CGTalk - Squash and Stretch

GRMac13

10-02-2002, 03:42 AM

Anyone have any tips on how to get good squash and stretch on 3D characters in max without destroying a rig or screwing up skinning? Would an FFD box work? What about Morph Targets for the whole mesh? Any links to tutorials or tips on techniques you might use would be great.

visualboo

10-02-2002, 04:24 AM

Michael Comet has some stuff. www.comet-cartoons.com

Hope that helps

gaggle

10-02-2002, 08:56 AM

Check out the tutorial manual with MAX5, it has stuff on character rigging that takes you through the whole squash-thing.

.. hm.. that answer is actually the same as visualboo's I guess, just worded differently in an attempt to appear smrt and edacuated :surprised Because I do belive the MAX5 tutorials are written by, or at least based directly on, Michael Comets rigging. I guess the guy just does it the right way and everyone ends up pointing in his direction :)

jason-slab

10-02-2002, 10:02 AM

".. hm.. that answer is actually the same as visualboo's I guess, just worded differently in an attempt to appear smrt and edacuated "

lol gaggle

visualboo

10-02-2002, 05:21 PM

lol

GRMac13

10-02-2002, 06:01 PM

lol thanx guys. I guess Comet is the man when it comes to anything character-related in max. I've been using his CometScripts, it's one of the best tools around for char animation in max.

GRMac13

10-06-2002, 08:25 AM

Hey, that charrigger from Mike Comet is really nice. The thing is, it's a little too easy (hehe). I'd really like to know how to rig my own "stretchy" bones from scratch. I can't find a tutorial on Comet's site. Anyone know how this rig is put together? I mean how can you get bones to react to movement by actually deforming like that?

Another example of a "stretchy-bone" set-up...

http://www.3dluvr.com/pepeland/Misc/max3.htm

download "IK Joe" it's a great rig that uses "stretchy bones."

Too bad they don't tell you how they do it. :hmm:

LFShade

10-06-2002, 08:42 AM

Stretchy bones can be accomplished by putting script or expression controllers on the bones' position controllers which change their position based on the desired stretch distance. It's pretty tricky if you're unfamiliar with scripting or expressions, but once you get an understanding of it it's quite simple. You need to inspect the controllers on the lower leg and ankle bones in Comet's example files in order to see how the magic works.

jason-slab

10-07-2002, 07:50 AM

yeah i been looking for tuts for s&s for a while to, like LFShade says, your best bet is to look at the expression controllers

|jason

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