Final Animation - Finally!

Here it is! Of course there are still some things I wish I could have finished before I turn it in this afternoon. I would have liked to do some experimenting with fur on the beard and eyebrows. This has been a great learning experience.

And, as for you Publick, this horrible Monarch impression is the price you pay for not replying to my email. This voice could have been yours!

Looped Version Here

Final Animation - Surfacing and Materials

First pass with the new textures. I ran into a little problem with the UVs and got this CRAZY result. It's like The Mighty Monarch on drugs:

I found the problem! I forgot to delete the non-deformer history in the model file, which got referenced through the pipeline, and just wrecked havoc all the way down. When I deleted the history (to fix the problem), I lost my blendshape node.

Don't worry though! I reattached the blend shapes, and the animation I made transferred to the new node, no problem. BUT! I used the old blendshape node to drive the teeth and tongue, and all those driven keys were lost. I did a quick repair, and the teeth are looking a little funky, but it's not bad!

Animation Assignment 12 - Textures

Animation Assignment 11 - Developed Action

Looped Version Here

First pass for eyebrows, eyeballs, and head action.

Animation Assignment 11 - Lip Sync and Animation

Lip sync is looking all right for the first pass. I still have to add eyebrows, head motion, and eye motion to enhance the "acting" in the scene.

Assignment 10 - Clusters

The main clusters for the top half of the head are complete. He can blink, scrunch his eyebrows, and squinch his cheeks. The mesh has also been completely UV mapped. Still a little behind, but ready for to move ahead.

Assignment 10 - Final Audio

"Well, I couldn't do it without my wife, my indomitable genius… and my henchmen. They'll strike if I don't thank them."

Assignment 10 - More Progress

 

Looped Version Here (not recommended) 

The visemes in order of appearance are: 

1. "a/i"
2. "e"
3. "o"
4. "u"
5. "c/d/g/k/n/r/s/th/y/z"
6. "w/q"
7. "m/b/p"
8. "l/d/th"
9. "f/v/d/th"

 The visemes have been built and they're looking... good enough to move on for now. Next step is to place clusters on the face so that the top half can be expressive. I figure the eyes are where most of the acting will be. Don't let me forget those eyebrows!

The looped version is not recommended because although I tried to put a 12 frame handle on the front and back to smooth the loop, this looper cuts off right before that, making it a little jumpy.

Modeling Assignment 10 - In-progress Update

I have completed working models of the basic visemes (according to the Preston Blair sheet in one of the previous posts). I hit a little snafu with the teeth and the tongue, but I think it might just be an issue with the order the input nodes.

consonants above, vowels below

The next step is to have all of these targets refer to an invisible reference face. That face will then be linked to the main face. Why this intermediate step? I planned it this way so that I could weight paint only one face to the main mesh instead of doing it 9 times, because I don't like weight painting. This also makes it easier for me to predict which part of the mesh will be affected by the blend shapes and which will need additional help from clusters.

Modeling Assignment 9

Modeling Assignment 8 - New and... Improved?

Modeling Assignment 7 and Dialog Assignment 7a

Problem Areas: mouth (corners), nostrils, tip of the nose, front plane of the face is a little flat. I think this is a product of the character design (translating from 2D to 3D), but I want to go for a more realistic look.

For the final, I will be remodelling the same character I've been working with, The Monarch.  my plan for the redesign is to:

1. Consult detailed reference, and follow a more complex model of facial geometry to inform the face design.
2. I would like to create a multi layered, complex eyeball.
3. I would like to create the mask, crown, ear-armor, and beard as seperate meshes, so that...
4. Each one can be treated with unique and detailed shader/texture data.
5. The skin will use all the maps specified in the assignment stipulations.
6. The big one I want to focus on is the hair of the beard. I want for it to remain a solid piece if geometry. I would like to use the ray marching techniques we talked about in class to make it look like hair.

As for the dialogue, I would like to present the characters as if his head is being projected on a jumbotron inside his lair. The dialogue will be something like this:

"What makes the Fluttering Horde a head above the rest? My intolerance for insolent questions like that one! Henchmen, ATTACK!"

I've written to Chris McCulloch, the guy who does the voice of the character in the show (don't worry, I'm not holding my breath), and I've looked at some more accessible amateurs on YouTube who do impressions for some help. Wish me luck!

Lighting Assignment 6

Please click "Read More" to see the complete submission:

Light high above the viewpoint

Assignment 5 - "Happy" with Clusters

Looped Version Here

Modeling Assignment 4 - "Happy"

Looped Version Here.

Modeling Assignment 3 - Touchups

The first order of business was addressing problems with the model going into the animation. In its last iteration, I had some unsightly shadows in the naso-labial crease of the face. They appeared to be flipped normals, but with an adjustment to the lighting, they began to calm down:

Modeling Assignment 3 - Complete Deliverables

Final Poly count of re-topologized model (including eyes and teeth):

Faces:  2800
Tris:  5458

UPDATED: Modeling Assignment 3 - Error Report!

EDIT:  You will be able to see in the new post tomorrow that there were still some geometry issues I needed to work out in the beard (also in the nostrils, but you can't see those from here).  It turns out, THAT's what was causing the errors!  I found where stuff wasn't stitched together properly, some planes were intersecting where they shouldn't have been.  As soon as those issues were resolved, this puppy went off like a dream.

You can see the original errors below the jump...

Facial Modeling Assignment 3 - Expressions

Facial Modeling Assignment 2 - Resubmit

I addressed the geometry issues I had originally.  I think this is a much better likeness.

Poly Count:  2322
Tris:  4518

UPDATED: Facial Modeling Assignment 2 - The Monarch AGAIN!

UPDATE:  I've included a poly count and three more images from the project using the Gouraud shading method instead of a geometric smoothing.  They are in between the two.

I didn't feel like I did The Monarch justice last time, so I took another crack at him.  The topology is a little wacky, but I think it's a much better likeness.  I'll have o re-topologize before I begin animating!

Reference:

Facial Modeling Assignment 1 - The Monarch!

Facial Animation Homework

The first assignment for Facial Animation this semester is our Exaggerated Facial Posture Exercise (after the jump):

Eye Roll / Zombie

It's finally finished!

Late to the party, but here you go!