Character Studio: need to stretch bones

[Ls3D]

Hi JennDowns,

This may seem like a over simplyfication of your shich, but have you tried non-uniform scaling (local Z axis) the neck bones with animate on thereby creating keys?

I've been in character studio (R3) for three weeks on a 15 second piece!

Let us know..

:cool:

-Shea
www.Ls3D.com

[JennDowns]

Unfortunately, using scale or nuscale doesn't work even with the animate button turned on. I can scale the bones if I am in Figure mode but that isn't animateable.

[Ls3D]

Hmm,

I thought scaling of bones was one of the 'new' R4 features,..
Have you considered an FFD either on top of physique or on a snapshot mesh that you hide toggle with the orig?

Nice web site BTW.

-Shea
www.Ls3D.com

[JennDowns]

Doh! Major typo.....I'm still using cs3:hmm:

FFD's are problematic since the head mesh is separate. The snapshot mesh sounds like an interesting idea, I'll give that a shot.

Right backatcha about the website.

[Mahlon]

Yeah, with CS3 I don't know how to do it. In CS4 you can do it with sub-animation controllers. If you figure out a way, let us know. I was just asking in the rigging forum about possible way to script stretching on CS bones. Don't know yet though...

Mahlon

[JennDowns]

Mahlon, I saw your reply over on the discreet forums. Thanks:D I will tuck that info away for when I finally get cs4.

Well after doing some experimentation I've come to the conclusion that I will have to set up a special rig for this shot.

[dubge]

can you try and make a morph target with the body? just a thought. Make the bones in the steched position. then make a neck streched with morph target. Not sure if that would work but it's something.

[JennDowns]

yeah I thought about that but the problem that keeps coming up is that the head is a separate mesh, the neck is part of the body mesh. I really don't want to get into hand keying the position of the head in relation to the neck:)

[Hydra]

laf

while reading this I actually came up with a sort of workaround ->

use AfterEffects when the short/movie is finished. cut the neck, animate it moving and repaint the gap in photoshop, and finally rerender in AfterEffects :rolleyes:

[dubge]

sorry. to bad you have set up another rigg. If I can think of anything else I'll post. but seems like there aren't many options.stinkin cs 3. good luck.:)

[RussellB]

Create a dummy in the position of the neck, this will be your control object.

Apply a mesh select modifier to the section that needs stretching.
Go to vertex sub object mode and select the top 4 vertices of the neck section. Now apply a LinkedXform mod.

In the LinkedXform mod panel, choose the dummy as the control object.

Now apply a LinkedXform modifier to the head and again assign the dummy as the control object.

That's the set-up. You should now be able to animate the head and neck segment as usual then when the neck needs stretching, animate the position of the dummy.

Cheers
:beer:

[RussellB]

Oh, just saw that you're using CS4... everything applies except instead of selecting 4 verts, select all the verts at the top of the neck section. :thumbsup:

[JennDowns]

RussellB, Awesome :thumbsup: Simple and elegant. I will give it a go. Thanks

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