3D Character modelling blog smmary

Summary of 3D Modelling

In this report I explain briefly the key roles of modelling in an animation industry, and talk about the process of my model. This will be supported with quotes from books and my blogs I had made as well as searching the job roles of each in the industry on the internet.

The main job roles of 3D modelling in the Animation Industry

Through researching the different roles that are included with the 3D animation production pipeline, I had blogged on why each role is crucial by searching job advertisements and what the companies that were hiring were asking for specifically. The roles I needed to find were a character modeller, a character technical director, and a character rigger. Each of these roles form crucial parts in the production pipeline: the character modeller models the characters with help from the storyboards and design team; the character technical director works with the character modellers, riggers, animators, and the director of the whole animation pipeline ensuring deadlines are met; and lastly the character rigger who rigs a modelled character to a skeleton by binding the mesh with the rig and weight the limbs so that they work in the 3D environment without any glitches or unnecessary movement. Below is more about each role.  

Character modeller

The following quote supports what is essential that any character modeller thinks about when making their models.

                “Sometimes it’s easier to construct your 3D model with simple shapes first before starting any kind of complex modelling.” [Kater, 2005, P239]

Looking on websites, the role of a character modeller seems to be looking for someone who can model to a high detail. They also need to make sure that the model can be used with the riggers later on in the process and to make sure that the model is what the Director wants it to be. They work with them making sure that the concept art links up to the final model being made. They are expected to know software that is able to model such as Maya, Cinema4D, 3DS Max, Blender, or Mudbox and also know how to use UV textures properly when adding textures. They also need to liaise with the rigging department who will then add a skeleton to the character later, making sure they can go over any mistakes made. I feel this next quote explains more about UV texturing too.

                “If there are multiple identical objects, they will often be duplicated off of one existing mesh that has been unwrapped to maximize the resolution of the textures.” [Petroc, Lanning and Baysal, 2007, P44]

Sometimes, the character modeller needs to know how to make a deforming and non-deforming model. If they need to create a humanoid character, they need how it should deform and if they are making a robotic character, how that will not deform but still be able to move. This information is then relayed onto the rigger who will be told about the areas that need to be weighted.

Character Technical Director

The role of the character technical director is the leader of technical design of the character modelling and rigging process. They are recognised by the company that employed them as being one of the best character modellers and riggers and trusts them to ensure that the whole process of making the character runs smoothly. They create ways to work around errors and problems for the character design team, ensuring that they can achieve a nice workflow, and are responsible for setting up the pipeline for the staff to follow, allowing for the pipeline to flow evenly.

Character rigger

The role of character rigging solely focuses on making a skeleton rig for a character that will have the use of IK/FK chains that can be moved around nicely for when the animators use them. In liaising with the character modeller, they make the skeletons of the rig using the grid view, place the joints on the areas needed to be placed, and then place IK chains on the rigs that will make the joints of that whole ligament move. Once they make the rig, they need to ensure that it can deform nicely. If it doesn’t, the character modeller goes over the design in the area that needs to be fixed, then hands it back to the rigger. Once it works, the rigger then weights the character, ensuring that when joints move, they do not affect all the areas and only affect the areas that need to morph (e.g. when the rigger weights the arm, they need to make sure that the arm joint only effects the shoulder area to morph and not the sides of the body. A way to weight is explained in the quote below from an author explaining a way they made the character weight:

                “I pose my head and then tweak the weighting; by doing so, you can actually see the points move into different alignments, and it makes the tweaking of weights actually mean something visual.” [Osipa, 2007, P247]

This is helpful to anyone who rigs to help identify where things need to be weighted so that they can target specific areas to add weight on or take weight off. Sometimes, if a character has non-deforming properties, the rigger will also need to take weight away from those objects ensuring that the rig does not affect those areas. They will identify how the model moves and if the non-deforming properties need to be moved too.  

From what I have learnt in researching the character modelling process, I have seen that industries ask for people who know a lot about the technicalities of 3D character modelling, the program that is the most useful for the company, and how their skills and specialities incorporate into the industry.
For 3D modelling, I have realised that a lot of liaising needs to be made with the director and rigger, ensuring that the model works well before the animators use them.
For the rigging, they are only fed information from the modeller and director to put in the weighting for the character and send back any problems need fixing.
For the technical director, I have seen that they ensure that everything works well within a time limit before animating can begin.  

References

Kater, G, 2005, Design first for 3D Artists, California, Wordware Publishing Inc.

Osipa, J, 2007, Stop Staring Facial modelling and Animation Done Right, Indianapolis, Wiley Publishing Inc.

Petroc, Z, Lanning, K, and Baysal T, 2007, d’artiste Character Modeling 2, Mylor, Ballistic Media