In this Blender 2.5 video tutorial we will be going over creating shape keys, and then talk on how to apply drivers to the shapekeys so that the armature can control the them.
Homework: After completing the video, I noticed that if you rotate the arm beyond a certain point, the shapkeys disappear. I spent a bit of time trying to dig up this bug, but if you are up for some homework, post your findings below and lets work to figure that one out.
Note: this tutorial uses the official Blender 2.5 Alpha 1 release.
Thanks this helped a lot, I have been playing with the shape keys with some luck but it always good to see someone else’s process.
Just one thing instead of doing the copy/past thing if you right click on the value bar(the one that goes pink when the driver is added) you can add the driver there instead without the issue.
It’s also possible to add drivers too all the value fields in this way including the Transform values in the preferences panel and although I haven’t worked out how to utilise it yet the textures also(I would like to see a video on using that feature).
I also find it helpful to reduce the max value to around 500 so you don’t encounter your homework issue as much.
Mike.
for the max value, you mean there in the shapekey range (typically 0.000 to 1.000) ? if set to 500, the issue doesn’t appear as much?
The issue you were having where the shape key disappeared when you rotated the arm too far. Before you alter the shape-key set the range max value to 500.
i was just tinkering with it, but the max value i can get is 10. also, it doesn’t change anything with the shapekey disappearing.
Sorry Dave i meant .500 (oops) The smaller range makes the shape key more responsive. Well it did for me anyway.
Mike
Thanks David! Another nice tutorial! It’s a bit confusing the way that Blender handle the shape key driver, isn’t it?
yes, i had to research this one quite a bit before i was able to find the solution :p
Thank you David!! Awesome tutorial
.. can you show in another tutorial how to create the sliders for the face shapekeys into the bone properties like the Durian team is doing?
it could be done sort of as a mixture of my “action constraints” tutorial and this one, except instead of an action, use the shapekey. then you could position your bone controllers directly over the area they’re controlling (i.e. corners of mouth for smiling, etc.).
I get what you did on the “action constraints” tutorial…. but what I’m looking for is for those sliders: http://img715.imageshack.us/img715/3655/sliders.png
Thanks for the attention!!
Daniel
Basically you’d just add a new ‘floating’ bone and use Shape Drivers on that bone’s X, Y or Z Location. It would actually even be easier than these Shape Keys/ Drivers. =)
Is it yet possible to use vertex groups when going shape keys and stuff as in good old 2.49? Then you don’t need to model the shape keys twice (if you youse x mirror while modelling.)
sure can, you just tell the shapekey which vertex group to use by adding it into the little spot below where it says “Blend” (has six little squares arranged in a circle with one in the middle).
* going = doing
Thanks David
Hi David.
Cool tutorial. Thanks.
Only when creating a shape deformation, can not see how it will look at the joint. I want to do shayp deformation on a bent joint.
For example as there.
http://vimeo.com/2326781
Perhaps something like this done in Blender2.5?
yeah, that’s where a lot of trial-and-error comes into play.
just took a look at your link; i’ve never tried the “shapekey transfer” thing before, it might be worth looking into.
Thank you Dave Ward, great tutorial as always.
Hoo-effin-ray, Shape keys! Finally
:):)
I still haven’t installed 2.5. So I’ll have to wait some more, but I’ll manage.
Great tutorial, as always! Thanks for picking up that topic. I’ll try to apply it in 2.49 though, feeling lucky!
check this tut i made a while back for previous versions of blender. disregard the secondary armature that i create, you can use the primary one, too.
http://www.vimeo.com/2640318
Awesome, now I’m safe for present AND future! Thanks, David!
no problemo, amigo!
Hmm, isn’t there a better way to edit the shapes?
E.G. if you enable the “Use modifier while in edit mode” and the “Apply modifier to editing cage….” in the armature modifier of the mesh.
Then you can see how the mesh looks while in editing mode.
Apply the driver and move it to the extreme pose then select the needed shapekey and edit it in edit mode.
Should give you instant feedback on what the shape looks.
Thatt seems better to me than approximating the look while editing something in the none posed form and look what it actually did in the animation.
wow, nice. had never done that, good way to get the final keys to look how they’re supposed to. thanks for the heads up!
Thanks, Cartsten. That’s what I was thinking while watching this tutorial–at least in theory. Is there an example of this somewhere? I’m still learning this stuff.
Another awesome Tutorial. Thanx Dave
I`m trying to apply what you did with the Elbows on the Knees (target bone -> shin , transformation -> RotX).
I couldn’t make the driver to response to the negative angle(when the shin moves backward), it works fine with the positive angle which I don’t need.
Please can you help me here?
David,
Thanks for the great tutorial. Is it just me or are shape keys easier in 2.5 than 2.49? This even helped me with figuring out a simple way to animate my light saber from the other tutorial. The force is definitely with you.
Will
In Alfa 2 this method does not work. Only works if the rotating “forearm”. With Ik-system is not working.
Even Alfa 1 bug. Effects of morphs from moving Ik-Controller. Forearm not rotation of actually. In Blender 2.49 works correctly.
The joint is not working properly.!!!!
I must agree with Dimetrii, I have Alfa 2, same problem. Thanks Dimetrii for finding that. Any alternative solutinon?
[b]QUESTION[/b]: is there like, an animation key?(like the shape key)
example: if i want to make a character so he can breath; i’d make a shape key foe the chest, and make it so if i move a certain bone it moves that shape key.
but, is there a way to animate the bone moving forward, and add it to an ‘animation key’ so i can increase or decrease the speed and intensity(how much it moves from it’s current position) of the animation i made of the chest bone at different times in the animation
(if you don’t totally get what i’m saying; tell me)
Check out Jonathan Williamson’s tut on pupil dilation it can be modified to that
Hi !
Thanks a lot David for your work.
I have a suggestion, could you organize all the Alien tuts in a single series as you did for the Dragon and Game Engine ones ?
I suppose it would be nice and easier for new users.
Nice tutorial.
You Say at 7:03 you don’t know what the Numbers mean.
It is very simple
that is the expontezal Function from the curve.
for exemple the standart values
y = 0 + 1x
that means if your rotation at 45 degrees
y = 0 + 1*45
y = 45
shapekeyvalue = 45
whits the modifikation to -5 of the second value means
y = 0 + -5*45
y = -225
(but I am not sure if blender really works with degrees)
the PolyCount means howmany x values exsist
that means you could maka nice curves
like you would that the curve came back to Zero 3 Times
at frame 2, 10 and 15
P1(2/0) P2(10/0) P3(15/0)
y=(1x-2)(1x-10)(1x-15)
(normaly we coud stop at this point and change the generator methode from expanded to factorised and type in 1 one to one)
or you multyplied it out to
y=(1x²-12x+20)(1x-15)
y= 1x³-15x²-12x²+180x+20x-300
y= 1x³-17x²+300x-300
in clear speech 1 Polycount 1 zeroPoint = straight line, 2 Polycount 2 Zeropoint a curve, …
I Hope i could help a lidle bit and dosent make to many Math (and I Hope I done the Math right)
Nice tutorial. And the comments are also very helpful. Great communal effort!
It seems as if I can’t add a driver as you do at 4:45. =(
nice! would this work in the game engine?