Evolving and learning

Evolution involves screwing up. So does life. I'm a little grumpy that my Gizmo model can't deform (or I just can't get it to deform) as I want it to; the front legs are positioned wrong and the front feet can't rotate around far enough to grip the fridge door top.

So I need to go back and re-work the model. Do the feet at a real neutral pose, not just standing. And figure out how to do this version 1 movie without fur; as much re-working as I'm doing I don't feel like adding the fur to the mix; it can wait till version 2.

Anyway, there it is, time to accept, go back, make it better.

The rigging has been tough; the books say 'think about what you want you rig to do' but until you've gone through with it once or twice, you don't know if you need the spine to be able to stretch. And they don't talk about assigning the skin to the bones, as if it's a snap. Maybe it is and I'm missing it; that'd be cool when I eventually figure it out. The first stab at rigging this one has made me learn a lot, maybe enough to go back to the book and gleam more understanding.

Crawling along

Bit by bit he's getting there (excuse excuse excuse).

Seeing Gizmo in the kitchen, looking forlornly up at the spot the cake will occupy makes me smile.

Yes he's currently floating; I've been doing test rigs but have not yet completed one I feel like posting a pose from.

Gizmo visits the Kitchen for the first time

Here is the Kitchen with Gizmo standing at the fridge. I remembered that checking the scale of the puppy at this point may be easier than after I finish up all the rigging.
On the other hand, the kitchen is NOT very complex compared to Gizmo, so maybe I should keep the rigging I've started and re scale the kitchen later if need be.

Freezer has a door!

woo! Just don't look too close...

Not yet the Kitchen Sink

Here is version 1 of the kitchen. Minus a real fridge with a freezer that opens and stuff that will fall out, (maybe).
And minus a cake.
So where am I on this project?
The puppy Gizmo has, in draft form, a body, a UV map, and a basic skin. A skeleton was made. It maybe crappy... and it hasn't been assigned to the skin. Not that the skin's final, but I haven't done this skin assignment in more than the brief tube with 3 joints tutorial. we'll see....
There's a basic kitchen.
None of it has been put together, which usually takes lots of work. I think.

SO what I'm going to scramble for:

• (While learn facial rigging for idiots from the book)
• do an hour's more touch ups on the gizmo mesh
• import the old skeleton to the new Gizmo body mesh
• Assign skin to skeleton
• Try out that rig
• Try rigging the face
• If the body and face react to the rig well enough for my purposes,
• Skin it, not detailed
  
• ship it to the kitchen.
• try to have a basic opening shot or something, have one bit of animation and camera work done.

I'll be happy with a dog done and just scenery left, as that has required very little learning so far... but we'll see. Other than a 10 page paper in one class and the final in the other this is the only thing left. And this is what will get me a job someday, not systems analysis or security. Hmm....

A model is never done

a few comments/critiques from Tisha

• Back legs not looking legish
• Face and nose more work
• toes good, good definition
• forehead add brow buldge?
• squareish body; back probably ok but tummy and sides needing help
• too high poly
• snout too square,
• build up chin more.

Bolt ears; actually convex things, with fat part toward center and skinny flap towards edge.

TO do list for T break

1. (assuming laptop maya works as well as desktop) Setup kitchen. Keep far wall to 4 pics at this point, can always go more in version 2.
2. Sys paper; the 10 page one I haven't really started yet.
3. Join CG Society and post puppy project in the WIP section. Ask for comments.
4. Join Digital Tutors... maybe. 6 month or so I think. FOCUS.
5. Other homework (Sec, indie study, ect).
6. Draw
7. Enjoy family time.
8. PSU?