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16/09/2010 11:48:43

DreekoMuvizu mogulExperimental user
Dreeko
Posts: 1257
With all the talk on the forum of a need for more subtle animations and more control over facial features be it full expressions or just the eyebrows, a feature that should not be overlooked when it comes to expression are the hands. So much can be shown emotionally just by merely changing hand postures and positions throughout an animation.this clip from creature comforts below shows exactly that








and there are some great use of eyebrow movements too (hint hint)
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16/09/2010 12:33:10

Emily
Emily
(Account inactive)
Posts: 346
Ah - the genius of Aardman!

Hands are indeed very expressive and relay a lot of emotion.
It would be good if we could get more control over this. I guess the problem is just how it's implemented and how we get all these different suggestions working together in a system that's simple enough to use, yet specific enough to provide all the desired control.

Answers on a postcard please...
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20/09/2010 12:59:03

DreekoMuvizu mogulExperimental user
Dreeko
Posts: 1257
Emily wrote:
I guess the problem is just how it's implemented and how we get all these different suggestions working together in a system that's simple enough to use, yet specific enough to provide all the desired control.

Answers on a postcard please...


the way the head is animated with the ball in the head shape that is moved around

Couldnt we do the same for each hand? (ball in hand shape)

sorry i didnt have a postcard handy
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20/09/2010 13:37:22

ghrenig
ghrenig
Posts: 39
In response to creature conforts also promoted by aardman darkside
A town called panic with plastic characters - no hand movements or facials



Makes me laugh anyway
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20/09/2010 14:33:27

barrys
barrys
Posts: 102
You guys are correct: the hands are important. That's why over half of our character's bones are to be found in the hand, and why our animators get to animate them. This isn't usually what is done in game engines where the hand skeleton is usually simplified for framerate reasons. Anyway, the biggest hurdle isn't the tech it's the user interface.

The hands have the usual six axes of freedom enjoyed by most 3D objects. They can be moved and rotated in all crazy directions. On top of this is the control for each finger, how they bend, straighten, scrunch, relax, rotate and spread. I've not even mentioned grip style, IK or FK movement. The emotion imparted by hand movement needs all of these freedoms. This all amounts to a massive control headache that I'm unsure could be addressed by copying the head controls. I'm not sure how to achieve this without compromising Muvizu's ease of use. However, you've planted the seed so I'm sure it'll get pondered upon.

Perhaps if we went head-hunting at Cape Canaveral...

Barry
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20/09/2010 15:03:33

toonaramaMuvizu mogulExperimental user
toonarama
Posts: 661
Barry
Could this be done in a simplistic way by having
a clench fist/open hand slider plus a hand rotator (like the head rotator) OR
having a distinct set of hand animations: clench fist, open hand, point etc

thanks

Toonarama
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20/09/2010 16:18:14

DreekoMuvizu mogulExperimental user
Dreeko
Posts: 1257
toonarama wrote:
Barry
Could this be done in a simplistic way by having
a clench fist/open hand slider plus a hand rotator (like the head rotator) OR
having a distinct set of hand animations: clench fist, open hand, point etc

thanks

Toonarama


exactly what I was about to post!

slider, tick boxes, separate hand poses or a combination

must be a method in there somewhere


Dont you just love it when people ask for things without knowing exactly whats involved.....Once you've conquered all these things i would like a time machine and a pair of hover trousers to get to my work
if its not too much trouble!
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20/09/2010 17:07:30

NeilExperimental userMuvizu staff
Neil
Posts: 396
Dreeko wrote:
Dont you just love it when people ask for things without knowing exactly whats involved.....Once you've conquered all these things i would like a time machine and a pair of hover trousers to get to my work

Psst, Barry...

Just make some gibberish about textures and he'll leave you alone.
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20/09/2010 17:10:33

DreekoMuvizu mogulExperimental user
Dreeko
Posts: 1257
Neil wrote:

Psst, Barry...

Just make some gibberish about textures and he'll leave you alone.


I heard that timeline dodger!
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20/09/2010 17:13:03

NeilExperimental userMuvizu staff
Neil
Posts: 396
Creeped out
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