Animating my model, i've got no clue

Beer glass scene creation

This course contains a little bit of everything with modeling, UVing, texturing and dynamics in Maya, as well as compositing multilayered EXR's in Photoshop.

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# 1 30-12-2002 , 01:15 AM

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Join Date: Apr 2002

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I have absolutely no idea how to go about animating this. I'd appreciate if anyone can point me in the right direction.

user added image

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# 2 30-12-2002 , 02:05 AM

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Location: Niagara Falls, Canada

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Look like you can just parent the parts to diffrent joints then just rotate the joints for the animation.

I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination, knowledge is limited, imagination encircles the world. (Albert Einstein)

https://www.artstation.com/kurtb

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# 3 30-12-2002 , 02:37 AM

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Yep i've done that so far, but I was wondering if there was an easier way to control it.

I'm going to have it shoot against a wall, where it will be writing a name or something in it.

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# 4 30-12-2002 , 02:44 AM

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From the look of it joint rotation is your best bet and you will have the most control. For the writting on the wall part, you have a few options. One way is to point constrian the gun tip to a locator then animate the locator to spell out the name.

I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination, knowledge is limited, imagination encircles the world. (Albert Einstein)

https://www.artstation.com/kurtb

Last edited by Kurt; 30-12-2002 at 03:08 AM.

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# 5 30-12-2002 , 03:06 AM

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For something more "automated", you can use a combination of IK chains and constaints to animate the gun. You'll need to be very careful about where you place pivot points and how you setup rotation limits, but it can be done. With this kind of setup, rather than rotating each joint to aim the gun, all you'd need to do is animate a target and the gun will follow.

Danny Ngan
Animator | Amaze Entertainment
my website | my blog | my job

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# 6 30-12-2002 , 03:10 AM

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Heheh danny we both came up with the same type of idea=)

I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination, knowledge is limited, imagination encircles the world. (Albert Einstein)

https://www.artstation.com/kurtb

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# 7 30-12-2002 , 03:25 AM

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I must have missed your post while typing mine (doing too many things at the same time). Great minds think alike... or something like that... user added image

Danny Ngan
Animator | Amaze Entertainment
my website | my blog | my job

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# 8 30-12-2002 , 03:38 AM

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Thanks guys, i'll have a go at that

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# 9 31-12-2002 , 04:05 PM

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Join Date: May 2002

Location: Exeter, UK

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take a look at the attached zip (scene file and example movie). is very crude but should give you an idea on how to go about doing it. one thing thats worth mentioning is that when aim constraining its quite common for the local rotation axis to need altering (ie if you do an aim constrain and it aims in the wrong direction or somthing). hope this helps, and any questions ask away ! user added image