I can’t say it enough !!!.. Ragdoll Dynamics is a really powerfull tool!!!.… yes, it is made to think out of the box…! but with the combination of some tricks and the basics of Maya… you can achieve fantastic results in a short time…
Ragdoll is not about the tool doing the job for us, is about exploring faster options and creativity and then go nuts to polish!
Check this Rope Set up that I did with just a basif FK chain. 100 Joints… ! but what’s is amazing is how the contacts and versatility to ArtDirect the animation…
the Set up:
- 100 Fk joints
- 100 Markers
- I used Curve Warp deformer (That’s the tip)
- creativity
- I used Pins to edit the anim on top of each layer…
I will share more soon! … ( I will share some of the layers I did , so you can check the process)… if you are wondering about time… not more than 1 or 2 hours top !
I want to apply this set up to the tentacles, the snake and couple of other ideas I have worked and that I have pending to develop.
breakdown of Layers:
1- Layer 01 : From straight to Initial Pose ( I used Ragdoll to set and find my initial pose, something natural and real)I deleted the intial keyframes , and just save the pose that I liked.
2- Layer 02: Main motion and benchmark the deformation and twist
3- Layer 03: Re run the SIM on top to improve the contacts and collisions
4- Layer04: Started adding life and “Art Directing the motion”, imagining the scenario where the animation needs to be adjusted in first intance
5- Layer 05: More Art Direction, addressing notes, creativity … I wanted to challenge the setup to pull from different point and see how much it holds. It did pretty amazing
6 - Layer 06: One more typically note “let’s find the middle ground, don’t move this part but make this other part to move”
Ragdoll can do extravagant things, like throwing characters down stairs or swinging them in trees; but the subtle things often get overlooked.