Introduction to Maya - Modeling Fundamentals Vol 1
This course will look at the fundamentals of modeling in Maya with an emphasis on creating good topology. We'll look at what makes a good model in Maya and why objects are modeled in the way they are.
# 76 10-09-2005 , 09:56 AM
Falott's Avatar
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: vienna
Posts: 1,095
finally have some time to work on this again. I tried to render with MR and after saving the scene MR stoped processing. scriptEditor tells about a logfile where error information is stored, but I can´t figure out where this file is. should be in the current projectFolder but is not. neither is it in the local maya folder.

does someone know a way to set the folder manually where this logfile will be saved to?


everything starts and ends in the right place at the right time.
# 77 10-09-2005 , 07:02 PM
utpal's Avatar
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: india
Posts: 203
well, i am not an expert on MR, or Rendering for that matter...
but, did you check in My Documents > Maya in C?
also, check in the temp forlder in Documents and Settings> (user name)> Temp ( assuming you have WinXp)
also, if you just rendered the file. it might mean that maya just created the log file for you. so, if you search your disk for files created, say, within the last one hour, you might find it....
hope this helps..
your model is impressive.... any latest updates on that?? are you done with modeling it?

# 78 10-09-2005 , 07:32 PM
Jay's Avatar
Lead Modeler - Framestore
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: UK
Posts: 6,287
As above dude!!

Jay

# 79 11-09-2005 , 12:51 PM
Falott's Avatar
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: vienna
Posts: 1,095
thanks for the suggestions pals, I´ll have a look at it again on monday. though searched in all those folders (win2000). I think about un-/installing maya6.

yes about the update. modeling is finished and she is fully rigged. (also did a test_walkcycle - looks nice, but I´m still struggling with cause I have hardly any experience with animation.) but I have to UVmap the geometry before painting weights cause without mapping strange vertexdeformation occurs. right now I´m studing how to accomplish best possible bodydeformation - painting weights only is not enough, so I´m searching a way to leave it completely out by just using influence objects or maybe purchasing the muscleTK plugin. did anyone work with it yet?
I´m also thinking about stahlbergs way of using different wrapdeformers, but cannot imagine yet how to use it for animation.

I´ll post some pic on monday.

kind regards!


everything starts and ends in the right place at the right time.
# 80 11-09-2005 , 03:04 PM
Falott's Avatar
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: vienna
Posts: 1,095
I figured out what caused the error, but don´t understand. after installing the DTS script for SSS mental ray stoped working. it worked quite well in the past so I didn´t connect this script with the error. but it happend that after adding the DTS plugin a file called maya.rayrc showed up in the local prefs folder (maybe it has been there before, I don´t know). but after removing it MR does its job fine again.

updates coming next.


everything starts and ends in the right place at the right time.
# 81 12-09-2005 , 11:23 PM
Falott's Avatar
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: vienna
Posts: 1,095
well here are some renderings. right now I´m fighting with deformations. painting weights is painfull. also tried with adding some influence objects, but I just don´t get good results yet.

Attached Thumbnails

everything starts and ends in the right place at the right time.
# 82 12-09-2005 , 11:33 PM
Falott's Avatar
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: vienna
Posts: 1,095
sideview

Attached Thumbnails

everything starts and ends in the right place at the right time.
# 83 12-09-2005 , 11:35 PM
Falott's Avatar
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: vienna
Posts: 1,095
and some ears

Attached Thumbnails

everything starts and ends in the right place at the right time.
# 84 13-09-2005 , 07:07 AM
Jay's Avatar
Lead Modeler - Framestore
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: UK
Posts: 6,287
Hey Falott

If you are having trouble with weights, a couple of suggestions depending on your models' surface

If its a subd, create a wrap deformer from the base mesh and weight that only, you can also create corrective blend shapes for it too in those tricky areas around the shoulders.

If its a poly mesh again use the lowest res you have and use the poly smooth option but just bind the proxy/lo res and again adjust the weights, and if necessary create some corrective blend shapes. I found influence objects a little tricky so used the method above as I use subd. For a want of better explanations go to www.optidigit.com , home of the legendary Steven Stahlberg, who is an influence for me and my work, check out his tutes section it will point you in the right direction

Cheers
Jay

# 85 13-09-2005 , 01:37 PM
Falott's Avatar
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: vienna
Posts: 1,095
thanks Jay!

I have my basemesh cut up into 7 pieces and and use those as wrap for a 1st degree smooth poly version of it. also tried with subD but MR doesn´t like to render subDs and I´d like to render with FG in the end.

I read stahlbergs tut on wrap deformers about 5 times in the last few months. didn´t understand quite anything. but at that time I had not done any rigging or skinning. since it´s about time learning skinning I fear optidigit.com...

but I´ll have a look at it again right now.


greez
dani


everything starts and ends in the right place at the right time.
# 86 13-09-2005 , 06:22 PM
Jay's Avatar
Lead Modeler - Framestore
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: UK
Posts: 6,287
I think you could do the body in one wrap deformer. and attach the hands, feet and head later as smoothed polys, it will take time to weight the fingers and toes but luckily you can mirror weights.

I think if Stahlbergs confusing you ignore the blend shape part and concentrate on the wrap itself and weighting process for now. Learn that first, its a bit of a pain at first but you'll get into it, I can assure you. As long as you select the wrap and mesh in the right order you should have too many probs.

Have fun dude

Jay

# 87 13-09-2005 , 06:56 PM
Falott's Avatar
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: vienna
Posts: 1,095
thx dude!

do you or someone else know maybe if it is the usual way using wrappers on subDs or are they commonly applied on subdevided polygonal mesh?

and what would be the pros and cons of both methods?

concerning the stahlbergtut - at least I never make any changes higher than the zero-level, that saves me understanding some things I don´t understand. user added image

I´ll stick to the stahlberg tut for the next days.


everything starts and ends in the right place at the right time.
# 88 13-09-2005 , 07:19 PM
Jay's Avatar
Lead Modeler - Framestore
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: UK
Posts: 6,287
Hey Fallott

Different people use different meshes and methods. Studios are prone to using the 'what works best' method. Gollum was a mesh whose skin was driven purely by a muscle system, if it popped out of place they would just dial a numeric figure in to correct that particular skin area.
Where as the Hulk was a pure blend shape model, which was a poly proxy with over 300 separate shapes for the muscles so they could be directorially controlled, adding a dynamic skin effect for the driven motion of each shape. But for a bit of geekyness, the Hulks hair was actually Nurbs planes converted into cloth strips!!

Sorry getting carried away again!!!

Choose what you think suits you best at the end of the day but bare in mind a straight smoothed poly model will be okay to animate all by itself, but you can still parent 'stand in geo' for body parts to make it faster, but a subd will always require a lo res version connected to it to animate as its a 'heavy' surface once its been bound to a rig.

Hope this is a help to you.

Regards
Jay

# 89 14-09-2005 , 09:17 AM
Falott's Avatar
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: vienna
Posts: 1,095
well that helped. I take my time now.

kind regards

daniel


everything starts and ends in the right place at the right time.
# 90 19-09-2005 , 12:32 AM
Falott's Avatar
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: vienna
Posts: 1,095
I found out something to be very informative. maybe it is obvious to most people but I never saw someone mentioning this.

don´t smooth skin with IK!


after joints and IK have been setup I bent the skin to the skeleton. and when it came to weight painting I got weird vertex movement all the time. one workaround could be fixing those verts in the component editor, but the artisan paint tool cracks it again.

so I left the IKs while binding the skin and painting weights is fine again.


everything starts and ends in the right place at the right time.
Posting Rules Forum Rules
You may not post new threads | You may not post replies | You may not post attachments | You may not edit your posts | BB code is On | Smilies are On | [IMG] code is On | HTML code is Off

Similar Threads