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View Full Version : Animating Low_ Poly for Hi-Res. . .

Peace455
10-01-2002, 05:07 AM
Hello All,

I have reached the point where I'm going to produce a serious animation, and I've done some serious modleing for it. I Have a few Hi-Res actors who are staring in the piece.

In there current state is would take me a loooong time to animate them. I was working on a project before (as a rendered) and they had a gremlin Hi-Res sub-D character. But when they animated they used a low-res Poly-Proxy mesh, and animated that, and just before I set up computers to render out the animations, I would make sure that the low-proxy mesh layed is uncheck and hi-res is checked.

How can I set up a low-Proxy mesh so that when I animate the low -proxy, its also animating the hi-res as well.


I posted this question at Highend before but, I checked back and the site was down.

I got a couple of responces about wrap deformer . . ? smoothing before render (Poly models).

I would greatly appreciate any advice, my computer can't handle such a hi-res model.

Thanks

Peace455:buttrock:
beaker
10-01-2002, 06:27 AM
Use the new smooth proxy that is in maya 4.5
XanderFX
10-01-2002, 07:10 AM
I worked on some cinematics for an upcoming game and the scene files we received were only the hi res skinned versions. So some of the animators took some time and made lo poly versions to use.

Since you already have the characters modeled, use it as a template to make a low poly segmented version out of poly or NURBS primitives that you could just parent to the bones, such as the forearm to the corresponding bone and so forth. You obviously would want to get the shapes close to the same size as the hi res models especially parts that may interact with other geo i.e. fingers and feet. Then just throw it all on a seperate layer and then turn it off when your done and turn on the hi-res stuff to render

Parented geo doesn't have to be calculated like skinned geo so they move very quickly. This will also save you time cause you won't need to skin 2 models, only the Hi-res version.
Peace455
10-03-2002, 06:40 AM
I woudl like to that your guys for responding.


XanderFX :

Your suggestions about making the low res Nurbs version sound like a fabulous idea and I will try it out. it he perfect solution thanks ^_^


beaker:

Smooth Proxy? I recently got my copy of Maya 4.5 and I'm stuill learning all of the new functions. How would I setup the smooth proxy so I can animate a low res-and render out a hi-res?

Peace455:buttrock:
Julez4001
10-03-2002, 07:04 AM
I thought wrap deformers would be the way to go. Any tutorials on setting up wrap deformers! I am a Maya newbie still.
jRocket
10-04-2002, 03:31 AM
Read the manual.
Julez4001
10-04-2002, 02:53 PM
Let me re-state the question then....

Anyone use Wrap deformers for character animation and found it
likeable/successful than other character setups. What things should be look out for. Certain poly limits. Should Tootsie roll techique be used. Does weightmaps hold..if not what ways do u re coup?

Manual doesn't cover that....
JoeSchmo
10-05-2002, 12:24 AM
I agree with xander fx. except sometimes just hiding the
high res layer isnt enough. ( it still wants to calculate for the
skin deformations)
I usually set keys on the bind pose at say frame -10
then you can detach the skin ( make sure keep history is on )
use the parented surface to do the animation where you can scrub real time. once it looks good you can go back to -10
and rebind the skin, do some play blasts etc. if you dont like it
you can detach the high res skin again at -10 and repeat as needed.
harly
10-08-2002, 11:30 AM
for further projects, try the cps-tool( cps=connect poly shape-mel script-->download it on highend 3d)

it`s very useful for polygon-modeling(emulating subdivs)
AND very very useful for rigging and animating

how it works:
1. model your character in lowpoly and use cps to convert it in highpoly
2.bind your low-poly-charcter-mesh
3.animate your low-poly-character-mesh
--->and the high-res model will be rendered(if you make the high-res model-layer visible-the low-poly mesh is automatically non-renderable)

i LOVE this tool !!
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