Animation for Animatronics — Stan Winston School of Character Arts Forums

Need to develop a working face that can attache to the back of a actors head.

Marklchristensen_501 — Tue, 26 Aug 2025 04:11:59 +0000

Edward Mordrake story

Can I use AnimServo in Maya 2020?

NickMascolo — Tue, 15 Feb 2022 22:59:27 +0000

I'm interested in using the AnimServo software for a project I'm leading for my student organization. I currently have Maya 2020 installed and before I purchase AnimServo, I wanted to make sure that I'll be able to use it with this version of Maya.

How to run AnimServo on MacOS!? upd: have some solution

Anton Logosha — Thu, 21 Sep 2017 14:40:32 +0000

Hello,
Well, i have install Maya 2013 on my old pc (its the highest version of Maya which i can use on this computer)
I installed AnimServo script successfully (i saw those many legendary windows) but i have some issues with opening Female_Soldier file, i see this:
But, when i opened this file on my mac, everything ok with it.
Thats why i started from the very beginning and try to install AnimServo soft on my main computer.

Is Animservo available to OnDemand Subscribers?

Claire O'Brien — Wed, 09 May 2018 20:28:16 +0000

Hi,

I've just started watching Animation for Animatronics, is Animservo available in any form for OnDemand Subscribers?

Thanks,
Claire.

Homework part 3-Elizabeth

Elizabeth Meeker — Tue, 17 Oct 2017 16:00:24 +0000

First off let me remind you that prior to this course I had not used Maya. I feel some experience with rigging would have been a good idea for myself at least. So far I have only some parts connected, and I am struggling to discover how to best use Locators with Parent Constraints. I feel with more knowledge of rigging this could have been really cool, and I intend to resubmit it at a later date, even if it's just for my own sense of accomplishment.

I needed something to animate, and the only thing I could find was this Halloween Rat Skeleton Decoration. I found a low poly rat model, and I cut the head and jaw in order to articulate them. However, I'm not quite sure how to "anchor" them properly to make the rotate instead of flying off the body all together. That knowledge may come in time, I reckon.

As I jerry-rigged the actual model with wire and hot glue, I tried to replicate those pieces in Maya.

As you can see when I rotate the head, it flies off...

And the same happens with the jaw.

The other 2 poles inserted into the body were going to be wings, but I couldn't quite figure out how to rig them, so they are just poles. And rotating them is also a disaster.

This is the rat kind of moving. I don't really have the right connections.
https://youtu.be/DbG8r8w7fzA

Homework - Cyril Wichers

Chris Ellerby — Tue, 08 Aug 2017 20:44:30 +0000

Homework for live workshop student Cyril Wichers

Need some help with setting up my control rig

Cyril Wichers — Wed, 04 Oct 2017 11:19:18 +0000

I'm trying to set up a control rig using the 3d model of the mechanism I designed for Craig's character animatronics class.

I think I need to set it up like the eye mechanism Craig talked about in the third class (from 1:41:20 - 1:48:40), but it's not clear to me how to set up the constraints.
I've tried simplifying things, by focusing on one servo / movement, but even that is proving to be quite a challenge.

Is there any way I could get some help with this? Maybe Craig can give me some pointers? I can send him the model by email if that helps.

Homework - Anton Lagosha

Chris Ellerby — Tue, 08 Aug 2017 20:44:56 +0000

Homework for live workshop student Anton Lagosha

Links...

Jeffrey Warren Park — Tue, 05 Sep 2017 22:26:04 +0000

Here are the links to the books mentioned today, (Day three), during the "Animation for Animatronics" class.

Stop Staring: Facial Modeling and Animation Done Right, 3rd Edition -by Jason Osipa

https://www.amazon.com/Stop-Staring-Facial-Modeling-Animation/dp/0470609907/ref=mt_paperback?_encoding=UTF8&me=

Where this book differs from traditional animation books, is it focuses on the use of "Visemes", rather than "Phonemes". To be clear, it concentrates on the mouth shapes, instead of the phonetic pronunciations, that go with the various sounds that make up the movement(s) needed, to animate with. Still confused? Read the book. You'll understand...

The Animator's Survival Kit: A Manual of Methods, Principles and Formulas for Classical, Computer, Games, Stop Motion and Internet Animators -by Richard Williams

https://www.amazon.com/Animators-Survival-Kit-Principles-Classical/dp/086547897X/ref=pd_sim_14_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=GSJHEJ5JPESXNES0PYYB

Rig it Right! Maya Rigging Animation Concepts (Computers and People) 1st Edition -by Tina O'Hailey

https://www.amazon.com/Animation-Rigging-Concepts-Computers-People/dp/0240820797/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1504648531&sr=1-1-fkmr1&keywords=let's+rig+it+right+maya+animation

A website featuring a variety of real-world mechanical linkages was also mentioned.

http://507movements.com/

The question of "Photogrammetry" came up. I had suggested "Agisoft Photoscan".

http://www.agisoft.com/

They have a 30-day free trial, and their "Stand-Alone Version" sells for $175USD.

Craig suggested, and uses "3D Zephyr, (Lite) ", (Purchased from Steam).

Here is the link to the free version, (it is limited to being able to accepting 50 photos at a time).

https://www.3dflow.net/3df-zephyr-free/

3D Zephyr-Lite: ($149.99 USD)

http://store.steampowered.com/app/438450/3DF_Zephyr_Lite_Steam_Edition/

Autodesk 123d Catch was free, but it has also been discontinued buy Autodesk, (like MANY ,many other well liked programs...).

And, "Faceware" has their own Youtube channel, filled with instructional videos regarding how to use their products and pointers on Facial Mocap.

https://www.youtube.com/user/FacewareTechnologies/playlists

If there are any links I missed, hopefully Matt, and his skilled crew will get them to us via email.

I hope this helps.

-Jeff

Invalid Video file

Elizabeth Meeker — Tue, 12 Sep 2017 17:37:01 +0000

Hi, I have attempted to link the faceware video to the maya rig 3-4 times, and every time I get an error that the Video file is invalid. Anyone know why?

Missing your fwt files?

Elizabeth Meeker — Tue, 12 Sep 2017 15:44:04 +0000

I haven't noticed anyone else with this problem, but I couldn't find my .fwt file for the life of me. Turns out it's in a hidden directory on my computer (Win7);C:\Users\Myusername\AppData\Local\Temp\Faceware\Analyzer\Recordings.

Retargeter plugin

Cyril Wichers — Sat, 09 Sep 2017 22:58:53 +0000

I'm re-watching last weeks course and got stuck at 46:00 where Craig starts the Faceware plugin.
I've looked in the Plug-in Manager (Windows/Settings/Preferences/Plug-In Manager) and it says that retargeterNodes.mll is loaded, but the button for the dropdown menu isn't visible (on Craig's screen it's between the "Phoenix FD" and the "Help" button.
Am I doing something wrong / looking in the wrong place?

Faceware site unaccesssable?

Elizabeth Meeker — Thu, 07 Sep 2017 14:04:02 +0000

Is anyone else having problems accessing the Faceware website? I accidentally uninstalled the codemeter program which I guess was keeping track of how many days I had left on my free trial, and now everything's gone to hell in a handbasket.

Having texture problems? This may help!

Chris Ellerby — Fri, 01 Sep 2017 18:15:46 +0000

To help everyone troubleshoot possible texture issues, Craig has created the following guide.

Please post any texture questions here, and we'll get you sorted!

Thanks,

/Chris

Missing your Graph editor in Maya?

Elizabeth Meeker — Sun, 03 Sep 2017 15:49:06 +0000

I struggled with this a bit, trying to figure out where Maya was putting the Graph Editor, or even if it was there at all.
Found this link, but it turns out my problem wasn't that the Graph editor wasn't there, it's where it actually was that was confusing. Mine appeared at the BOTTOM of my screen.

Maya error about not having "Arnold" installed

Elizabeth Meeker — Thu, 31 Aug 2017 15:09:57 +0000

Just in case this will help anyone,
When trying to load the female soldier I received an error that Arnold was not installed.

Arnold is a Renderer from Autodesk, and it IS actually installed, but does not seem activated on my Student version (Maya 2017).

The help desk says it's supposed to be in this directory;
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Autodesk Shared\Modules\Maya\2017
But my folder is COMPLETELY empty.

You can try reinstalling Maya, or go here and install Arnold.
(You'll need to register an account, before it downloads.)

The install directions for windows are here, and about halfway down it explains how to enable it in Maya.

Question for Craig about female soldier texturing

Cyril Wichers — Thu, 31 Aug 2017 10:19:34 +0000

When I load the female soldier model, I only get a smooth shape (there's no textures). Do I have to activate them somewhere, or could it be that the textures aren't linked to the model correctly?

Setting "servo limits" in Maya

Cyril Wichers — Tue, 29 Aug 2017 13:50:51 +0000

I have a quick question for Craig about setting the minimum and maximum servo positions for a virual servo: is it possible to overwrite these values once they have been set?
I've managed to set them for let's say 90 degrees of travel, where 0 degrees = 2000 and 90 degrees = 8000.
But what do I do if I want the maximum position (8000) to be 180 degrees? Do I have to delete the existing virtual servo and create a new one?

Homework - Walter King

Chris Ellerby — Thu, 31 Aug 2017 17:40:48 +0000

Homework for live workshop student Walter King

Homework - Hisanao Nakadai

Chris Ellerby — Thu, 31 Aug 2017 17:40:14 +0000

Homework for live workshop student Hisanao Nakadai

Getting "ServoRun2-0" to work

Cyril Wichers — Wed, 30 Aug 2017 12:09:10 +0000

Because some of us had problems getting "ServoRun2-0" to work, here's the solution that Arlen Feldman came up with at the end of the course.

If you haven't done so already, install the latest version of Python (in my case 3.6.2) It can be found here: https://www.python.org/downloads/
Then, you have to open the script in Python IDLE and edit it. Everywhere it says "raw_input", you have to change it to just "input" and then save it.
When you try to run the script, it should open a command window, like in Craig's course.

The script should look like this:

import ServoIntegrated
iFile = input ('Input file name: ')
oFile = input ('Output file name: ')
maxServo = 0
maxServo = int(maxServo)
print('\nPlease enter the appropriate number for your Pololu board')
print('\n1 for Pololu 6 servos')
print('\n2 for Pololu 12 servos')
print('\n3 for Pololu 18 servos')
print('\n4 for Pololu 24 servos')
choice = input ('\ninput: ')
choice = int(choice)
print (choice)
while (int(choice) < 1 or int(choice) > 4):
    print ('\nPlease enter a value ranging from 1-4')
    print ('\nAgain the choices are as follows')
    print('\n1 for Pololu 6 servos')
    print('\n2 for Pololu 12 servos')
    print('\n3 for Pololu 18 servos')
    print('\n4 for Pololu 24 servos')
    choice = input('\ninput:')
    choice = int(choice)
if (choice == 1):
    maxServo = 6
elif(choice == 2):
    maxServo = 12
elif(choice == 3):
    maxServo = 18
elif(choice == 4):
    maxServo = 24

print('\nmax servos : ' + str(maxServo))
ServoIntegrated.runServoPrint('w', iFile+'.txt', oFile+'output.txt', 41, maxServo)
#ServoIntegrated.runMan()

Homework - Melissa Crawford

Chris Ellerby — Tue, 08 Aug 2017 20:45:22 +0000

Homework for live workshop student Melissa Crawford

Homework - Elizabeth Meeker

Chris Ellerby — Tue, 08 Aug 2017 20:43:23 +0000

Homework for live workshop student Elizabeth Meeker

Homework - Richard Ramsey

Chris Ellerby — Tue, 08 Aug 2017 20:45:48 +0000

Homework for live workshop student Richard Ramsey