UV map flipping problem...

[WesVasher]

I've found a way to pretty easily un-overlap the geometry and modify the UV map so there are is seperation on the maps. Will post the fix when I'm sure it's working properly.

[joel3d]

I am glad that you put the link to your webpage, great stuff there.

I was about to comment on the reversed normals problem, but I see you already figured it out. You are a really gifted all around artist, Modeling, texture, rigging, skinning, and animation...

I love the Trex hopping animation.

[WesVasher]

Hey Joel, great to "see" you again.

Your Trike is outstanding. I've seen it before on the cMuscle website, great job.

What would you peg the difficulty meter of setting up a muscle system with cMuscle at? Can you add a muscle system to an already rigged model like my Coelophysis for example? Do you need to model the bones or just the muscle shapes? Hope these questions aren't a bother, I haven't had much time to investigate the software other than reading through their website. But it's one of those softwares I've been keeping my eye on since it seems pretty affordable.

The embryonic Rex is also very nice, the shader is very slick looking. Leshiy3d commented that you are an excellent Paleoartist, I've never heard of this term but it sounds pretty cool... hmmm.

[joel3d]

Hi Wesley, Hope you are well!

Its actually very easy to set up the cMuscle system, It is designed to be forgiving.
I would even use it even if I wasn't planning to add muscles to the rig. The paint weight tool works better than Maya, and after it is skinned you can add or remove infuences. So if you dont like the way a joint or muscle is working you can change it while it is skinned without having to start over.
You can convert a rig to use the cMuscle, but you still have to paint the weightmap with the new muscle objects.
You dont have to model the bones, that is just how I desided to do it. If you want the polys (skeleton) can be used as influenes on the skin. For example I added the shoulder blade to influence the skin.
It is amazingly fast, I could add a few key frames and push the play button on the timeline and adjust the squash and stretch, jiggle if the muscles in pretty much real time. It isnt a simulation that you have to run...So its actally fun to watch, make adjustments as you go.
There are other features as well, but youv'e probably already read about it. And worth the price?...Yes!...It makes maya better in so many ways.

Im not exactly a Paleoartist, but I agree it sounds cool.

I wish you would start a WIP thread with your dinosaurs, I almost missed this.

[WesVasher]

Thanks for the info Joel. You've pretty much convinced me to get it. I've been on the fence for a while.

I can rig up my models using The Setup Machine (http://www.anzovin.com/TSM2Maya/) pretty well which has a pretty slick method of weighting the mesh. After I use this software I tweak my weight map to get the skin moving pretty well. I apologize for my ignorance but is there only one weight map for a mesh or is there one for my rig and one for the muscles or does cMuscle modify a single complete weight map on the fly?

I think I will start a WIP thread for this dino pretty soon.

Some more texture work...
http://www.vasher.com/v2/images/uploads/proj_coelophysis_16.jpg

[joel3d]

Not sure if I understood, but there is only one skin with a weightmap.
The different cMuscle attributes (Smoothskin, Jiggle, Relax, Slideing....) can be modified exported/imported etc seperatly.

Nice feet. Maybe less cemetry?

[WesVasher]

Working on making each side more unique. I updated the image above so it's no longer as symmetrical.

In Maya right now I paint one weight map, that I know of. I select my model (the skin or mesh) and paint the weights... simple. I'm just wondering if I keep my already painted Maya weight map or if cMuscle takes over the weight map completely or it adds to it, my weight map knowledge is probably too little at this point to understand what's going on. :(

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