Introduction
We have performed twice in the first two weeks, especially the second time, we both performed very well, and Luke was very satisfied with our performance. So we can finally Blocking.
Tips:
1. Be sure to check the model before using the new model.
2. The time taken by one character’s actions will affect other characters.
Problems:
1. The model does not have a master controller, so it cannot be scaled.
2. The reflection of the eyes of monkeys and chickens cannot be modified.
3. There are not enough monkey controllers.
4. There is no way to withdraw the operation in the graph editor.
Process
Performance V2
I must talk about my second performance, because I think I try to perform according to Luke’s opinion as much as possible. For example, I enriched my facial expressions, added a lot of gestures, and more importantly, I adjusted the camera to make the character’s movements clearer. Of course, because of my lack of experience, I recorded many times in order to make some small movements of the character. For example, I tell you the truth, I have recorded at least a dozen times, and my voice is uncomfortable.
Blocking V1
To be honest, I have been looking for a model for a long time. Originally, I found some character models, which looked very normal. But I found some interesting animal models, such as fish, bears, dogs, etc., and their controllers are all I haven’t used! I just thought, why don’t I let them be my characters, so I downloaded them. I found out that I was in a big trouble, they didn’t have a master controller! I can’t zoom them! Unfortunately, I forgot how to restore the zoom option hidden by the producer. It took me a long time to find out that just find the channel control setting in the edit of the channel box!
I also downloaded a scene model, but this model is really not very good. I have to constantly freeze transformation and center pivot to make the data better.
Putting the character and the scene together, I first observed the material, and found that the material of the monkey was very strange and the reflection was too high, so I asked Yann and Yu and turned it down. But the reflection of the monkey’s eyes remains the same, and I don’t know how to modify it.
Next, I continued to adjust the camera, in order to make the picture more natural, can highlight the actions of each character, this step took me a long time. In addition, I have to add Arnold material to each object, which I did not do in the previous assignment. But because the rendering effect shown in the last performance animation was not very good, I hope I can pay attention to the rendering effect.
Yu told me that I can modify the sample in the render setting so that I can increase the rendering speed. In the final rendering, I can restore the value again. Now it looks like the rendering effect is good! I haven’t added lighting yet, I plan to add it after polish.
I also mentioned to Luke before that I cannot render my own shots in the render farm, even if the render setting is modified, it is useless. On the one hand, it may be because I added grease pencil. On the other hand, I think I can try to select the lens I want directly in the render view.
I don’t know why neither mov nor MP4 format can be imported into movie, so I had to directly modify the frame rate in Premier to 24F and display it as frame mode, so that I can make my animation according to the number of frames displayed in Premier.
Next I need to add some details. First of all, the headset must be constrained to the head of the monster. This is relatively simple. I only need to select the controller and the headset geometry together as the parent. In addition, I found that the monkey’s tail was not bound. It might be a problem with the weight. I didn’t want to modify it, so I deleted it directly. As a result, I found that my hand could completely block the tail because the monkey’s hand needs to be tied. I spent a lot of time making a rope and restraining it with the hand.
As a result, when I actually started to make an animation, there were some problems with the monkey’s expression. For example, he couldn’t be sad or frowned. But at this time, I didn’t want to change the model anymore, so I simply used a blend shape for it. To be honest, I have already regretted not checking the model carefully, and I am very worried that there will be problems with the model in the future.
Only now I know what blocking is. I need to change the out tangent to step in the graph editor, so that my character animation will be fixed. There is no automatic frame correction, which makes it easier to check the character’s movements. In addition, I also used the character set for the first time. I always thought it was so useless before, but I think it is very suitable to gather all the nodes that want to animate together. Of course, I didn’t know how to use it at the beginning. I remember that Luke chose the controller a little bit and then set it, but I was lazy, just selecting curve in the outliner, which caused problems with the character set set at the beginning. Fortunately, I found it early, so I deleted it and set it again. To be honest, I don’t know why, I moved the frame on the timeline, but I couldn’t withdraw it, which made me.
I also used a very simple knowledge, my fly needs to wave its wings, but I don’t need to work so hard to manually key one by one. This is what Kay and Crystal told me, you can use cycle. This way I don’t need the remaining frames of the key. And I may need my fly to become ashes in the end to match the plot, so maybe I have to ask Mehdi how to operate it next.
Next I made an animation of the monkey. To be honest, I put my energy on Houdini, making animation is a bit rusty. After the monkey turned his head to look at the monster and swallowed, I modified it many times for the timing. Because in my performance, the monster did not open his eyes, but in the production of animation, I thought it would be more interesting to open his eyes, so the interaction time of the characters was shortened. In order to make the monkey’s movements not so sudden, I went back to the monster’s character set and modified his movements, and made the monkey’s head turn more subtle. Finally, I added an infinite loop of slight shaking to the monkey’s body and legs (it would be strange if it was too obvious), because I was shaking in my performance, and now the monkey’s movements look more natural.
There is also a small detail, because this model does not have too many controllers, I cannot adjust my shoulders and neck too much. So I tried to find an alternative channel to change, which tells us that we must check the model before using the new model!
In comparison, the action of the chicken is much simpler, probably because the chicken really does not have any controller to control the action. I have a hunch that I might have to change the model. But I simply swayed its movement. I did a lot of complicated animations in my performance, but the chicken couldn’t do it because its wings didn’t allow it to make so many gestures. In addition, the movements of the chicken are not so difficult. twenty two
I used playblast to export the animation, and then I waited for Luke’s feedback.
Review
After Luke watched my animation, I felt that my animation still had a problem with the camera. Because the chicken on the left can’t see the expression at all, and the action is almost no difficulty. This is also because I am lazy. Luke suggested that I re-make it. It’s just blocking anyway. I thought about it and I should re-make it.
Blocking V2
First I need to find a new model. Yann gave me his Tom model because I need an animal model. As a result, I found that as long as I save the new file, all the textures and layers will be lost. Through constant attempts, I imported my files into Tom’s MA files, so that the textures would not be lost. But to be honest, I don’t know why.
The next step is to change the lens, because Tom is taller than a chicken and the lens cannot fully accommodate him, so I changed the focal length to 42.
Because Tom uses FK for his spine, I have to adjust my shoulders directly. Just a few seconds ago, Tom made a shrug of his shoulders. I searched for a long time before I found the shoulder controller.
Because I haven’t done animation for too long, I think I’m not good at keeping Tom’s balance anymore. Tom made a bend over. I forgot to move the hip back, causing Tom to lose his balance. I adjusted it many times before doing it well.
When keying the arm, I even encountered a strange problem. As you can see in the picture, there should be a key frame at 40F, but it is not displayed in the timeline. 3738
In the end, because I was lazy, I didn’t make the blocking of the tail and ears, but ended it directly and entered the stage of spline and polish.
Conclusion
I didn’t listen to Luke at first, didn’t modify my lens, and even used weird models. So I think I should still use the model provided by Luke for the next animation.