Animation



An Introduction to Rigging in DUIK Bassel

Creating the Artwork

[pic]

Approaches for creating characters for a film are to either create a Master rig – i.e. create a rig in a neutral position that can be used in each shot. OR a rig for different shots – i.e. a new drawing is created for each shot in the pose that is needed for that shot.

Importing the artwork

Bring in .psd/.ai = double click in project window (OR – File – Import) = Import As = Composition- retain layers. Layer Options = Merge Layer Styles.

Setup = pre-comp any replacements such as - mouths, eyes, hands, feet into one per-comp layer.

Tip: You can create AE Shape Layers from Illustrator vector layers in After effects by selecting layers – Layer – Create Shapes from Vector Layer.

NB: to import an After Effects comp into another AE file = Open the file with the comp you want to export. File – Dependencies – Collect Files. In the Collect Files box = Collect Source Files – For Selected Comps – check Reduce Project – click Collect – give it a name.

Open the file you want to Import comp into. = File – import – File – select the AE project you saved out.

A. Character Rigging in After Effects using Duik Bassel for Jointed Limbs

DUIK Overview

1 = Create Structures (skeleton)

2 = Align Structures to layers

3 = Parent the artwork layers to the Structures

4 = Create the animation rig with DUIK Autorig

5 = Customise your rig

6 = Animate your rigged character

A1. Create the DUIK Structures – these will drive the layers and act like a skeleton.

Open DUIK = Windows – DUIK Bassel

Click on the Settings (spanner) and Standard under User Interface and click Apply.

[pic]

Click the Structure tab – and Hominoid to create a skeleton. Give DUIK a minute to create the Structure rig. NB: to edit the size of the Structure skeleton = under the Structures tab click Select Structures – click Edit – click to change the Size. The Structure layers start with S

[pic]

A2. Align the Structures to the Artwork Layers

NB: it is useful at this stage to change the colours of the layers to make it easier to see the different limbs in the timeline – eg. Right Leg layers colour blue, Left Leg Layers colour green. AND to move the layers around so the structure layers are next to the corresponding artwork.

NB: DUIK doesn’t use Left and Right suffix but a 2 instead – eg. Arm (for characters right arm, and Arm 2 (for characters left arm).

[pic]

[pic] [pic]

Leg Structure Spine and Head Structure

A3. Parent the artwork to the Structure – this allows the structure to drive the layers.

Hide and Shy Guy all the Marker Layers. Using the Parent Whip link the artwork layers to the corresponding Structure Layer.

E.g. The arms = R_Upper_Arm to S | Arm 2

R_Forearm to S | Forearm 2

R_Hand to S | Hand 2

E.g. The legs = R_Thigh to S | Thigh 2

R_Calf to S| Calf

R_Foot to S | Foot 2

R_Toes to S | Toes 2

E.g. The spine, neck and head = Belly to S|Spine

Pelvis to S|Hips

Chest to S|Spine 2

Neck to S|Neck

Head to S|Head

At the end of this process you should have all the artwork linked to it’s corresponding joint/structure.

A4. Creating the rig with AutoRig

[pic]

Your rig will look like this. [pic]

A5. Customise your rig

When you click on each of these controls you will see options in the Effects Controls tab, you have a few options in here to customise your Control.

• You can change the direction of the elbow and Calf by changing to Clockwise.

• You might want to change the colours of the controls to make it easier to see which is which – eg a different colour for left and right. (You might also want to colour code the layers too so they match the controllers.)

• You may also want to move your Control Icons away from your artwork so you can see your artwork properly. To do this select the controller and in Effects Controls adjust the Icon Position. NB: this does not change the pivot point position, just the icon.

• You may also want to turn down the opacity so they are more subtle.

• Turn off Display at the bottom as this will slow the file down.

• Test the arms and hands to check they are bending in the correct direction – if not check Reverse under the IK tab.

• Spine controllers = move C Head over to the back. C Shoulders and Neck – move down so that they aren’t in the way of the face. C Spine Curve = turn off Draw guides, change size. C | Spine Root does not need to be used for controlling/animating the rig so Lock the layer, turn the visibility off on that layer, and Shy Guy it. C Body controls the whole upper body so move this over to the back of the character, change size and colour if you wish. C Hip = move to over pelvis, change size, colour etc.

Now you can hide the Structures = DUIK tab Select Structures – Show/hide

Now SHY GUY and LOCK all layers except for the Controllers as these are the only ones you will animate with.

Your rig should now look a bit like this…

[pic]

Now ZERO the position values on the controllers (so you can put your character back to default position easily) = Select controller - Go to DUIK Links and Constraints tab – click Add Zero = the position values on the controller layer should now read 0.0, 0.0 but the location in your scene stays the same. The way this works is that DUIK has made a NULL object and linked the Controller to this Null, the Null object will be hidden with the shy. Do this to all visible controllers.

You can also change the name of the controllers if you wish (ie. Adding left or right prefix/suffix).

A6. Animating the Rig

C|Head = can animate rotation

C|Shoulders & Neck = can animate rotation and position

C|Spine Curve = can animate position

C|Body = can animate rotation and position

C|Hands = can animate rotation and position. In Effects Controls can also turn on/off stretch, IK/FK

C|Foot = can animate rotation and position. AND for animating the foot when the foot is on the ground = in Effects Controls - Foot Roll = Toes, Tiptoe, Heel & Foot Roll. Can also turn on/off stretch, IK/FK.

Before you add any animation to your rig it’s a good idea to make a copy/duplicate of your rigged composition first = select the comp in Project Window and Ctrl d. Re-name this comp with _NO ANIMATION suffix.

Procedural Walk = a good way to check your rig using the procedural walk cycle = select all controllers and click Automation tab in DUIK – Walk Cycle. If you select the C Walk Cycle controller you can change the parameters in the Effects Control tab. NB: If you want to turn this off and animate with it you will need to put the Hands Controllers back to IK = select hand controller – Effects Controls – IK – check Enabled

B. Rigging a Character with DUIK and Puppet Pins for Bendy Limbs

NB: The artwork for each arm and leg will need to be one layer (have the hand and/or foot as a separate layer if you want to use replacements). If your artwork is set up as separate layers ie. forearm, upper-arm, hand, you can pre-compose these layers. Also pre-compose the pelvis, chest, belly and neck. Leave the head as it is.

Make sure these layers are named correctly = Arm R, Arm L, Body, Leg R, Leg L, Head.

NB: for the sake of this tutorial we will assume the feet and hands are part of the leg and arm layers.

[pic]

NB: in AE 2018 and later the puppet pin will be set to advanced. If using 2018 change this back to Legacy = Under the Puppet Layer – Puppet Engine – Advanced/Legacy. This is because the Advanced engine is buggy!

[pic]

[pic]

C. Apply the Structures in the same way as A1 – A6 –

• Create structure

• Move the structures to the correct place on the artwork layers, using the bones as the point to snap to for each joint.

D. Parent to the Structures - BUT this time parent the bones, NOT the artwork, to the Structures. NB: apart from any separate layers that don’t have puppet pins i.e. the head – these will need to be parented to the structure in the usual was in A.

You can at this stage select the Bones and hide & shy them as you do not need to see them now.

E. Select all Structures and run the Auto-Rig.

F. Hide and lock all the Structures and the C | Spine Root controller.

G. Customise the controllers.

H. Animate you character.

Bendy limbs with walk cycle [pic]

To Swap Artwork After Rigging

Import the artwork in the same way – import – as composition – retain layer sizes.

Have the new artwork layers visible in the project window – drag the corresponding layers over the artwork layers in the rigged comp clicking ALT as you drag each layer over.

Facial Animation

1. Create your replacement artwork in Photoshop in Folders – If they are in folders it AE will import them in as compositions. Import artwork in the usual way.

2. In AE in the composition make sure that each replacement is only visible for 1 frame each = use the {} to chop replacements to 1 frame each.

3. Spread the frames out so only one is visible at a time - Shortcut = select frames – Animation – Keyframe Assistant – Sequence Layers.

4. Shorten the length of the comp to only those frames. (make work area the correct length – Keypad n. Right Click – trim length to work area).

5. In the Main comp turn on time re-mapping – right click – enable time remapping.

6. Add keyframes and in time remapping choose which frame of that comp you want to be visible (i.e. which replacement).

7. Select the frames and right click – Hold Keyframes.

Setting up sliders = Select Layer with replacements i.e mouth – Effects – Expression Control – Slider Control. Add time remapping to the same layer = right click – enable time remapping. Holding Alt click on the stop watch next to time re-mapping to add an expression. NB: when you see red numbers it means the property has an expression added. Drag the quick whip from time -remapping onto the Slider in the Effects Controls window. In the expression for the Time re-map layer and make these changes to the expression =

a=effect(SliderControl”)(“Slider”)

framesToTime(a)

NB: The slider value needs to match the number of mouth shapes = right click on slider – Value – Slider Range to: (type in number of mouth shapes)

Set your first keyframe – right click – choose Toggle Hold Keyframe. Animate your slider.

Head Turns = pre-compose the head. Animate the head in pre-comp to turn (you can do this by a combination of replacement layers, scaling, adjusting vector paths), in the main composition turn on time remapping, add keyframe and turn to hold keyframe, animate the frame of head pre-comp you want to have visible in main comp. Additional animation such as lip-syncing or eye blinks will ned to be done in the same way and linked to the head in the main comp.



















-----------------------

You will need to create a .psd or .ai file of your character with the different body parts/limbs on different layers. Think about how your character needs to move? Do you want your character to have bendy/rubber hose arms and legs, or jointed limbs? If you are having jointed limbs it is useful to create markers or guides that ensure the pivot points are in the centre of the bend Do they have clothing or hair that needs to be animated too? If so then these parts will need to be on separate layers.

This is the same for faces – so if you want your character to blink and have different mouth shapes these need to be on separate layers. If you are using Photoshop folders, these folders will be imported as Comps. This is useful for things such as mouth shapes, which you will need to create as separate layers, and will need to be comps in AE.

It is important that you name your layers sensibly, so you can easily navigate and rig in AE.

1. Align the Arm Structures = Move the structure layers to match the artwork = Using the solo tab solo the arm structure and the arm markers. Hold Ctrl key to toggle snapping and move S | Arm 2 to the centre of the shoulder marker ensuring the rest of the arm is following (you may need to start moving the joint first and then hold down Ctrl. Then do the same for the elbow joint to the centre of elbow marker, the hand to the wrist etc. The S | Arm Tip 2 needs to go at the tip of the hand.

3. Align the Spine and Head Structures = Solo the Head and Neck artwork and the Chest and Pelvis Markers.

The hips will control the pelvis but also the tops of the legs. First select the hips joint and snap it to the centre of the Pelvis_Marker (this is to centre the spine hierarchy). Then holding Shift drag it down to between the thigh joints. Then snap the other joints = S|Spine – Pelvis_Marker, S|Spine02 – Chest_Marker, S|Neck – Neck_Marker, S|Head – Head_Marker and S|Spine Tip – near top of the head artwork (doesn’t need to be exact).

2. Align the Leg Structures = When it comes to doing the legs = the toe tip joint should go at the very tip of the toe, and the heel joint at the very tip of the heel where it touches the ground.

NB: when you have finished this stage make a duplicate of your composition = Select comp in Project Window – Ctrl D – Rename that copied comp with _Bendy Limbs suffix.

Next select ALL the Structure layers = to do this click Select Structures button in DUIK UI. Then click on Links and Constraints Tab - click Auto Rig & IK. DUIK will build the CONTROLLERS.

Now you should see a whole bunch of Controllers at the top of your list (they all start with C).

NB: you might want to solo each limb and structures to make it easier to see.

B1. Select the layer Arm R – using the AE Puppet Pin place a pin at each joint, starting at the TOP of the hierarchy = Arm, Forearm, Hand and Tip. In the pin layer change puppet engine to Legacy.

B2. Re-name the pins = Arm, Forearm, Hand, Tip. (make sure you add the 2 suffix if it’s needed)

B3. Select all the pins for that layer – in DUIK UI click - Links and Constraints tab - Add Bones.

The bones have a prefix B|

B4. Repeat steps 1, 2 & 3 for the other arm. (make sure you add the 2 suffix if it’s needed)

B5. Select the layer Leg R – using the AE Puppet Pin place a pin at each joint, starting at the

TOP of the hierarchy = Thigh, Calf, Foot, Toes, Tip. Change puppet engine to Legacy.

B6. Re-name the pins = Thigh, Calf, Foot, Toes, Tip. (make sure you add the 2 suffix if it’s needed)

B7. Select all the pins for that layer – click the - Add Bones button in DUIK

B8. Repeat steps 5, 6 & 7 for the other leg (make sure you add the 2 suffix if needed).

B9. Select the layer Body – using the AE Puppet Pin place a pin at each point that you want your characters spine to pivot. Starting at the TOP of the Hierarchy which is the PELVIS/HIPS – Hips, Spine 1, Spine 2, Neck, Head. Change puppet engine to Legacy.

B10. Re-name the pins = Hips, Spine 1, Spine 2, Neck, Head.

B11. Select all the pins for that layer – click the - Add Bones button in - DUIK – Links and Constraints tab.

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download