Rigging Mentorship

 Contact for Mentorship:
    
E-mail : shinyprem@gmail.com

Maya crashing or slowing

Is maya crashing?
Finding paint weight and simulation ?

Goto windows>settings>preference>undo>finite
Reduce it to 50 ideally.

Maya *.ma or *.mb won't Save or Export as ASCII

Maya *.ma or * .mb won't Save or Export as ASCII

Maya.mb won't save/export as Maya.ma file because of unknown node or data type. Try deleting using this MEL command.

delete `ls -type unknown`;




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Maya Poly topology sculpting

Maya Poly topology sculpting and creating correctives

SHAPES Brush for Maya - Free Poly Tools Modeling Scripts / Plugins ...

This tool by Brave Rabbit is a useful tool for creating facial expression shapes(Grab and Pull), topology sculpting (Sliding) and creating correctives. This is a free plugin and they have commercial version to create corrective shape and integrate with the rig in a single UI. Does wonders than sculpt geometry tool.

Download Link

Vimeo Link

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My Maya Works

My personal Maya work

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Maya Muscle Rig

My Muscle Rig Demo.


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Maya Python and MEL Script Reel

These are few custom scripts to speed up my work and the techniques behind my rigs.

Downloads:-

      skintransferbetweentwojnt-for-maya

     re-connect-corresponding-attribute-for-maya

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Reducing Mesh Thickness in Maya

Adjusting mesh thickness of hair strands in Maya.

Select the Mesh in component mode. Execute " scale -r -ocp 0.5 1 0.5 ;  " as MEL. 

the components are scaled with object center pivot according to the x y z values.

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Maya FBX Export Of Set Driven Keys Animation

Maya FBX Export Of Set Driven Keys

Export setdriven key animation are considered complex animation and will be exported as baked animation. Here is the work about to do the same.

First load FBX Export Plugin :

In  File> Export Selection Options under "File Type Specific Options" Click "Edit presets..."
In Edit export preset> EXPORT>Include>check on  "Bake Animation" .

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Maya Facial Ctrl Creation

Maya Facial Ctrl Creation Work Flow

This blog is to setup the facial ctrl follow the face mesh deformation

Have the facial joints created and grouped to itself to preserve the transforms, so the joint will have zeroed out transform values; then place it on the required area viz cheek or lip. by holding the group of the joint.

Have the ctrl created for the joint according to its orientation. Have top group that holds the transform value and the ctrl will have zeroed out transform value. Group the ctrl once again to have zeroed out intermediate transform node, which will be connected to a multiplyDivide node with iput 2X 2Y 2Z all set to "-1"

Do the connections as below and do the skinning too and see the output or it will look weird.

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Maya Transfer Skin Weight between Joints

Maya Transfer Skin Weight between Joints

Maya native skin tool can be used to transfer skinWeight or swap skinWeight between two joints indeed.

Lets see how to go about it.

Here three joints are bound to a mesh. The skinkWeight of the verts influenced by the Bottom joint is transferred to the Top joint. 

For this you have to be in "Paint Select" mode on the "paint skin weight tool", Right click on the Bottom joint to select the verts influenced by it and then select the Top joint and crank the value to 1.

Or

Be in Paint mode it self and Right click on the Bottom joint to select the verts influenced by it and then ctrl click to select the Top joint and click the icon marked in the image below.

I have automated the stuff which you can download.

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Vehicle Rig Generator for Maya - Character Scripts / Plugins for Maya

Vehicle Rig Generator for Maya - Character Scripts / Plugins for Maya

Maya Preference Setting

Maya Preference Setting

Often Maya command will not be responding in spite of resetting the tool. Or on right click Maya will not work. In that case try deleting the preference folder, rename as prefsOld. (path C:\Users\xx\Documents\maya\2016\prefs) and restart Maya and select create new preference.

With new preference one will loose the custom self or marking menu, which can be copied from prefOld.

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Maya Diaphragm Shutter

Setting up Maya Diaphragm Shutter

Maya Bonus Tool is powerful indeed. It creates numerous operation.
Diaphragm shutters can be setup with BonusTool>Edit>Duplicate on Object.

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Maya Geometry Cache

Maya Geometry Cache Workflow

Geometry Cache calculate the vertex position of the polygon in the animated scene using the control rig (referenced asset file) and export it to designated file path, then import the cache to the fresh file that has the shaders alone.

The outliner hierarchy and Poly count of the Rig file and Texture file should be same.

The cache can be loaded selecting the "Geo" node.

This way reduce the Render time as there is no calculation of the deformers and math nodes involved in the Rig file.

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Maya Add Influence to skinCluster

Maya Add Influence to skinCluster

This option helps to add a missed out joint or geometry as an influence to the skinCuster.

Follow the option to add a new joint without disturbing the paint weight of the skinCluster.

A curve or a Non-uniform rational basis spline (NURBS) can also be added as influence object and weights can be added but the skinCluster should have "Use components" On. This can be used for facial skin weight rigs like using a wire deformer. Wire deformer holds the volume but this will have linear deformation.

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Maya Shelf Button

Maya Shelf Button to do two operation.

One can echo the command of an operation in script editor and pull it to the shelf. The same button can be used to execute the opposite of the same operation by double clicking or what ever one feel like.

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Maya Search and Replace Names

Maya Search and Replace Names

Many of use do not use the option to remove prefix with native Maya Modify>Search and Replace Option, because it gives us

 "// Error: file: C:/Program Files/Autodesk/Maya2016/scripts/others/performSearchReplaceNames.mel line 295: Must enter a valid search and replace string."

So, here is the trick

Use any Special keys or Punctuation.

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Maya Blend Smooth Skinning Method

Maya Dual Quaternion Paint Weight

The areas painted with DQ weight helps in preserving the volume on knees, elbow, knuckle, etc. overriding the classic linear skin values. 

Give a value of 0.2 DQ weight to the whole body, will help as a whole with good deformation.

 Paint the rigid area, where volume has to be maintained with greater value of DQ weight.

Note: stretchy set up of the rig has to be on translate of the aim axis and not on the scale to avoid weird deformation.

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Maya Changing Pivot of controls

Maya Pivot shift of control for Prop

This will be useful to shift the pivot of props controls like weapons, sticks, plates, etc. for animation purpose keeping point of contact in mind.

Create a Null group under ctl_Stick and parentConstraint grp_ctl_StickPivot, to move the pivot control along with the ctl_stick.

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