Lift & Drop
Added 2016-03-02 17:11:14 +0000 UTCDon't mind me, I'm just thinking up animations that are a nightmare to do in 3D.
My goal this month is get Daisy’s model rigged, but first I’ll need to figure out HOW she’ll be rigged. What controls will be needed to get the results I'm after?
Her breasts are the greatest challenge, and there are at least two possibilities - keyframe animation, and simulation. Both have their pros and cons.
With keyframe animation, I’d have total control over their movement, but I’d need to USE that control throughout the animation, even frame-by-frame if needed. Major shape changes - such as collisions with a flat surface or with each other - will need to be sculpted, either with extra controls or with deformers. Nothing will be done for me by the software, apart from maybe some jiggle motion applied to the core bone chain.
With a simulation, natural, fluid motion can be possible, and collisions will be automatic. The biggest downside is that it’s not interactive - the rest of the character would need to be animated first, then the simulation can be run. There’s much less control - in the above “lift & drop” example, there’s no guarantee that her breasts won’t slip out of her hands well before she’s supposed to drop them. Keyframe animation may still be needed to guide the simulation. Another downside is that there are many, MANY settings that affect the simulation - friction, rigidity, elasticity, stickiness, bounce, recovery, drag, and so on. And the “perfect” settings for one animation may not work for another.
Right now I'm leaning towards the keyframed approach, because the simulation may be more trouble than its worth.
