Ever since I got the offer to create a 3D cartoon programme, I am back to my Cinema 4D, exploring on character animation. All this while, I am into structural animation i.e engineering. broadcast montage, architectural work. Started with the now defunct Infini-D, a short time with Softimage, then FormZ for modeling and Electric Image for rendering. I only started on Cinema4D in 2001. But it was always job-based projects that made me use this app and nothing on characters.
When people ask me for Character Animation. I will declined as the first few attempts resulted to the character limping and doing odd movements. It was frustating. So for many years, I was stucked with structural animation.
Mid of this year, I was offered to lecture in UiTM and guess what, the subject is animation. Nothing fancy, just to get the students to understand the process and mainly it is based on 2D animation. I based my lectures on After Effects and man, the students learn and I learn more on animation as never before. I tried Anime Studio Pro and find it is based on 3D rigging process. Making the understanding on character animation increased within that semester. I don't know whether I be called again next semester. I hope they will.
Ok back to character animation. The industry here always refer character animation to Maya and I have not a clue on Maya. The interface is a bit frightening for me to try since I heard the learning curve is kinda steep. I am targeting to get a short animation done by end of December, just in time for next semester class. If I can prove the C4D can provide easier and better process in developing a TV programme, I want them to get the licenses for the project. I find it much intuitive and the learning curve ain't so steep.
I have developed a few characters and every single one is improving my skill. Need to explore more before I can make a conclusion on this. BTW I am a self-learned person. No training, just explore the web for solutions and try to apply it on my projects. http://www.cineversity.com and http://www.c4dcafe.com/ are darn good place to find an idea how this app work.
Anyway, I have been testing the hair module to see how it interacts with movement. Been on it countless of time, tried but the result was very unsatisfactory. Today, I finally made a quite good hair setup. It just suddenly click into my mind on how to do about it. As it usually does after months stopwork and kickstarting it back.
I am also still in developing the best process of rigging the characters I have made. The first few attempts has made the character move, wink, smile. I even manage to Expresso the linkage between different set of polygons so it will move seamlessly together. Errr I am referring to the beard. And yes, it is a 3D cartoon of me. When I got everything prepped and rendered, I might show it here.
The character in the video above is not me. I am creating heads and give character to it and this is one of it. The facial has no reference, just from the back of my mind. A female character is in progress. Darn, I still have problems on the curve :-(
OK enjoy the 3 sec-movie. Maybe later it will be longer...
Cheerio.
