Animation Techniques

In order, to create the final animation, the main techniques used will be

• Biped footstep animation
• The slice modifier
• Basic keyframing using autokey
• Path constraints (mainly for cameras)

Other techniques will be included as and when they are needed.

An example of the slice modifier and a path constraint can be found below. Both the 'old' and 'new' guildhall models were in the scene, and both had their own slice modifier. The old guildhall began with the modifier hiding nothing and as the animation progressed, hiding it in one sweep until it was invisible. The new guildhall began with everything hidden and worked in reverse, with the building being revealed until it replaced the other model. By timing the slice modifiers closely, the following effect was achieved.

The camera target remained stationary while the camera itself rotated along a circle spline using path constraints. A mental ray area light was also linked to the camera so it rotated at the same time, providing a 360 degree light source.

More Guildhall!

With both the pre and post renovation models of the guildhall complete and half-furnished, animation can begin. The two other members of the group, Polly and Kat, have models that will be merged into this file to add more objects inside and around the building.

Pre-Renovation Guildhall

• A dirtier texture was used on the walls. 
• The doors, windows, interior walls and stairwells match the blueprints.
• There are two chimneys.
• The roof is flat against the side walls.
• There is little to no furnishings inside.

Post-Renovation Guildhall

• The walls are now a cleaner white to give a newer effect.
• The doors, windows, interior walls and stairwells have been changed to match the proposed blueprints.
• One chimney has been removed.
• The roof now has the indentation shown in the proposed drawings.
• The building has been filled with bookcases, computer desks, display cases etc.

Windy Flag

In continuation of exploring the cloth modifier, I decided to create a flag that reacts to the wind and hope to use it in the Finchingfield animation to add some different techniques in there.

Rather simply, it is a Union Jack bitmap applied to a plane with about 50 x 50 faces and a cylinder (the more faces, the better the cloth simulation). Both objects are selected, and a cloth modifier is applied to them. The pole is made to a collision object and the plane is made to the 'default' cloth setting.

On the little + sign next to the cloth modifier, group was selected. The column of vertices on the flag closest to the pole were selected. Clicking 'make group' added them as a selection to the box further down in the parameters. 'Sim Node' was then clicked and the flag was then attached to the pole by selecting the cylinder as the node. By clicking simulate local, the flag flops limply downward but is attached the the pole nonetheless. Ctrl+z to put the flag back as it was.

Next, adding a 'wind' space warp and pointing it in the direction of the flag nearly completes this little animation.

Going back to the cloth modifier, and clicking 'cloth forces', I then moved the newly added wind space warp to the box on the right, making it active.

Clicking simulate then creates the animation and then it is ready to render:

I feel all patriotic.

Hanging Cloaks

Firstly, the cloaks are going to need something to hang from. Simple box modelling and one turbosmooth later...

As for the cloak, I initially started with a plane, but then realised creating the hood shape at the top would be difficult. Instead, I started with a sphere and removed the front and bottom faces, then scaled it to be taller. The lowest edges were then scaled out and eventually pulled down.

After a few miutes moving new edges around and making use of soft selection, I created this rough shape of a cloak.

I then positioned it like so over the hook ready for the cloth simulation. In order for the simulation to be effective, I increased the amount of faces by applying a turbosmooth to the cloak.

I then selected both the hook and the cloak, and applied a cloth modifier to them both simultaneously. In the parameters of the modifier, I then made the hook a collision object (and increased the friction and static so the cloak would cling to it better rather than sliding off or clipping through it) and the cloak into a 'satin' cloth object. Satin was just one of many premade cloth types available from the dropdown menu. It took a bit of trial and error to settle on satin. Others such as rubber made the cloak stretch ridiculously out of shape, and anything heavy clipped straight through the hook and fell into oblivion.

The result is...less than spectacular, but it is a quick method of creating a background object to liven the place up a bit. Using the cloth modifier is new to me, but was quite easy to get the hang of. In my next post I will be using it again.

Building more objects...

Some more use of the UVW Map modifier; the Finchingfield signpost, two plaques and a deed.

Below are 3 books written by Dodie Smith (a notable author from Finchingfield) placed in one of the display cases I built earlier.

Character Modelling and Animation

To make the character for the group animation, I will adapt my 3D head and continue developing it to create a body. Extruding edges out from the neck and then adjusting vertices is how I created the upper body.

The edges are then taken down just below the pectoral area and flattened out. To create a hole for the arms to be added later, the vertices at the armpit are welded together.

The ring of edges at the bottom of the model is then extruded further down to the groin.

A loop going between the legs is made and welded to the other side to leave holes for legs.

The arms are then built in the same way as before. The edges are extruded several times and shaped appropriately. Using cuts and swiftloops, extra faces are created so fingers can be extruded on the hands.

The same is done with the legs which then completes a basic body to go with the head built earlier.

To make clothes, I selected all of the faces needed for each piece of clothing. For example, the trousers need all of the faces between the hips and ankles. These faces are then detached and scaled up a bit on the x and y axes. I then re-attached them, and bridged the gaps between the clothing and the body around the waist and ankles.

The same was then done for shoes and a shirt.

A multi sub-object material was then applied to the model to separate the skin and clothing.

I then raised the arms, making the body into the 'T' position before applying the biped to make it a bit easier.

The biped was then created and sized appropriately. The physique modifier was added to the model, and the biped was initialised. After a little trial and error adjusting the envelopes, the model was successfully rigged and ready for animation later.

For now, the model has no hair and no proper materials. Depending on time restrictions, this may be how the character is in the final animation. If there is time, I would like to apply better materials before beginning any animations.

Guildhall Interior

It looks a bit of a mess here, but these are all the components of the bathrooms that will be on the 1st floor of the Guildhall. Toilets, sinks, radiators, hand-dryers, surfaces and cubicles are all here. All have been modelled from a box and have been extruded, scaled and 'swift-looped'.

Similar methods were used to created a basic kitchen for the first floor.

For the ground floor library, a bookcase, some display cases and a computer set have been built. These objects can be cloned and used in various rooms throughout the guildhall.

And finally, some basic gravestones were made and can be cloned throughout the churchyard to the back of the Guildhall.

When the Guildhall is complete, all that remains to be done is to place all of the furnishings inside, create the surrounding area of Finchingfield (simplistically) and adapt the Guildlhall model to create the Guildhall as it is now, before renovations. Then the animation can begin which hopefully won't take too long.