Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Monday, August 4, 2008
Sunday, April 27, 2008
FAQs
I was just thinking of having this post to provide answers to some of the frequently asked questions. So here I go
Q : How important is it for a 3D animator to know 2D/ have drawing skills ?
Ans : Well, when I was a rookie in animation, like many , I also had this question in my mind and used to ask it to people in conferences and other places. I can now myself give an answer to it . I would say that it is 100% important for an animator to be able to draw. Being able to draw does not mean that you have to be Michelangelo. But you should be able to do rough thumbnailing of poses. It helps. If you are working in a studio, you get storyboards for your shots and better understanding of storyboard is possible if you yourself have tried your hands on different poses. And I think every animator wants to do some animation of his/her own. Now, if you are not able to plan out your poses, how can software give you your animation. If you are not from 2D background, no worries. Just grab a copy of "Cartoon Animation by Preston Blair"and start drawing from it. Its a great book. Draw from anything. Draw your imagination. Just keep drawing.
Q : Where to use IK and where FK?
Ans : Generally, IK is used where you have contact with something. Like feet are in IK because they are in contact with ground. Or say a guy drinking a glass of water will have his hand holding the glass in IK. Fk is used where their are no contacts required. Say a guy walking will have FK hands.But there is no hard and fast rule to it. Whatever suits you in whichever situation works best. Many animators work only with IK and many with only FK. Inbetween your shot also depending on situation, you can switch FK to IK and vice versa . So, its all a matter of your ease.
Q : How do I track my arcs?
Ans : Tracking arcs in any software can be done using an erasable screen marker. Just trace your arcs on your monitor screen. If you are still unconfortable with that, then you can put a clean transparent plastic paper on your monitor and use a permanent marker on it. I use clear paper used for wrapping cut fruits and vegetabes :) . Then there are few tools in maya software like ghosting and motion trail which ease in tracking arcs. You can also check your spacing in these ways.
More to come. So keep visiting :)
Q : How important is it for a 3D animator to know 2D/ have drawing skills ?
Ans : Well, when I was a rookie in animation, like many , I also had this question in my mind and used to ask it to people in conferences and other places. I can now myself give an answer to it . I would say that it is 100% important for an animator to be able to draw. Being able to draw does not mean that you have to be Michelangelo. But you should be able to do rough thumbnailing of poses. It helps. If you are working in a studio, you get storyboards for your shots and better understanding of storyboard is possible if you yourself have tried your hands on different poses. And I think every animator wants to do some animation of his/her own. Now, if you are not able to plan out your poses, how can software give you your animation. If you are not from 2D background, no worries. Just grab a copy of "Cartoon Animation by Preston Blair"and start drawing from it. Its a great book. Draw from anything. Draw your imagination. Just keep drawing.
Q : Where to use IK and where FK?
Ans : Generally, IK is used where you have contact with something. Like feet are in IK because they are in contact with ground. Or say a guy drinking a glass of water will have his hand holding the glass in IK. Fk is used where their are no contacts required. Say a guy walking will have FK hands.But there is no hard and fast rule to it. Whatever suits you in whichever situation works best. Many animators work only with IK and many with only FK. Inbetween your shot also depending on situation, you can switch FK to IK and vice versa . So, its all a matter of your ease.
Q : How do I track my arcs?
Ans : Tracking arcs in any software can be done using an erasable screen marker. Just trace your arcs on your monitor screen. If you are still unconfortable with that, then you can put a clean transparent plastic paper on your monitor and use a permanent marker on it. I use clear paper used for wrapping cut fruits and vegetabes :) . Then there are few tools in maya software like ghosting and motion trail which ease in tracking arcs. You can also check your spacing in these ways.
More to come. So keep visiting :)
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Experimenting with stick figure
Having fun with stick figure. This is my first experiment with stick figure on a small software.
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