Rigging gripe

# 1 07-11-2011 , 04:35 AM

Perennial Noob
Join Date: Nov 2011

Location: Durham, NC

Posts: 9

Why Maya, why?

Getting a mesh to move around shouldn't be this hard. I have downloaded or printed as many free tutorials on rigging as I can and I understand the theory but in practice, the whole thing falls apart.

I'm rigging a character with unusual legs and feet right now. I set up the IK and tested it; looked okay. I added control curves to the ankle and toes and parented them to the ankle and tested it and the whole leg....... I would say flipped but that doesn't begin to touch it; more like had a siezure.

When I tried to undo, it remaind siezed so I quit without saving and grabbed a beer. What I want to know is why it is so complex. I'm sure somebody who worked for Alias back in the day knew what all of the sub-menus did but to me it just adds several unnecessary dimensions to make something go wrong.

The analogy I like to use is: I make a paper airplane but to get it to fly I have to give it the controls of a Space Shuttle.

So, again I ask, "Why?"

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# 2 07-11-2011 , 10:13 AM

SM Tea Boy
Join Date: Apr 2002

Location: Prague

Posts: 3,228

The mechanics of making something move are extremely complex. A good rig can take weeks for a professional rigger to create. Unfortunately it just takes a lot of time.

From a readers' Q and A column in TV GUIDE: "If we get involved in a nuclear war, would the electromagnetic pulses from exploding bombs damage my videotapes?"

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# 3 07-11-2011 , 11:57 AM

Lifetime Member
Join Date: Feb 2010

Location: Australia

Posts: 4,255

Im no expert but I concur with David....agree with the beer too lol. I deal with software on about 4 angles every day...have been for years as a Surveyor....and I can tell you to get something to work or talk as I call it takes a LONG time. Try having $10 000 an hour of earthmoving machinery and people sitting around waiting while you get a GPS to talk to a damn machine...because the bluetooth doesnt want to play. Now thats a headache...try something simpler maybe...but dont give up...beer either LOL...just keep at it man. Try to save JUST before you know its going to crash...you will get that vibe eventually too....then CTRL ALT DEL....shut it off...and start again. Good luck mate and welcome to the foibles of 3D...

cheers bullet

bullet1968

"A Darkness at Sethanon", a book I aspire to model some of the charcters and scenes

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# 4 07-11-2011 , 09:09 PM

Lead Modeler - Framestore
Join Date: Feb 2003

Location: UK

Posts: 6,287

Is this your first Character??

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# 5 10-11-2011 , 04:59 AM

Perennial Noob
Join Date: Nov 2011

Location: Durham, NC

Posts: 9

Thanks guys

After I posted this, I finished my beer and started re-reading my rigging tutorials and realized that I was allowing myself to get overwhelmed. I was thinking too holistically about it instaed of taking each separate joint and limb into consideration. I started doing the same function over and over; IK, constraints, nurbs curves, etc. and then deleteing them and doing them again (kinda like a kata in martial arts) until I could do it in my sleep.

Rigging still freaks me out but I'm starting to get the hang of it.

@Jay - this is my first serious attempt at rigging an in depth character. I figured I would have to learn sometime so I decided to rig possibly the most ambitious character I've ever done. I am a firm believer in trial by fire.

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