Open source character and vehicles set-up animation plug-in

#1

What do you people think/ feel about me setting up a website to bring together an open source animation plug-in for EIAS?

I see there are people out there who wish that CAT, Puppetshop or Messiah etc. could work with EIAS. But lets face it they aren’t going to are they! So come on then - let make our own!!!

I sure there is enough of you who are highly skilled programers who could help me start this thing. From the start - I don’t know what I’m doing. But if I start the idea. Maybe Matt could monitor the project or take it over. I obviously don’t know what he would feel about it. But there is no harm in putting this out.

Okay so lets start with the features after all we know what the interface is going to look like before we start. So that’s a start!

Name? Logo? Any ideas?

Main features.

Character:
Pre-made rigs for humans, animals and birds.

•	Library of Rigs & Motions.
•	Custom bone editing
•	Skeletal and muscles
•	Motion mixer
•	Stop motion tweaking
•	Swarm and crowed AI
•	Lip sync
•	Ik & Fk

Mechanic:
Surface moving vehicles.
Air craft
Sea craft
Engine mechanics

•	Library of Rigs & Motions.
•	Use a joy stick to animate.
•	Stop motion tweaking.
•	Swarm and crowed AI.
•	Motion mixer.
•	Rotating piston rigs and cogs.

Our would-be-rivals, business wise. Even though I propose the plug-in if free if it remains open source.

http://www.projectmessiah.com http://www.catoolkit.com/home.asp http://www.lumonix.net http://www.anzovin.com/setupmachine/ http://www.craftanimations.com http://www.biographictech.com there maybe more…

Please post your views and feature requests here so engineers can see if there is enough interest. I can’t make it happen only you can. Remember nothing is impossible so please be positive and constructive.

We need a name, a logo and more features! Is it doable? Do you want a plug in that does all this?

Fire away! I’ve posted this at EIAS forums too.

#2

Nicholas, any free tool that could make our life easier would be more than welcome…
I have seen pretty amazing stuff comming from the Open source community.
I whish you the best of luck in your project.

#3

Richard…

Love the name and love the frog as logo/mascot. It would work well.

#4

Nice idea, nice name, nice logo, but… it is doable?. Even if it´s not open source, i would cash for many of this plugs!. Is that or going to the MAYA or XSI route:(

FelixCat

#5

Nice idea, but i don’t know that many people who do code who are not either working for EITG or 3rd party developer, those people probably would’nt want to finish work only to come home and start again on a non paying prj.

But do ask around, you never know, i wonder what the developer of the excellent and Free Image2mesh is doing these days…

#6

dont see why it isnt possible…

first step, write up a coherent feature list and functionality. the reality is that the UI is 50% of the job and something that you can figure out. That will make the backend 100x easier

Cj

#7

See bellow

#8

Hi folks,

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply. I am now looking to setting up a web site and the way in which development can start.

Riggit sound a good name but I’m thinking that is is also to do with motion and mechanical things. Maybe we could call it ‘Rigg-it | Motion Synthesiser’

I am thinking of calling the web site ‘EIAS Developer Design Studio’ www.eias-dds.com (nothing there yet.)

Yes - I already have the interface in my head. I will post a Flash mock up in the next week or so.

Please keep the ideas coming. Thanks for your encouragement so far. If you are a developer and you are very sceptical. Please at least keep an eye on how things go and do post your suggestions! Thanks again.

Slave1

#9

Nicholas…

I have several ideas I could give you for this plugin because I work with several of these types of plugins within Maya while doing previs. (My other company - POV Previs) I’ve chatted with some of the EI developers concerning this idea and for most its not their area of expertise or their knowledge of the program tells them such an undertaking will be excessively difficult. EI just doesn’t have a huge character animation user base so developers tend to pass it by. I’d love to see that change. (With some help from EI of course).

There are some major hurdles you’ll have to jump over to get something like this to work within EI. XP can help fill in some of the gaps, but largely the problems lie within EIAS plugin API not having enough accessibilty into the program. We also lack user definable attributes, set driven key, and the various scripting calls necessary to make this a sure fire hit.

My suggestion would be to start simple. Start by creating a helpful method of placing, mirroring and aligning bones. Perhaps stock rig templates can be made and resized within the plugin. A plugin could be used to possess the proper bone mirroring and insert functions that are lacking in EIAS’ main feature set. If EITG makes the decision to increase its character tools, you’ll want your plugin to be as flexible as possible. Starting with simple bone placement tools might be a good start.

#10

Nicholas…

Something else to consider for the future… Paralumino’s company “goal” is to come to the aid of potential EIAS developers looking for a way to distribute their products and so forth. Paralumino could extend webpage hosting space to you through a subdomain to assist you with your development endevours along with storefront space when it comes time to market your product. Drop me a note if interested.

#11

I’ll try and chime in later with one or two ideas. But I notice that I always find myself thinking: “I’ve got a gut-feeling the API doesn’t allow for this” when dreaming up stuff.

#12

The API isn’t totally a lame duck…but it could use some help. The best thing to do would be to start this project, identify the needs, and submit them to EITG for potential API expansion.

#13

in fact, there are pieces of the API that are very good… also, there are ways to expand a plug-in by using XP also… can be a very powerful team.

Like my instancing plugin.

Cj

#14

Hey,

All my friends here knows How many time Im waiting a plug-in like this…

Lets see what will happen in the future.

Tomas

#15

Actually Xpressionist is half way there to provide all necessary stuff to write such plugins (and many other things as well). Me thinks, if you could find developers it would be a waist to let them start from scratch again. At this very moment Patrick and I are working on car rigging with Rodeo and Xpressionist, to make a car rig with dynamics, terrain following and all bells an whistles.

Jens

#16

Rodeo “ReelMotion”?

Sounds promising.

#17

yes, it does sound interesting, I hope you consider me in helping :slight_smile:

Cj

#18

Here you are. A little mock-up of what a nice rigging plug-in might look like. I got a bit bored towards the end, but I hope the principle is clear. You create a virtual rig inside the plug-in. Once you’re happy with the way it looks, you press the “create” button at the bottom right.
http://www.funnylittlemen.co.uk/Quicktimes/Riggit_01.swf

#19

Very interesting Manuel…

Its very similar what I envisioned as well and I’ve communicated similiar ideas of this kind to the Igors to integrate into the next version of Trestle. I think Trestle would be a logical choice to possess this type of functionality in addition to drawing poly lines. Instead of placing CVs for polylines why not place bones in 3D space instead? Placing bones however, is just the first step… we’re both aware that more is needed and unforutnately, the Igors don’t consider themselves experts on character rigging.

If we can obtain our sales quota, I can recontract the Igors and perhaps this thread can help them with updating Trestle or producing a new plugin if Nicholas hasn’t gotten his off the ground yet.

#20

Amazin, Manuel
This looks a dream rigger. Hope can be posible.
FelixCat