Animation procedure and tools: Biped in-depth
The technique I have chosen to animate my character in 3D Studio Max is the Biped. This is available in the Systems tab of Max. It is placed inside the character model:
The individual elements of the Biped can be moved to fit the mesh, and the entire Biped can be moved inside the character by selecting the diamond in the pelvis. The next step is to attach the Biped to the character by applying a Physique modifier to the character and attaching it to the Bip01 node (the diamond).
Of course, by default the bones will not affect the mesh much. This is where Influence Envelopes come in:
These envelopes can be scaled around the mesh so each bone affects the correct area. The movement can either be set to Deformable (ideal for main body bones) so the mesh deforms when the bones move, or Rigid - which is better for use on the head as it will not twist the face when the head turns.
Common problems which can occur are tearing of the mesh when the bones move the mesh beyond a certain point and vertices begin to overlap (as seen in the entry on the Bear's initial walk cycle). This can be fixed by being careful with which sections are moved. Overall, the Biped is very useful for moving arms and legs.
As mentioned in the first entry of the blog, the Biped comes with a ready to use walking cycle. This is what I have used to make Ernie walk:
Unfortunately, this system is not without its problems. The character's arms tend to stay by its side and mesh tearing can still occur. However, I believe creating a perfect custom walk cycle would not add any expression or characterisation - as the walk movement is simply used to advance the plot as the character moves between locations. So I have focused my attention on the other body movements. The mesh tearing that occurs can be "hidden" by use of camera angles without disrupting the purpose of the walking scenes.
The individual elements of the Biped can be moved to fit the mesh, and the entire Biped can be moved inside the character by selecting the diamond in the pelvis. The next step is to attach the Biped to the character by applying a Physique modifier to the character and attaching it to the Bip01 node (the diamond).
Of course, by default the bones will not affect the mesh much. This is where Influence Envelopes come in:
These envelopes can be scaled around the mesh so each bone affects the correct area. The movement can either be set to Deformable (ideal for main body bones) so the mesh deforms when the bones move, or Rigid - which is better for use on the head as it will not twist the face when the head turns.
Common problems which can occur are tearing of the mesh when the bones move the mesh beyond a certain point and vertices begin to overlap (as seen in the entry on the Bear's initial walk cycle). This can be fixed by being careful with which sections are moved. Overall, the Biped is very useful for moving arms and legs.
As mentioned in the first entry of the blog, the Biped comes with a ready to use walking cycle. This is what I have used to make Ernie walk:
Unfortunately, this system is not without its problems. The character's arms tend to stay by its side and mesh tearing can still occur. However, I believe creating a perfect custom walk cycle would not add any expression or characterisation - as the walk movement is simply used to advance the plot as the character moves between locations. So I have focused my attention on the other body movements. The mesh tearing that occurs can be "hidden" by use of camera angles without disrupting the purpose of the walking scenes.
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