Figure 14
Figure 15
|
Figure 14 |
Figure 15 |
STEP 24: One last weight map. Deselect everything, then select the polygons that form the palm. Create a weight map called "Left Hand" with an Initial Value of 100.0%. It should look like Figure 15.
STEP 25: Let's see how this looks as a SubPatch cage. Deselect
everything and hit the Tab key. We've already created our weight maps,
so set the Perspective View display type to Wireframe Shade. (Figure
16)
Figure 16 |
Figure 17 |
STEP 26: Before we distort this cage further, we ought to surface it while it's still easy to select surfaces. With everything deselected, type q to bring up the Change Surface dialog box. In the Name box, type "Kara Glove." Leave the "Set Initial Color" box checked, and check the "Smoothing" checkbox. Double-click on the gray box to the right of the Color values to set a specific color, and set the Color to a brown color for now (such as RGB 128 064 000). (Figure 17) Click on OK to apply this surface to the entire hand object.
STEP 27: The model sheet shows the character wearing fingerless
gloves. Select the SubPatches shown in Figure
18, type q to activate the Change Surface dialog box, and
assign a surface called "Kara Skin," with Smoothing turned on and Color
values that resemble pale skin for now (such as RGB 204 183 167). (Figure
18)
Figure 18 |
Figure 19 |
STEP 28: The model sheet also shows trim on the fingerless gloves. Deselect everything, select the SubPatches shown in Figure 19, and assign a surface called "Kara Glove Trim." Make this surface's Color yellow for now, (such as RGB 220 160 000), with Smoothing turned on.
STEP 29: Time to distort this object into more of a hand shape.
First, the fingertips should have more of a "slant" at their bottoms. Deselect
everything. In the Back View, select the points at the bottom of the fingertips.
Move these points towards the palm until the finger tips have more of a
taper, as seen in Figure
20.
Figure 20 |
Figure 21 |
STEP 30: Deselect everything and select the polygons that form the middle finger. Use the Stretch tool at the base of this finger to lengthen it, until the lines of its SubPatch surfaces touch the black lines of the model sheet. (Figure 21).
STEP 31: Deselect everything and then select the polygons that form the pinky. Use the Stretch tool at its base to shorten it slightly, until it looks like Figure 22.
Figure 22
The index and pinky fingers ought to have room to "spread out" when rotated by their bones. Right now, however, their weight maps currently have no control over any of the points of the palm. When the fingers spread out right now, there's a risk of "crimping" happening at the outer edges of the pinky and index fingers (since the palm points, unaffected by the index and pinky bones, will remain fixed as the points of the index and pinky rotate past them).
We could give the weight maps of the pinky and index fingers co-ownership of these points, but that might cause problems, too, as the outer points might then rotate into the palm as the fingers spread out. (They wouldn't rotate as much as the finger points, since the palm bones, having co-ownership, would fight to keep them fixed...but they would probably still rotate inwards, slightly).
Let's see how far we can get by just moving the four closest palm points out of the way. Instead of giving the index and pinky fingers co-ownership of the palm points, we'll just give the index and pinky what they truly need -- some "breathing room."
STEP 32: Deselect everything. Select the points shown in the
first panel of Figure 23,
and Move them towards the wrist. Pay attention to the SubPatch lines connecting
these points to the inner spaces between the fingers. When these lines
form 30-degree angles in relation to the base of the index and pinky fingers,
stop moving the points. (30 degrees will probably be the farthest the index
and pinky fingers will spread out). (Figure
23)
Figure 23 |
Figure 24 |
STEP 33: Now to refine the thumb. Deselect everything. In the Top View, select the points shown in Figure 24 and Move them inwards, to give the thumb more of a taper.
This thumb ought to hang down at a 30-degree angle, but Rotating it to that angle in the Top, Back, or Right Views would be difficult. Happily, we can use Modeler's tools in the Perspective View.
STEP 34: Select the polygons of the thumb. Rotate the Perspective View until the selected edges of the sides the thumb line up with each other. When they do, chances are good that the sides of the root of the thumb are now perpendicular to you. Type y to activate the Rotate tool, place the mouse pointer over the root of the thumb (the spot where the base thumb bone would be), and Rotate the selected polygons until the tip of the thumb touches the black lines defining the bottom of the thumb in the Back View. (Figure 25)
Figure 25
STEP 35: Save this object as torso12.lwo.
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