CGTalk - Rigging robot parts

Stresspill

03-29-2002, 05:58 AM

Hi!
I'm currently working with a robot and modelling part is almost done. I was wondering, since fairly new to rigging characters, wich method should I use. (Max R4.2)

Since all the parts move on strict XYZ axes, can I use parts of the robot as bones. I tried that but run to serious pivot problems. Should I use local, world or what pivot system. Secondly even if I change objects pivot point it strangely returns to it's starting position (object center) once in a while, and I constantly have to be aligning pivots again and again.. Why this happens.

This is why I decided to use real bones by pulling them to correct places for arms, but can I link bones to the right bodyparts? or do I have to use skin to move parts. I don't want any deforming on those metal legs and arms, since metal doesn't deform :eek:

This is very frustrating since all I managed to do is jumping and strangely moving bodyparts due to odd pivot changes. ehh I hope somebody helps.

well heading back to read manuals...

file attached is my current bones setup for arms

LFShade

03-29-2002, 06:27 AM

You can just link each part to its corresponding bone, without having to skin. Don't know why your pivots keep popping back to center, but have you tried resetting the transforms on your objects? That fixes a lot of silly little problems in MAX:)

PIXAR

03-29-2002, 12:15 PM

i think using bones and simply link to your parts is the way to go, you can even use HI solvers (IK) to animate a robot, it's so damn cool

Stresspill

03-31-2002, 02:47 AM

Wow finally I succeeded:D my problems were simply wrongly aligned point helpers. (not aligned with the IK solvers) Once I managed to align them locally to world axis my problems were wiped away. Now I got me self a working bones setup, whoo-hoo..
I even did some muscles for my robots neck (animating with bones)

Stresspill

03-31-2002, 07:34 PM

Now I got a problem again, when I try to adjust pivot from IK menu and assign limited option to the bone that is at the end of the chain. Like hip bone in the legs, it goes grazy. usually twists to akward position like in the image. I can adjust pivot to strating position from prefered angle option, but then it's behaving like an x-axis, it doesn't turn the way it should. Like there would be two x-axes. No Z-axis at all.

bone is linked to the pelvis bone wich doesn't use IK solvers. Leg is Hi-IK, other joints in the middle of the chain work perfectly.

Another question: can pivot limitations be used in plain bones chain. I know that they can be assigned to them but there seems to be no effect on them. I still can rotate pivot with no limitations even they are assigned. Do I have to use interactive IK or what, when animating.

Stresspill

03-31-2002, 11:19 PM

I studied the problem some more and it seems that the same phenomen happens in the max 4.2 tutorial bone structure. It's the tutorial for creating a walk cycle. In that setup the pivot in the hip bone is not limited at all. Maybe I have to settle for that.

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