"trp" <trp### [at] imagicproductionscom> wrote:
> Hello Ed,
>

> we both looked at the real world and applied the bones of a skeleton as our
> framework for animating objects that make up our characters. I like to think of
> the attached objects as the muscles.

Using bones and skeletons is so logical I figure everybody starts there.  The
attached figures definitely could be considered muscles, and there may be a way
to use this idea to have the muscles flex and extend the bones (joints).  That
would lead to more realistic characters, with muscles bulging and relaxing under
their skin.

>
> You are ahead of me on a couple of things. Your InterpolatePose is on my to do
> list. I currently have to create an action to smoothly transition between two

> automating that.
>

I made a slight modification to the interpolatePose and interpolateMovement
macros a few days after I first uploaded bones.zip.  These macros can now be
passed empty strings as skeleton names (parsed as working on the current
skeleton), thus allowing some serious nesting of interpolations.  By creating
four running poses, an animation of running is easy.  However, by interpolating
between a standing pose and the running movement the character can go any speed
from a slow shuffle to a normal walk to a slow trot to a sprint.  It actually
worked smoother and easier than I first expected.

> I also like your IndirectBoneLabel with the example of the webbing between
> fingers. When I first posted something about Alive! a person with the web name

> that would tie two objects created by another utility. As the bones of the
> separate objects moved the mesh would flex and make them appear as a single
> body. It looks like your IndirectBoneLabel would allow that.

It does.  A closeup look at the hand in the biped robot example is almost eerie,
particularly as it moves.  I used a blob object for the entire palm, and as the
bones move (particularly the thumb) the blob bulges as if there are muscles
underneath.  The back of the hand almost looks like it has tendons, which was a
surprise.

>
> So if I may ask, where to next? I started writing Alive! when I wanted to do


>
> TRP
> www.ImagicProductions.com
> the home of
> Alive! for POV

Well the goal was originally to turn an old webcomic of mine into 3d animation.
I realized early on that there would be much broader applicability (and greater
utility for me personally) if I made it a much more general solution.

Next up I will be generating more poses for my two existing skeletons and then
generating more skeletons.  A true inverse kinematics addition might be nice,
but given sufficient poses and the ease of interpolation IK might not even be
strictly necessary.

Right now I only have my characters in empty scenes.  I want to make up some
sets and have the characters move around and interact with objects and each
other - issues are bound to come up with characters sinking into the floor or
walking through walls, and I want to sort through those issues.

Ed

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