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#201

FrameCache Node

This technique will update a chosen objects animation via the timeline by referring to the past or the future of a second node.

Create one cube named “Boss”
Create one cube named “Child”

Set keys on Boss for the translationX.

In the script editor type: createNode frameCache. This creates a frameCache1 node

Open the connection Editor.

Connect Boss.translateX to frameCache1.Stream

In the command line type connectAttr -f frameCache1.past[4] Child.translateX; (Where 4 is the integer number of frames of follow through)

In your playback you will now see the child cube animate the exact same as the boss cube, but 4 frames later.

One limitation I have noticed to this is that you cannot manually move around the object in world space manually anymore once the connections are made, you will have to move and edit keys directly in the graph editor or dopesheet.

Special thanks to Jason S. for touching on that node on the fast animation rigs DVD. I asked this question in the forum here at cgTalk a long time ago and never got an answer other than the expressions method I’ve used thus far.

I hope someone else finds this as cool and as useful as I have!

Mike Rhone

-Just another TD

#202

Sounds cool! From inside my little box I can’t see what you’d use it for, though…can you give some examples?

I think it would be cool if the connection could be rubberbanded to create flocking…

#203

It would be useful for any times you wanted automated secondary animation. (Instead of copy and pasting curves.)

But hey, I thought it was neat!

m

#204

and/or rigging a spider’s walk cycle! :wink:

#205

Damn server crash…

“Inherit Transform”

Turn off “inherit transform” on the geometry group of a rigged character. You can then parent it under the TOP node without fear of double transforms.

The child will ‘act’ as if it is parented to world space, while still remaining in the actual character heirarchy.

Cool eh?

Mike Rhone

#206

Rhonedog:

That’s a l’il gem!

Cheers for that one - great :slight_smile:

Atwooki

#207

This is a wonderful thread, uv mapping tools, ways of hiding more of my menus and the way of constraining movement to an axis without me to constantly having to click the damn arrow first. I use 2 modeling tools, zztogglesubd is a toggle from poly geometry to subd, at level 0 (your verts are preserved), its quick and simple, and I use spinfaces, which is another lightwave tool for spinning 2 faces (topology etc).

AnDy

#208

I like most Sculpt poly and nurbs surface tool.

#209

Best tool EVER is -> UNDO :bowdown:

#210

Originally posted by bJekX
Best tool EVER is -> UNDO :bowdown:

Tsk tsk! Someone hasn’t been reading the thread! :stuck_out_tongue:

(page 5, 6th post down)

#211

I love to use Attribute Collection by Roland Reyer - It’s a nifty, little MEL Script that helps you generate a custom User Interface.

It actually has been built into the Maya 6.0 Bonus Pack - It’s really great:

You select Attributes from the channelbox and you can put them in groups in the Attributes Collection Panel - there you can modify it, put min/max values in it, use sliders or just value fields and so on.

Every Rigger/Animator should at least try it - You’ll get the hang of it pretty fast, I assure you! :slight_smile:

#212

i do think pologon is good tools for model

#213

ye i too like subdivide

#214

Well the tools in Maya I used most of the time r extrude Poly tool, Cut Face tool, Paint Effects n Fluid Effects a lot.
I m using almost all these options in my final yr project of graduatiion as well.

#215

After replying to a thread in the Character setup forums, I realize that I haven’t posted this little tip to anyone yet:

[b][font=Arial]Simple expression for correct volume scaling in 3d space:

objectScaleX = 1 / objectScaleY;
objectScaleZ = 1 / objectScaleY;[/font][/b]

(X and Z will squash/stretch driven by the Y scale. I recommend using nodes instead of an expression, but this is te easiest way to show it.)

Great for spine rigs, IK arms/legs, Cartoony heads.

#216

probably pretty good for modest amounts of squash and stretch, yup. If you want more accuracy in the volume changes, add a square root in there. That will make XYZ = X’Y’Z’ (with the primes being the dimensions after the deformation). This will make the volume maintain itself more accurately (though with joint rotations and the like it’ll never be perfect).

#217

for those who have asked about it in this thread, to edit the RMB menu, you need to edit the “dagMenuProc.mel” which is in your “maya6.0\scripts\others” folder.
Instead of overwriting the original however, move that script to your “my documents\maya6.0\scripts” directory.
I haven’t got a script to show you, but if you search naughty nathan maya on google, you’ll fine one that does what you’re looking for…

#218

As posted in the Rendering forum, when experiencing crashes/fatal or out of memory errors while rendering complex scenes with Mental Ray … you could also try to decrease your memory limit for the renderer to <70% of your total memory. I my case 550 Mb (of total 1 gig) solved all my crashproblems (so far.

#219

Accuracy is your enemy in scaling for squash and stretch (as defined by classical animation), in fact axis alignment timing-wise is really bad, too. You want to be in the ballpark, but not exact.

Trust me, I’ve been plugging on this one for coming on a year now… ACCURACY+SQUASH/STRETCH = BAD :slight_smile:
INACCURACY+SQUASH/STRETCH = GOOD :slight_smile:

NON-VISIBLE (or changin) AXIS OF SQ/ST+ROTATION = EVEN BETTER

So, for nice looking squashystretchysquooshy;
SLIGHT INACCURACY OF VOLUME (both timing from axis to axis and volume within that)+CHANGING/INVISIBLE AXIS OF SQ/STR (rotations within the deformation that break the visible axis) = BEST!

#220

Then my reasoning would be to put in secondary control of the squash to stretch. Any arbitrary amounts are going to cahuse problems like you mentioned. If you want off timing, you almost have to have two separate controls to keyframe separately, since choosing an arbitrary number of frames won’t work for many cases, you’ll need it adjustable.

And yeah, adding a changable axis of squash stretch would be cool too, but adds a lot of complexity for the animator, I’d think.

In any case, I’m not really an animator, and if an animator says that’s the way he wants to work it, I have no problem putting those kind of controls in. It kind of depends on the style of the project as to how much of this stuff is really applicable.