A 3D Related Rant

Current Mood: Intensely Confused
Current Music: Judgement Night Soundtrack (specifically Slayer and Ice-T's Disorder)

Ever since I started 3D I've used IK handles to move "complex" skeletal structures. Things like arms and legs and spinal columns.

For the uninitiated, IK stands for INVERSE KINEMATICS. What are they? Well to put it as simple as possible they act like muscles. You snap them on to a series of joints and that's what you move. The joints will follow suit. Take for example the legs. Or the arms. I usually use IKs to move them, they make life "easier" and stuff.

Although there was this one time on one project here in the office that the IK I rigged for the character was failing miserably. I couldn't move the arm the way I wanted it to move. It was at that moment that I wanted to use FK to move the character.

FK stands for FORWARD KINEMATICS. That's the longer and "harder" way of animating skeletal systems. Instead of having a "muscle" to move them around you have to individually rotate each joint to the desired pose.

Anyway now that I'm working on a game my wish to use FK has been granted. Because the game engine can't interpret IKs in Maya. We have to use FK. How has it been? Mixed reactions.

I managed to finish two simple animations today. So far the movement looks good. For a game. It is very demanding work, simply because the rotations have to be precise if you don't want the foot to move away from where it's standing. Stuff like that. Still, its a new experience and I welcome it.

Now I know there are IK/FK switches. I've downloaded tutorials. However I am pressed for time. Every Friday we've got to submit what is required of us. I don't think I've got the time to fiddle around with the switch. Besides it might f*ck up the rig we got and I don't want that to happen. Game rigs are so different from the rig I usually set-up.

Speaking of rigs, its been a while since I've rigged anything. I might be getting rusty. Better start practicing at home.

Oh wait, I can't. Lordvader's been "sick". He won't run at home. I brought it to the office for a check-up and it was all fine. So I'm theorizing that its either something electrical at home, or the monitor. Or my computer just hates me and will only work for others. P29,000 down the drain. Oh well.

Out.