Lowpo Sagat_work in progress

[Moustache_Animation]

and extra limbs for strobbing effects. Is there a component like a simple FK chain with squash and stretch or should I create my limbs based on lite_chain_01? I just need simple FK chains, no need for IK.

[Moustache_Animation]

Some nice updates today.

I updated my “cleaning pre step” based on Chris example found on the forum.

Something I felt a really strong need for is to clean my materials. I am surprised no one mentionned it. Everytime I build my rig, the materials get duplicated.

I left some lines commented out for now since I don’t really use them,

import os
import mgear.shifter.custom_step as cstp
import pymel.core as pm

######## delete all materials in scene ########
MaterialsInScene = pm.ls(mat=True)
pm.delete ( MaterialsInScene )

######## delete various groups ########
# pm.delete(pm.PyNode('rig'))


### From Chris ########
pm.delete(pm.ls(type='createColorSet'))
pm.delete(pm.ls(type='hyperView'))
allGeo = [mesh.getTransform() for mesh in pm.ls(type='mesh')]
pm.delete(allGeo)
### Delete all tag controllers. They build up the file size over time.
pm.delete(pm.ls(type='controller'))

### Delete all ngSkin nodes. If you delete the rig, they remain and cause large file sizes.
# NOTE: This means that you must not use ngSkin layers in your rig guide!!! You can use them in your built rig, of course.
# pm.delete(pm.ls(type='ngSkinLayerData'))

# These nodes inflate the scene size and cause the scenes to take WAY longer to open.
# (20 seconds instead of 0.9 seconds to open the model files, for example.)

# For some reason, sometimes dagPoses get polluted into the guide scene.
# I *think* it would be safe just to delete all dagNodes, but just in case, I'm only deleting ones who
# are on the buffer controls under controllers_org. Someone might choose to custom rig a hack inside a guide on purpose.
# buffers = pm.PyNode('controllers_org')
# for each in pm.ls(type='dagPose'):
    # check if the transform inputs of the dagPose are the buffer controls.
#    if any([x.hasParent(buffers) for x in each.inputs(type='transform')]):
#        pm.delete(each)

# pm.select(pm.PyNode('guide'))

I also tackled something I wanted to do for a long time. The autoloading of an animation file as soon as the rig builds. The script is built upon the one shared by Toke Stuart Jepsen. I am not sure exactly how I got it to work but the difference is to have the Studio Library animation file in the /data/anim subfolder with a default name. This should allow me to scale to other characters too. For some reason I had to comment out the Paste option.

Pre and Post scripts sharing

Studio Library Importer I was missing a way to import deformation animation when rebuilding. Usage Export your animation with https://www.studiolibrary.com/, name it the same as the maya file and save it next to the maya file you are working with. You can also just copy/rename the folder from an existing library. Now just add the post script to the settings. The script will search the directory of the currently opened maya file, find {maya_filename}.anim folder and apply the animation to …

import os
import pymel.core as pm
import studiolibrary

from studiolibrarymaya import animitem

directory = os.path.dirname(pm.sceneName())

anim_folder = ( directory + '/data/anim/ROM.anim' )

item = ( os.path.join(directory, anim_folder ))
print ( ' item is ' + item )

item = animitem.AnimItem(os.path.join(directory, anim_folder))

print ( item )
item.load(
    objects=[],
    namespaces=[],
#    option=animitem.PasteOption.ReplaceCompletely,
    connect=False,
    currentTime=False
    )

##### Range of motion animation loaded ########
print ( '\n###############         Range of motion animation loaded      ##################\n' )

and finally I converted my Publish script from .mel to Python. What that script does is to save and move a copy of my mGear work file as a publish file after deleting the guides. I should probably also have the procedure export the guides as a separate file… Here is the link to the script from my Github page:

OliveMoustache/Public/blob/master/mightyRigPublish.py

Dam today was supposed to be my long run sunday but I got too excited with this project and just didn’t find the time!!!

Hopefully you will find this interesting.

[Moustache_Animation]

ah and I also started to create a “rig_initialisation” post script:

# My bits and bobs to prepare the rig for animation

# Hide joints
pm.setAttr ( 'rig.jnt_vis', 0 )

# Parent the rig node under Sagat
pm.parent ( 'rig', 'Sagat' )

# Rotation orders
pm.setAttr ( 'head_C0_ctl.rotateOrder', 2 )
pm.setAttr ( 'jaw_C0_ctl.rotateOrder', 5 )
pm.setAttr ( 'neck_C0_ctl.rotateOrder', 2 )
pm.setAttr ( 'COG_C0_ctl.rotateOrder', 2 )
pm.setAttr ( 'hip_C0_ctl.rotateOrder', 3 )

# Set pole vectors to World
pm.setAttr ( 'legUI_L0_ctl.leg_upvref', 2 )
pm.setAttr ( 'legUI_R0_ctl.leg_upvref', 2 )
pm.setAttr ( 'armUI_L0_ctl.arm_upvref', 1 )
pm.setAttr ( 'armUI_L0_ctl.arm_upvref', 1 )

[Moustache_Animation]

Good progress for the day. Using the shoulder_01 and my customised mighty_Neck_01 wasn’t usable in the end as I couldn’t get neck rotation consistent with the rest of the body. After a ton of testing and upgrading to mGear 3.7.11, I finally understood how to go about it simply by using a series of control_01!!

I will open a new thread and post a tutorial to explain.

I also tested the orientation offset method but I couldn’t understand how it worked.

Currently I am stuck with the metas as explained on the following thread.

Meta_01 and fingers, how do they work?

hi guys, I am having a tough time understanding how to correctly use the Meta_01 in conjunction with fingers (lite_chain_01). As you can see in the following demo. The global meta controller ( meta_L0_ctl ) seems to be doing what it should be doing but when manipulating the meta_L0_meta0_ctl, the fingers are not rotating. [metas] Here is my outliner and hierarchy. Is there something I am failling to do? [image] Thanks

And here is what I have left on my plate to call the rig done!

[Moustache_Animation]

Ok so here is where we are now that I have upgraded to mGear 4 and redone the metacarpals using the technique in the thread mentionned in my previous post.

Actually… it is bizarre, it still says mGear 3.7?!? I must be on a different version since the original meta controls are gone.

Other than that, I also modified my setup for the FK neck with space switches following the technique highlighted here :

Simple FK neck and head with space switches

When I started using mGear, I got really confused about space switches and the various theads I found on the forums got me even more confused so it might be time for a new thread that will eventually clarify everything for new mGear users starting with version 4+. As you might remember, last week I was using the shoulder_01 with my mighty_neck_01 component and even recorded a video tutorial for this but ran into a problem as I couldn’t get the orientation to be consistent with the rest of the s…

and managed to rename the “nice name” of the Head host using a post script with the following code, yeah you have to use the addAttr function but in conjunction with the edit flag:

# Rename the Head space switches on the Head host
cmds.addAttr( 'headUI_C0_ctl.control_ikref', e=True, nn='Head space' )

This way it will be more intuitive for the animators.

Unfortunately, the Right Mouse menu still displays “Parent control ik”. From what I read, it is not possible to change this.

And now I am stuck again as this new version of mGear has changed the behavior of the Epic arms so my upper-arms are rotating in an unwanted manner so this will need some tinkering again. grrrrr

That’s annoying as I was really hoping to move to the next milestone

[Moustache_Animation]

Okay, I am finally back to mGear and this project.

After updating to mGear 4.0.9 my issue with the Epic FK arms seems to have been fixed.

Today I was testing the chain_spring_01. It wasn’t part of my original plan but it looked too good not to give it a try. Now I just need to understand how to bake the animation.

LowPo Sagat. mGear's "chain_spring01" component

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We are getting there !!!

LOW PO Sagat customisations

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LowPo Sagat and Black Mamba

Hehe yeah there was a little bit of trickery to get the chain_spring_01 component to react in the viewport

To achieve that, I locked the camera and titles to the root control which I animated in +X and a bit of +Z then to create the variation to simulate the wind, I simply made the “root offset” (global) control vibrate a bit.

I will bake the “simulation” in a next pass and record a tutorial for the process.

LowPo Black Mamba behind the scenes

[Moustache_Animation]

Final render for my rig’s teaser and tribute to everyone’s favourite Jean-Claude Van Damme movie

I am having a lot of fun with this project!