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Surface Deformer Problem
Posted: 03 July 2021 10:29 PM   [ Ignore ]  
Total Posts:  62
Joined  2021-04-06

Hi Dr. Sassi,

Is there a way for a Surface Deformer to act like a Skin deformer + Joints? Not sure if this is clear, but I attached a picture that kind of explain my problem with Surface Deformer.

This only happens when the “base” object (the object that the Surface Deformer is using) is being deformed by another Deformer Object. Rotating it or changing the position works fine.

Thank you!

Example problem: https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/HNDjlizsJZeE6oiXPmPXPr2X0nzaOz6YRzeUhpHGYlx

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Posted: 04 July 2021 01:26 AM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 1 ]  
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Hi openmindedcomedy,

The surface has a normal direction. Exactly this is applied here. I would not say at all that it should be straight. Look at the surface when the “nose” is horizontal: The surface is not vertical.

At the moment, it is vertical. The object has changed as well.

The main question is, what do you want to do, to begin with?

Example:
https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/GrQh7HqIXe0rxoD2cubtsd4adkOMc6tVMfi76PrlWPf

All the best

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Dr. Sassi V. Sassmannshausen Ph.D.
Cinema 4D Mentor since 2004
Maxon Master Trainer, VES, DCS

Photography For C4D Artists: 200 Free Tutorials.
https://www.youtube.com/user/DrSassiLA/playlists

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Posted: 04 July 2021 12:15 PM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 2 ]  
Total Posts:  62
Joined  2021-04-06

I have a circular head with rigged mouth (no lips). It looks like an emoji basically. What I want to do is to be able to easily put modification on it (i.e. a beak that is a separate mesh). I want to do this because it takes me awhile to rig a mouth (even at this point, I feel like I didn’t rig my circular head correctly; I had to use Smoothing deformer + Weight Tag and stuff to fix it). So, I am trying to figure out how I can make Surface Deformer act as if I rigged the “beak” onto my circular head using Skin Deformer + Joints. Is there a way to do so?
Thanks!

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Posted: 04 July 2021 05:06 PM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 3 ]  
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Hi openmindedcomedy,

Here are three examples of how to place something on a surface. If the Surface is not responsible for the orientation of the object, then it might look disconnected. So, there is a decision to make, is the object’s orientation more important than the connection to the object.

Examples 01-03
https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/3i5Wdlro4nIkJHOR0uQKzUesp8iUbtcBOvNStr4POu9

Example 01 shows the relation to four points of the surface. These points need to be chosen close to the shape of the object. The points just give it a position in space, ZERO orientation! With no orientation, the object will not lose its orientation ever, it follows only the position. Rotate the sphere to see what I mean. Any axis you will use to rotate will have no luck doing so.

Example 02 uses a target to give the object a direction as well, and the Sphere’s R.H and R.P will influence the attached object. R.B has not.

Example 03 here, the target also has the information of an UpVector. Now all three rotations are included.

If I get this right, you like to work initially with Joints. Instead of weighting them more smoothly (according to what you wrote), you place a Smooth Deformer on the object. Instead of using a joint for the beacon, you try a Surface deformer. You could use the IK stretch and squash to change the size of the object along the joints. Then animate all of them via Pose Morph or with the Pose Library Browser.

Example
https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/hWLmekfvHI7nEi7eoGkr42k0HqqZwR0LRHi1Z9DjoCf

Screen capture
https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/2UWHKhyDOs2ICGivWIMJxdOzLOr2oSR08OYfQ7SDmwa

All the best

P.S.:

Just a little idea (edited 2pm PTD)
https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/poaNCqALqh8ZPAHe7CLXYWW2UoYPt5pSmpWcqWkVU9j

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Dr. Sassi V. Sassmannshausen Ph.D.
Cinema 4D Mentor since 2004
Maxon Master Trainer, VES, DCS

Photography For C4D Artists: 200 Free Tutorials.
https://www.youtube.com/user/DrSassiLA/playlists

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