PaceMaker get Physical

Community Forums/Showcase/PaceMaker get Physical

Ricky Smith(Posted 2005) [#1]
You need to create a realistic animation sequence for your model of e.g an impact on the right shoulder.
Set Force and Torque values, modify Gravity, Bounce and Friction if required
.....Test.....Record....View...Job Done !
http://webzoom.freewebs.com/smiff/blitz/mocapbig.wmv


Teach your model to do acrobatics...and then record as animation.

http://webzoom.freewebs.com/smiff/blitz/mocap2.wmv


PaceMaker 1.2.2 Imminent release !!!!


VIP3R(Posted 2005) [#2]
Whoa, those movies look very impressive!

Especially the acrobatics one, nice work Smiff :)


Tri|Ga|De(Posted 2005) [#3]
As allways, very nice work!


Ice9(Posted 2005) [#4]
I'm I seeing ragdoll constraints in an animation you can
save as keframe .b3d?

That's excellent work. It adds a level of polish to an
animation that would take an professional animator to
accomplish.


Picklesworth(Posted 2005) [#5]
Very nice...


Ricky Smith(Posted 2005) [#6]
Thanks for all your kind words of encouragement !

I'm I seeing ragdoll constraints in an animation you can
save as keframe .b3d?



That's exactly what you're seeing !


It adds a level of polish to an
animation that would take an professional animator to
accomplish.



I doubt even a professional animator could reach this level of perfection without using mo-cap ! ;)


QuickSilva(Posted 2005) [#7]
Looks ace! Can`t wait to try it. Will it be free or are you planning to charge?

Jason.


Naughty Alien(Posted 2005) [#8]
..interesting tool...I would like to try it when you make it available..


Clarks(Posted 2005) [#9]
i surely like to try out that tool
its looks impressive


jfk EO-11110(Posted 2005) [#10]
Highly fascinating stuff smiff!


nadia(Posted 2005) [#11]
cool, can’t wait to try it out!


Binary_Moon(Posted 2005) [#12]
Looks really nice.

I think you should add a feature that lets you keep a specified bone on the x = 0, y = 0 location. The amount of movement you have in those animations would be unusable in a game since people would regularly fly through walls. The same goes for running, they run, jump forward, and then pop back to the running position.

The animation you have there is good though. How good is this for 'traditional' animations such as walks, runs, jump, and idle? Since they're seen more they will be the important ones.


Robert Cummings(Posted 2005) [#13]
Alternatively, do what 3DSMAX does with Biped - have an in-place toggle.

When in place is activated, the figure is moved X and Z each frame (overall) to keep him at the point of origin.

The height (overall) is never affected. This is superb for exactly what you do here smiff.

The end result is identical in code: the man flies back - however, how far he flies back is up to the programmer now!

In place is also used in games a lot. The animator in max will import a motion captured running sequence, then toggle in place before exporting the final animation to the game.

Then, in-game, the character is moved as usual in code.


Ricky Smith(Posted 2005) [#14]
Yes - an "In Place" toggle is now done !


How good is this for 'traditional' animations such as walks, runs, jump, and idle? Since they're seen more they will be the important ones.



Well currently you have the free-form animation tools and the new physics-based IK tool with joint pinning which is very easy to use. Creating jumps with the IK tool is a cinch - Idle animations are even easier I'll try and post a video of the IK tool in action.

I am also working on a "Walk/Run Generator" similar in style to that in Poser.Incorporating physics into it at present

I am also planning to expand the current mo-cap system from the present 'single phase and single joint' model to 'multi-phase and multi-joint'. This should make things like jumps very easy to do. You will be able to set a 'down 'impulse initially and then set an 'up' impulse at a specified time frame. You will be able to set force or torque on one joint or on many joints triggered at any time frame.
I am hoping to build a little scripting engine into it so that complex movement sequences can be scripted.

My only problem now is scope creep - gotta stop !


QuickSilva(Posted 2005) [#15]
Sounds like you`ve got tons of neat stuff planned, can`t wait :)

Jason.


RepeatUntil(Posted 2005) [#16]
Very nice! Keep on the good job!


Ricky Smith(Posted 2005) [#17]
Here's a couple of small clips of creating the framework of a jump animation using motion capture.

http://webzoom.freewebs.com/smiff/blitz/jump2.wmv (0.5mb)

http://webzoom.freewebs.com/smiff/blitz/jump3.wmv (0.4mb)

Here's a clip of creating an idle animation from scratch using the Physics based IK Tool. Its not the best animation because I was doing it as fast as I could but it should give you an idea. The effect on the left hand is quite nice !

http://webzoom.freewebs.com/smiff/blitz/iktool.wmv (2.5mb)


skyfire1(Posted 2005) [#18]
sweet! i can't wait 'till pacemaker is released!


IPete2(Posted 2005) [#19]
Looks very impressive,

IPete2.


Bot Builder(Posted 2005) [#20]
Wow. awesome work smiff. The IK looks quite easy to work with to get a nice effect. Having the animator tell a sort of general path and let teh physics figure out teh details is great.

Maybe you already have it in, but automatically generated physics animation subkeys would be cool. Just have a setting for the number of subkeys between defined keys.