Animated Character Help
 

Okay, now that the animation is done and turned in, 2046's animation team is already looking for a new project. We've decided to create a basic, Rayman-esque character for future animations that we can improve on as the team gets better. The modeling is done, but I'm not sure how to attach the hands, feet, and head to the body while still being able to move and bend them. Our character has no limbs, so the pieces are floating and I want to move them around the body while still being attached.

Would it be easier to just pose the individual pieces? I'm not really sure, so could someone point me in the right direction?

Re: Animated Character Help
 

If the hands and feet and stuff are just floating objects, you can link them to a parent object with the link tool (see attached screenshot). That way, any movement by the parent is inherited by the child. Obviously, this is miles from rigging and skinning a character, but it should work for your purposes.

Re: Animated Character Help
 

hmmmmm..... scratches chin. I've never done a Rayman character before. If there is anybody here that will help you it would be me. I don't agree with Mazin. While that is a cheep and fastest way of rigging. Its not the best route. It doesn't allow for squash and stretch, which is something those characters need in order to look right. I will get back to you on this. I will have to go build a rig myself then I can send it to you and you guys can dissect it.

Re: Animated Character Help
 

I think the simplest way would be to rig the character to a biped. You can control how many fingers and toes the biped has (in your case you'd want 1 or none). You can then select the entire biped, right click, go into object properties, then uncheck the renderable box. Then you can edit the skeletal movement and have the body follow that movement while the skeleton is not visible when rendered.

Re: Animated Character Help
 

NOOO!!!!! THE BIPED IS THE MOST HORRIBLE RIG EVER MADE!!!!

I detest the biped. The only thing its good for is that it can understand motion capture data. As far as an animation tool BAD!!

hang in tight though. I'm creating a rig for you.

Re: Animated Character Help
 

Here ya go guys! here is the Rayman Rig I built.

Instructions:

-You do not animate the mesh, you animate the CTRL objects.

-If you want him to move somewhere, do it by moving the placement object. The big black hexagon at his feet.

have fun and ask questions. download it from the attachment.

I didn't make hands because they would have been done the same way That I did the feet. Figure out the feet and then you can make the hands.

Re: Animated Character Help
 

Woah man, that's some serious hating on the biped. lol. I guess not everyone likes it like i do. Although judging by your rig I'd say you know much more on the subject than I do. So yeah, nice rig.

Re: Animated Character Help
 

Sorry I didn't get back sooner.

I'll d/l the rig after all of my finals homework is done in 2 weeks. After that, it's class, job, band, and robotics until September! (in that order :) )

Re: Animated Character Help
 

How do you do a FFD Binding? I can't figure out how to link certain control points an FFD to a single control object.

Re: Animated Character Help
 

You space warp bind. Its right next to the link tool on the main tool bar.

Re: Animated Character Help
 

Do you select certain control points from the FFD and then bind to space warp? Max won't let me do that for some reason. Maybe I'm doing it wrong.

Re: Animated Character Help
 

space warp bind your object to the FFD gizmo. Make sure you are using the FFD gizmo and not the FFD modifier. The FFD gizmo is located under the create tab, in space warps. Go to the drop down menu and select Geometric/Deformatible and there you will find the FFD gizmo.

Re: Animated Character Help
 

The best idea would be to connect the pieces to a biped or bone system like any normal character, and make sure the biped/bones are not renderable, so you have floating pieces that are connected but not visibly connected. You can find the render settings in object properties by right clicking on the bones.

Re: Animated Character Help
 

Inverse Kinematics and Bones, I think are the best way to go. If you using 3Ds Max, this should help