Bone morph dials script

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funksmaname
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Post by funksmaname »

I've been trying to set up a direction toggle... could you please explain how to set this type of control/button up? got confused by your demo file with so many balls! :P :oops:

Thanks man
Rudiger
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Post by Rudiger »

funksmaname wrote:I've been trying to set up a direction toggle... could you please explain how to set this type of control/button up? got confused by your demo file with so many balls! :P :oops:

Thanks man
I guess I should explain that some of the features that Funk is talking about are only in the development version that I have not yet released publicly :oops:.
Rudiger
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Post by Rudiger »

Rudiger wrote:
funksmaname wrote:is there a way for the embedded script to work on all child layers? I have a head group with 5 layers which currently need embedding of scripts - will that effect performance?
I think it would be possible now for an embedded script to also affect it's children. There might be a performance hit with embedding the script in the children manually as the weights would be calculated from the MorphDials layer for each individual child.
To clarify, if you are mainly using the bake button tools, the baking automatically recurses across all children layers and you don't actually need to use the embedded scripts at all. Just make sure realtime morph blending is disabled in the MorphDial options dialog as well.
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funksmaname
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Post by funksmaname »

oh! and sorry :oops: lost track of what version is where/what :P

Is there a way to include the control of switch layer selection? that way you could easily create a full 360 rig ;)
Rudiger
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Post by Rudiger »

funksmaname wrote:oh! and sorry :oops: lost track of what version is where/what :P

Is there a way to include the control of switch layer selection? that way you could easily create a full 360 rig ;)
With the rewritten version it should be very easy to add new channels. There's also a new "Wheel" type morph type that lets you cycle through different morphs based on the angle of a single bone, which might be useful for controlling switch layers.
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funksmaname
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Post by funksmaname »

that sounds AWESOME!
can't wait :)
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Brooke
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This script is ACE :)

Post by Brooke »

Okay I was gonna PM Rudiger but I dont want him/her to think I'm some kind of odd ball :)

I just want to say this script is amazing - I have been playing around with it today.... blown away by it. I also really appreciate that you have not only created this but shared it with all of us.....and freely...and offer support !!! which brings me on to ask whether you have some kind of place where those of us that want to can donate via paypal etc....believe me I'm not rich :) but I wouldn't mind donating what I can afford, personally I dont know why ASP8 didnt buy this script off you and include it as a standard feature or at least a plugin.

I am overjoyed with this little gem! It makes the motion so smooth :) I am so glad I converted to ASP

I also want to say a big thanks to funksaname for his insightful video tutorials. All of this has been really helpful - I'm really appreciating how supportive the Anime Forum is.

When I used Flash I just plodded along with trial and error, created my own work arounds, encountered problems that nobody had answers to etc, which is so laboured, but here I have found there has been a post already created or answering near enough any issue I have had so far :)

Right now I'm working on a animation piece that will utilise morphdials - this is gonna help in taking less time and creating a wide range of smooth realistic expressions - Thanks a lot :)
Brooke
Rudiger
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Post by Rudiger »

Hi Brooke,

Thanks so much for your kind words and I'm really glad you like the script :)! I'm actually working on it right now, making it leaner and meaner, and maybe even a bit faster, so any encouragement is greatly appreciated :). If you did want to make a donation, my PayPal is alexical at internode dot on dot net.

I would love it ASP came standard with MorphDials! It has the potential to be so much faster if it was implemented in the code rather that with scripting as it is now. I would even be happy if they could just incorporate some of the elements from MorphDials into the existing Blend Morphs feature, such as differential blending and making it keyframable.

Also, good luck with your animation project. I am always excited to see new work that is created with the help of my script.
Shepard
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Post by Shepard »

Wow Rudiger, that's incredible!!

It's very easy and customizable, incredible, it's the truth!

I hint also theese tutorials: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p ... 603F7138BB

of the friend funksmaname, great!

However, I have only a question: how to do the head turn?

Like the left and right pose in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oJcqAxb ... BB&index=3

For example, in the right pose, the left eye turns and hides, while the nose is covered in half.
This is a GREAT RESULT! The perfect head turn, for my point of view..but, I can't do this.
I think that concern the layer of the mask, but I mask levels I haven't understood neither in photoshop! :D

Ultimately how I can do this animation? There's a tutorial somewhere?

Thanks.
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funksmaname
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Post by funksmaname »

Hi Shephard,
If you use masking then when you turn to left or right you can just move the eye off the face and it looks like it wraps around. This can also work with Selgins 'new improved head turn technique' (viewtopic.php?t=15846) but it complicates things. For now try simple masking as Rudiger does in his example.

If you get Ramons lost layer tool, you can easily see what masking settings each layer has at the top...
Rudiger
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Post by Rudiger »

Hi Sheppard,

Glad you like the effect I was able to achieve with the script. It's actually dead simple. The head is actually split into 2 layers; the first contains the head and the nose, and the second contains the eyes and mouth. The first is then used to mask the second, so parts of the eyes or mouth that are outside the head are always hidden.

Good luck creating your own head turns with this technique! I'll be looking forward to seeing what you come up with!
Shepard
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Post by Shepard »

Rudiger wrote: It's actually dead simple.
Sorry but I'm not english... the script is dead? You don't upgrade and follow it in future?
funksmaname wrote:For now try simple masking as Rudiger does in his example.

If you get Ramons lost layer tool, you can easily see what masking settings each layer has at the top...
I can't do this, but today I will try again. The Rudiger's explanation is good: I thought that the mask layer containing only the nose, but now I know that containing also the head.

I can now try again, thanks. And thanks for the hint of Ramons lost layer tool. But, where I can download it? Googling not produces right results.
Rudiger
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Post by Rudiger »

Shepard wrote:
Rudiger wrote: It's actually dead simple.
Sorry but I'm not english... the script is dead? You don't upgrade and follow it in future?
Hehe, that's funny :D, but not true I hope! In English, when you say something is dead-simple, it just means very simple. Speaking about updates, I have a development version that I've been working on for a few years, and just rewrote it recently. I hope to include some of the improvements that it has in the release version soon.
Shepard
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Location: Italia

Post by Shepard »

Well, I learned another thing :D

dead-simple=very simple :D

Ok, ok.

Yesterday, I was thinking about a problem: I downloaded South Park's characters, and theese use the switch method to animate all parts of body.

Morph Dials can controls switch?

Example: I have an arm switch, with different arm layers.
If I want to associate this switch to Morph Dials method, with bones, can I do this?
Bones must be associated to layers or switch, not to actions...

I ask this, because for animate an head the Morph Dials is great, but for other animations is too complicate, because I must be move single point of a layer (like an arm) to do an action..
Instead, with switch method, I can draw.
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funksmaname
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Post by funksmaname »

as far as I know, morph dials don't currently support switch layers - but you could create actions for putting down keys in the visibility of a layer. That would probably just complicate matters though!

Use morphdials for the face, and do the rest the old way :)
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