Yes, it comes up once in a while, Dan.
Speaking of this particular “problem”: I assume that one day someone will “reverse engineer” the IK algorithm (or replace it completely with Ai), and will maybe create something stellar, but simple, never seen before. However, I’m also absolutely certain that one will not be me. In that way I try to follow a train of thought of someone, share what I can and hope my tiny contribution might support this. My target is not to be that one, otherwise, I would have joint the Animation Mentor Program and would like many others search my happiness in Character Animation alone. It is after all, a very rewarding area of our industry. … and I certainly love the products of it. I’m more about capture an combining practical footage with 3D/CG renderings, including characters, as in my multi awarded JET movie. for example. Everyone will find a very specific field and hopefully takes the time to grow as much in it. At least I wish that for everyone and support this here as much as I can, and the frame work allows to do so.
My perspective and knowledge about character animation, that I have received over the years shows me, that on a professional level, we have a split here. The Technical Director [TD] and the Artist are the two parts of the equation, and both define what quality each other has to have. The TD’s works can be complex and time intensive, all in order to take as much distraction away from the work of setting up visual expression that tells the story. There is certainly more, but one can’t really create without knowing the other. If you take for example the Character Object, it is one of the easiest to use I have seen, but the most complex rigs I had even on my screen at the same time. This one sets a level, and if not better than that, why bother, would be my question.
In a nutshell, if you like to be more on the TD side of the field, learn Python and make things happen. If you are more on the Artists side, and you have to create your own rigs, spend not too much time on the TD side. Well, that is my 2cents about it. You will find your own balance of course.
On the end, what is your target, aim for that, dive in, invent and always keep in mind, there is no failure, only gained experience.ENJOY.
Very true, your experience shines through on these topics. I started off as a digital sculptor, miles away from what Im trying to do now. Im trying to be efficient in rigging to a certain point of getting a complete usable character rigged. This is proving to be much more complex than I thought, and can see me having to cut back on my high expectations because I havent even got into animation yet, well not full manual animation and I know this is a whole other ball game altogether. Because Im working by myself I have to do it all, but some times I wish I could just get on with modeling and sculpting only.
To that point its come to my attention that the character tool may not be compatible with game engines in that there is no set process to bake and export a animation made with the character tool. As the character tool is so complex and uses 3 rigs, when I export a fbx it takes a whole lot of what I dont need with it. When Iv done with with MODO acs kit which is much like the character tool in C4D, it bakes down the rig with keys on it to a basic rig ready for games. My character animation is mainly for cinematic, film rendered within C4D so it dont matter so much. I do wonder as time goes on as I come to understand C4D why its Maya that gets so much attention for character/game work as maybe this is the area where it has the tools to get a riged character from Maya to Unreal 4 with little fuss?
Dan
