Introduction
This week Luke began to teach us how to make our animation more active. Of course, we need to adjust many details so it is the reason why we will earn more. And what is more, he introduced some plus-in which will make us convenient to animate and render farm, a very cool function.
TIPS:
- When splining start with smoothing the feet and locking their positions. 使脚部平滑和锁定其位置。
- Then hips ensuring they are moving along a smooth path. Track if necessary. 臀部确保他们沿着一个平滑的路径移动。
- Then go back to the feet and ensure they are still measuring up and track their motion path. 再回到脚上，确保它们仍合格并跟踪它们的运动轨迹。
- Then arms smoothing and tracking to ensure the arcs are still there. 手臂平滑和跟踪，以确保弧线仍然在那里。
- Then spine work up the spine finishing with tracking the chest. 脊柱逐步建立，最后跟踪胸部。
- Then head starting with the neck ensuring the rotation is only slightly coming from the base of the neck and majority of rotation is coming from the base of the head. 头部从颈部开始，确保旋转只是轻微地来自颈部底部，大部分旋转是来自头部底部。
PROBLEM:
- How can I adjust Translate X of hip according to motion trail?
- Cannot find procedure Ghost Object.
- I do not what curves should be in graph editor in some controller.
- I cannot log in servicer to use render farm.
Process
Before I do, I need to take notes about what Luke have done.
Firstly, he selected all the curve and create character set which can 将一起设置动画的所有对象属性集中到一个组中.
And if you click step tangents, the curve in graph editor will become like a stair and you can check the motions clearly.
Now we began to adjust the hip which was same with a bouncing ball’s motion.
We should notice that in the second extreme pose the Translate Y (height) shoule be highest and make all the tangent smooth.
As bouncing ball and last class showed, Translate Z (from right to left) should look like liner, so we should ajust the handle to make all the point connecting to the former one and the next one.
There is a tip that press Ctrl and right button, we can scale the curve in the vertical side and horizonal side. For example, Luke wanted to the character’s hip move slightly, he scaled down the curve.
Also if we just want to move the tangents, we just press Shift and left button.
Let us adjust the feet, which is same with bouncing ball. When it contact the ground, we need to adjust the curve. And its Translate Z should also feel like a liner, even if it needed not to adjust a lots. In addition, we should check all we have adjsuted before.
Let us go to adjust the fingers, in order to show overlapping, we need to pose finger in blocking and ajdsut more in splining. Also, in the toes we also need to show that, which just add details.
After doing that, switch on CreateMotionTrail and check whether the curve is beautiful in both the front side and the right side. The important thing is making the curve become smoother!
Or as you like, select the control curve and switch on GhostObject to check the spacing as well as position.
The last thing is overlap, when you are splining you should notice overlap in spline, arms and so on. For example, we can move the curve to 2 frames backwards in graph editor. 越是尾端的，滞后的帧数越多。
Now, I will spline and polish my own waking animation.
Firstly I selected the hips and opened Graph editor to adjust their Translate Y (height), it is clear that points were different in every loop. So I used what Luke showed as my reference and tried to adjust some points in order to make the curve smooth. Of course, it was very siggnificant for me to notice that I should animate it like a bouncing ball.
Then I wanted to check the Translate Z (from right to left), it was good that I did not need change it because it was liner.
And I adjusted it in Translate X (twisting position) according to Translate Y, because I have changed the points before, I needed to let them consistent. What was more, it is pretty convenient for me to reduce all points’ position instead of adjusting them in timeline.
Now I began to check his feet, at first I should check their Transation Z as well as Transation Y , but I did not whether it was right.
It is glad that I solved my question in last class! Even if I did not key in some frames, they seems to be keyed. It was very clear that in graph editor there was a unusaual curve.
Similarly, I did not why my hips’ trail in front-z looks like that, and did know how to adjust.
If I wanted to the body overlap, I should move their points in rotation repectively. The waist controller at the bottom was two frames back and the middle was 4 frames back. In addtion the top one was 6 frames back.
After that I tried to adjust the rotation of toe in feet, it really required patience to do.
Finally, I needed to keep the head which should not be moved as the body’s motion.
Render Farm
At first, I met problem: You have no right to use this system.
Fortunetely it was solved.
First we need to complete our project, and go to the VMware Horizon Client to open Maya. It is Maya2018 and we just use this method to open Maya! Don’t open file directly.
Choosing correct options in Render Settings. Expecially in Frame/ Aniamtion ext it is better to choose name.#.ext. I made a mistake to choose name.ext.# and the type of files became 0001,0002, which cannot open in software.
And it is very important to switch on the icon in deadline and choose ma-3d-computer-animation in pool. By the way, we need to put the Maya file to what project path shows because in other path maybe the file cannot be found.
Then click Pipeline Tools to switch on the setting. And we will notice ‘ Draft On, FTrack Off’. Now Click Submit Job and choose correct options.
In Deathline Monitor there are something should be noticed.
Here are some shotcut what I have done.
Finally you will get what you want!
Review
It is clear that there is a hump in the trail and we need to go to Translate X which can be seen there is an unusaul tangent. And we need to make it smooth. For example to increase the positon ( the body move from left to right).
And in these frames we will find that the heel cannot contact the ground cuz the hip is high. So the position of hip (Translate Y) should be adjust down.
What important is that in some frames the leg looks so straight. So if it is unconvenient to adjust the roll in controller, we can also adjust another conytroller.
I said we can’t move the feet, but in the graph editor we can. We just drag the points in Translate Z together, and the character will not slip.
Normally, the curve is roughly the same for each cycle, and if not, it may need to be adjusted. ( the example is adjusted in Roll)
And what we need to pay attention is that the feet should be in the correct angle!
Conclusion
So I was glad that I have improved my animating skill for the reason that I can use graph editor to spline and polish my animation. That is so great!