skeleton picture reference to create a rig for a character:
Using advanced skeleton I have built a skeleton
position the joints according to the model following the topology of the model itself and also anatomy of the human skeleton
Once the joints were in place I have built the skeleton structure for the rig using advanced skeleton settings
I after binded the skin of the geometry to the joints using the following settings:
In order to help the skinning process, I have imported some animations to apply on the rig to better maintain the volumes when doing specific actions
There are several methods to skin a human model, I have started from the fingers all the way down the feet. I will only work on the right side on the model since after I will mirror the paint weight on the other side of the model.
I have used the animations imported to adjust the skin weight and maintain the volume of the model when bending in determined ways. The main tools for skin weight are the value and the opacity of the brush used for painting where the white areas are those affected by the selected joint.
The areas that needed to be skin weighted the most were the shoulders even though since that the character is positioned in a v pose rather than a t pose so the bind skin for them would be more accurate but still needs to be edited. Also the back needed to be more graded out since the way it bent was unnatural at first.
Once the skin weight on one side were corrected I mirrored them on the other side.
In the end I have deleted the keyframes for the imported animation and I have created my own poses using some references that I have found based on the punisher character. The way I have created the pose is the following: always used hierarchies of controls (e.g. starting from the root control moving all the way up to the fingers and from the root control all the way down to the feet). I also took in consideration the balance on the body when positioned in a certain position and the line of action.
Notes on additional reading:
Jaw Joint Placement & Motion (https://imgur.com/bYO0I3s):
- All ‘virtual’ joints that we place are based on virtual anatomical surface landmarks.
- For the jaw of a human(oid) this pivot is under the earlobe when viewed from the side. The jaw/mandible slides forward as the mouth opens and the mandible/jaw slide forward as the mouth opens.
This instead is a table to use a s reference when modelling eyes and teeth of a character
Rigging Dojo Anatomy for 3D Artists (https://vimeo.com/16075544):
basic approach to anatomy for rigging-
- the human body can fit the geometry of a square and a circle (Leonardo Da Vinci reference picture): each rigger/modeller has to have a basic knowledge of anatomy so that he or she can apply this knowledge to the specific needs of their characters.
- the human body can fit the geometry of a square and a circle (Leonardo Da Vinci reference picture): each rigger/modeller has to have a basic knowledge of anatomy so that he or she can apply this knowledge to the specific needs of their characters.
- The primal pivot of the head is at the bottom of the cranium which coincides with the bottom of the nose. Many movements originate from there without involving the neck;
- 50% angle of some of the head movements do not involve the neck and when they surpass this percentage the neck is engaged in these movements.
- the ribcage range movements: upper ribs little movement and the lower ribs cage do have a little movement.
- There is not much space between the ribcage and the pelvis
- when the leg is straight the leg rotates from the hip, when the knee bends this rotation involves the knee
- The patellar tendon attaches the bottom of the kneecap (patella) to the top of the shinbone (tibia). It allows the knee to fall down when it bends.
- A lateral rotation occurs when the inferior pole is directed toward the lateral side of the knee, while a medial rotation occurs when the inferior pole is directed medially. This rotational position may indicate underlying torsion of the tibia such as lateral tibial torsion. So, the foot and the kneecap are not aligned.