Whether you're a professional Character TD or just like to create 3D characters, this detailed guide reveals the techniques you need to create sophisticated 3D character rigs that range from basic to breathtaking. Packed with step-by-step instructions and full-color illustrations, Body Language walks you through rigging techniques for all the body parts to help you create realistic and believable movements in every character you design. You'll learn advanced rigging concepts that involve MEL scripting and advanced deformation techniques and even how to set up a character pipeline.
Body Language: Advanced 3D Character Rigging
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From the Back Cover
Create Believable Characters from Head to Toe
Simple rigging will work for minor characters, but limitations of a simple rig can stop animatorsin their tracks if they need functionality that isn't there. Whether you're a professional CharacterTD or just like to create 3D characters, this detailed guide reveals the techniques you need to create sophisticated 3D character rigs that range from basic to breathtaking.
Packed with step-by-step instructions and full-color illustrations, Body Language walks you through rigging techniques for all the body parts to help you create realistic and believable movements in every character you design. You'll learn advanced rigging concepts that involve MEL scripting and advanced deformation techniques and even how to set up a character pipeline.
Hone basic rigging concepts to form a solid foundation
Plan ahead for broken rigs, control setups, and perfect joint orientation
Learn advanced IK spline spine setup (called the Spine Wave)
Explore custom-built stretchable FKIK arms and legs, and reverse foot techniques
Create advanced facial deformations with blendshapes and influence objects
See advanced eye setup with cornea and lacrimal deformations
Perform additional deformations that can bend bones
Get an introduction to Maya Muscle (formerly cMuscleSystem) and UVLayout
Create an efficient workflow with Adam Sidwell's Pipeline in a Box
On the CD
The CD provides example files for the completed rig, including sample MEL files, Maya scene files, and an example of Pipeline in a Box.
About the Author
Eric Allen is currently the Modeling Lead at Daz3d. Besides creating and managing the creation of the figures, he is in charge of the creation of hundreds of deformer and viseme morphs for the Daz3d figures. He also oversees the creation of the joint controlled corrective morphs. These can add up to hundreds of shapes that work with each other to produce realistic deformations. He helped create Victoria 4 (Daz3D female model found in the book) and rigged her in Maya for this title. He also built and rigged the “Runner” character which is used for most of the advanced examples. His figures are used in everything from movie content to graphic art. They have been used for the covers of 3D User, Popular Science and Scientific American and have been used in the digital art Exotique publications. He has also worked as a freelance commercial animator where he has created medical and other types of animation using mainly Maya. He has studied Maya rigging and experimented with various techniques for years.
Kelly L. Murdock has been authoring computer books for many years now and still gets immense enjoyment from the completed work. His book credits include various 3D, graphics, multimedia, and Web titles, including seven previous editions of his book, 3ds Max Bible. Other major accomplishments include Edgeloop Character Modeling for 3D Professionals Only (also with Eric Allen), Maya 6 and 7 Revealed, LightWave 3D 8 Revealed, Poser 6 and 7 Revealed, 3D Game Animation for Dummies, gmax Bible, Adobe Atmosphere Bible, Master VISUALLY HTML and XHTML, JavaScript Visual Blueprint, and co-authoring duties on two editions of the Illustrator Bible (for versions 9 and 10) and three editions of the Adobe Creative Suite Bible.
Contributing Author Jared Fong has a profound ability for Maya rigging. He brought us Chapters 15 and 17 as well as many of the scripts included on the CD. He has been a major influence on the rigging of the projects at BYU and part of the thinking that went into this book. Jared is currently working at Pixar as a TD resident.
Contributing Author Adam Sidwell has traveled the world spreading his 3D talents. He has worked at such studios as Digital Domain, ILM, Sony Imageworks, and Weta. He has presented at Siggraph and is very proficient in the studies and methods of the “back end” of the production pipeline. Adam contributed the brilliance of Chapter 19, the “Pipeline in a Box.”
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent resource,
By
This review is from: Body Language: Advanced 3D Character Rigging (Paperback)
The book is an excellent resource. I've done my fair share of rigging, and Allen and Murdock have put together a body of information that not only teaches me new tricks, but polishes and streamlines what I already do. Body Language will be the first place I look when I need to dig around for rigging assistance.
Body Language has me excited to rig again, which is perhaps the greatest aspect of the book. There are a lot of little "aha" moments here, and I'm itching to put them to use. It's an essential component of my reference library. I have only one complaint with this book: It doesn't cover 3DS Max. It's understandable, what with Maya being dominant in the high end of the field, but some of the principles and techniques here are so good, it just seems a shame to not have Max involved. Ironically, then, it's the excellence of the Maya coverage that leaves me wanting the same for Max. Perhaps there's a sequel in the works. That minor quibble aside, I still rate this at the full five stars. The book stands on its own merits, and that I wish for more merely testifies to the value of the data.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent resource!,
By
This review is from: Body Language: Advanced 3D Character Rigging (Paperback)
I was impressed by the in-depth and detailed methods for character rigging described in this book. It's an excellent resource for technically-inclined enthusiasts boost their skillz as well as the experienced professional who wants to hone them.
The book goes through great things that realistic rigs must have! There are a few "bonus" chapters (subjects I didn't expect to be in the book) at the end about UVLayout, Maya Muscle and skinning. UVLayout FTW! Great book, and a must-have for the reference library!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Comprehensive and Easy to follow- a must-have!,
This review is from: Body Language: Advanced 3D Character Rigging (Paperback)
This is a great book for the beginning rigger as well as for more advanced artists and technical artists. It's a comprehensive overview of planning, techniques, terminology, and concepts involved in rigging all different types and styles of digital characters. Examples provided are clear and informative; advanced concepts are explained and demonstrated in a way that's intuitive and informative. The authors have years of experience and learned many of these principles the hard way, so you don't have to. You'll be benefitting from a wealth of experience and especially knowing what things do and don't work well- you'll save lots of time by reading and paying attention if you're just starting out!
This is a great book to have in your library as a learning tool and as a reference- I will be keeping it on a nearby shelf for quick access!
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Inside This Book
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Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs):
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component editor, skin system, vertex map, joint tool, curve tool, rigged jaw, derivative morphs, tongue morphs, rivet script, forearm rig, multiply divide node, spine rig, wave rig, jaw setup, facial rig, cyclical errors, reverse foot setup, runner character, broken rig, rigging tasks, facial setup, character pipeline, advanced rig, floating joints, cartoony character Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Script Editor, Channel Box, Attribute Editor, Spine Wave, Freeze Transformations, Tadeo Jones, Add Attribute, Blend Shape, Maya Muscle, Rigging That's Right, Center Pivot, Tool Settings, Edit Smooth Skin, The Big Race, Paint Skin Weights, Expression Editor, Ctrl All, Create Deformers, Mouth Narrow, Hotkey Editor, Patrick Beaulieu, Concepts You Need, Xavier Marquis, Liam Kemp, Node Behavior Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
component editor, skin system, vertex map, joint tool, curve tool, rigged jaw, derivative morphs, tongue morphs, rivet script, forearm rig, multiply divide node, spine rig, wave rig, jaw setup, facial rig, cyclical errors, reverse foot setup, runner character, broken rig, rigging tasks, facial setup, character pipeline, advanced rig, floating joints, cartoony character Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Script Editor, Channel Box, Attribute Editor, Spine Wave, Freeze Transformations, Tadeo Jones, Add Attribute, Blend Shape, Maya Muscle, Rigging That's Right, Center Pivot, Tool Settings, Edit Smooth Skin, The Big Race, Paint Skin Weights, Expression Editor, Ctrl All, Create Deformers, Mouth Narrow, Hotkey Editor, Patrick Beaulieu, Concepts You Need, Xavier Marquis, Liam Kemp, Node Behavior Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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