve specific poses. I have learned a lot about how the manipulators work, and I have experimented with several other character rigs to see the functions of some of the less common manipulators. Overall, I feel pretty comfortable using the manipulators to create poses with character rigs.

I really liked learning about how scripts can be used to make the animation process easier. On some of the more complex rigs, I still have a bit of trouble creating the custom MEL scripts that handle selecting and keying all of the manipulators. However, I'm sure these skills will come with time and practice.

Although I have very little experience with 3D modeling, my goal for the semester is to implement my projects from IMM 211 into my final character animation. In the other class, I have been modeling my own surfboard, fins, etc. as seen below.

My surfboard modeled in IMM 211

My surfboard fin modeled in IMM 211

So the ultimate goal is to bring the character and the models from the other class together to create a comprehensive/larger scale animation. Most of the students in this class have much more 3D modeling experience than I do, so sometimes it is discouraging to see the complex rigs they have developed. I am very interested in learning how to develop and rig my own character. However, I'm not sure if this is possible within the scope of this class.

I have mixed feelings about taking IMM 211 and IMM 370 at the same time, as in 370 it is assumed that you already know how to rig/model your own characters. However, I feel like I am learning the fundamental skills in IMM 211 which will allow me to potentially develop my own character by the end of the semester. I have learned a lot (in both classes) throughout the semester. IMM 370 gave me a different perspective on how people/objects move. Replicating their motions in Maya really helps you understand all of the factors affecting the object's movement. Becoming proficient in 3D character animation definitely comes with practice and time. As I continue to improve my skills, I hope to combine my projects from IMM 211 and 370 to create an interesting, comprehensive, and complex final project.

Assignment #5: Intermediate Poses

The fifth assignment was to work on developing poses. Sometimes Maya does not correctly key the character's pose when it is going from one pose to another. In order to get the desired results, you simply create a keyframe (or several keyframes) in between the two poses that you are working with. In this particular assignment, I wanted to continue developing the poses for my surfer character. Instead of using the SimpleMan character rig, I decided to use a more realistic rig (Stewart) supplied by the professor. I then started with the character paddling on the surfboard. From here I wanted to create the transition between the laying down position and the standing up position. So I created an intermediate pose to smooth out the characters movement to make it more desirable. I found it difficult to create a custom MEL script to Select All and Key All like we did in class. This is likely due to the fact that this rig is much more sophisticated than the SimpleMan rig covered in class. I intend to continue working on this character and create more surfing poses to include in my final project. Below are some screenshots of the animation process.

Pose #1: The character paddling on the surfboard

Pose #2: The intermediate pose where the character is lifting himself up on the board

Pose #3: The character standing up on the surfboard

Assignment #4: Character Animation with Outside Forces

The fourth assignment was to create a short character animation with the introduction of outside forces. The example in the class included a platform moving out from underneath a character. I was originally going to fully animate a surfing maneuver, but I am going to wait until I select a rig to use for my final project. Here I have animated the Simple Man rig. In this animation, the character is standing on a balance board type cylinder. The character loses balance and the cylinder slips out from underneath the character. Below are selected frames from the completed animation.

Balanced character

Character losing balance

Character fell after losing balance

Assignment #3: Character Poses

The third assignment was to create 5 distinct poses that define your character. Using my knowledge and some photos as references, I developed five of the most common/interesting surfing positions and maneuvers that I would like to include in my final animation. I used the Simple Man character rig for these poses; however, I plan to use a more sophisticated rig for my final project.

Pose #1: Surfer standing on board

Pose #2: Surfer sitting on board

Pose #3: Frontside snap

Pose #4: Backside snap

Pose #5: An aerial maneuver