Project: Tv 3D animated opener with motion graphics - (2D concept art inside)

[Rayx1]

So I'm making a 3D project for university (a tv program opener) here in Spain we call it Final Course Project (I don't know the translation in english) it's a 3D project with motion graphics and some characters running from here to there, I was hoping to get help to my questions as I keep this topic dated with art, drawings and 3d models. Right now I'm having ready the art style of both characters and background which is a very important part of the job. (I've done some works before in Maya so I'm concerned about everything this programs offer but I just need help in some areas)

Argument: Three characters representative of music, film and videogames move along a breaking apart environment of falling crystals.
Graphic Style: I'm trying to give all a Cartoon Shader by now, I'm inspired on the graffiti style, cartoon and anime.

PacSkater
http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs70/i/20...m1-d4ld7n8.jpg
BeatBoxGirl
http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs70/i/20...m1-d4l9etm.png
CornRunner (not final version)


QUESTIONS****************************************************

Question 1: The characters are planned to move along a breaking apart enviorment of cristals but I never tried such a think, I was hopping that someone could tell me about any related tutorials, tricks or whatever


Question 2: As you can see in some cases the characters have elastic limbs and no knees, this is just because I want to do an elastic animation (jelly style when characters move) but I know this is hard to do so I'm opened to any suggestions.
-I'm thinking about adding lots of bones to the arms and legs in order to make elasticity possible but I'm discarding this couse I know rigging will be hell of a nightmare then.
-Maybe with softbodies added to the elbows and knees I could give that jelly style when moving.

Question 3: I'm sure gonna use deformers couse they give great results on making 3D a little bit more cartoonize, know about any tutorials?

Questions 4: Don't know If I'm gonna add some liquid materials as floating color water (something like lava), any tutorials?

*******************************************
By now this are general questions but in the future sure I'm gonna have some concrete issues for sure, I'll be looking for all that kind of stuff I'm saying up there but if someone knows about any great related tutorial that changed his/her life just make me know please I'm in need. (This project will last until March)
THANKS --------- >I'll try to share everything I can if I have time but my priority is having the job done.
*******************************************
Here it is, enjoy !!!

[kcarp]

Hi Rayx1,

I like your art work.

You probably want to look at the Digital Tutors course,
Cartoon Character Rigging in Maya and more specifically Lesson 30 Adding a Stretchy Arm Feature.

There are several courses based on the cartoon night watchman. It will be a goal of mine to learn from them all later this year.

I hope others will give you good help with your questions.

Ken

[Rayx1]

Hi Rayx1,
I like your art work.

You probably want to look at the Digital Tutors course,
Cartoon Character Rigging in Maya and more specifically Lesson 30 Adding a Stretchy Arm Feature.

There are several courses based on the cartoon night watchman. It will be a goal of mine to learn from them all later this year.

I hope others will give you good help with your questions.

Ken

Thanks a lot .Yes! I have those tutorials on my list ready to watch but I'll be focused on lesson 30 as you mention, thanks for the tips.

[Rayx1]

Basic modelling in Zbrush, started cleaning the mesh in Maya for further animation.

[Rayx1]

Hi people, gotta problem, my merge vertex tool is not working properly (on Maya 2012), I mean, I pick up two meshes and then combine them, after that If I want to merge vertex from both sides I have to do it pair by pair, I tried shifting some merge vertex options but nothing happens. Is strange couse previously I could have done more than one vertex at the same time but now the program won't let me do it.

[Rayx1]

Work in progress:
PacSkater:

CornRunner, here you can see a long arm, that's because it's gonna be able to throw it while doing parkour.

I got some minor issues that i don't understand, one face shows black when showing hard edges, any suggestion about this?

[Rayx1]

Beatbox girl (it's not definitively, I'm changing hands legs and have to shape the head leaving place for the eye).

[Rayx1]

[timeRemapper]

I got some minor issues that i don't understand, one face shows black when showing hard edges, any suggestion about this?
[/QUOTE]

Looks like you might need to reverse the normal on that face. You could select the face, and reverse it, or select all your faces, and conform (reversing if needed).

[Rayx1]

I erased the face and created a new one with the "Append to polygon tool" (it works!) I tried doing what you said but didn't solve it (tried to assign a new material too which sometimes solves this kind of issues) but thanks a lot for replying anyway ; )

[Rayx1]

Woooooops! Looks that is back!

[Rayx1]

Making a speaker look sexy is not an easy task:

I'll change a lot of things but just wanted to look her with clothes to see what it looks like and if I was going on the right direction.

[Rayx1]

HI PEOPLE, just asking myself, once I have a deformer ready to go on a mesh what can I do to get rid of it and keep my resulting mesh?


By the way, any good tutorial on shading and making a model look cartoonize style? Like the characters in Team Fortress I mean.

[bastardo]

select the old mesh edit>delete by type>history and then delete the old mesh

google toon shader for maya

[Rayx1]

select the old mesh edit>delete by type>history and then delete the old mesh

google toon shader for maya

Thanks! I tried everything but none did work, I tried even exporting the jacket as .OBJ and importing but doesn't work, I just erased those faces out. Anyways, here you got the link if someone wants to take it a look and look for a solution for those black faces I would be very pleased couse I don't know what's happening.
http://www.mediafire.com/?w88mdwcot3187mh

I'm trying out cartoon shaders! Looks great thanks! But I was hoping to use a texture and shading at the same time and I think cartoon shader does not allow that, at least I don't know the way.