Bonus Post - Bug Reel

Not a vital blog post really, just for fun. I've had a lot of problems during this project with various software and with the pipelines between them. Lots of problems means lots of bugs, fortunately with animation they can be pretty funny.

Here's my best of the bugs reel. 

12/05/13 - Showcase

For the showcase I'm going to be demonstrating what the system was hoping to do rather than the actual system.

To start with you'll get the option to pick a character. I've included a short bio that explains key points in the characters background. The player is in the corner of the screen because that's obviously something that factors into the final outcome.

After selecting a character there will be a screen that allows you to pick an interaction. This will be a similar layout to the character select screen but will have an image representing each interaction. After selecting an interaction the Animation that best fits their character will play. Obviously this means only a few of the clips will be visible in this way. To make it so the rest of the animations are on show there will be a page that allows you to choose any interaction to view.

11/05/13 - Destroy/Steal Reflection

This is representative of when the player destroys or steals something they shouldn't have. It is on a scale of 7 to help add subtly to the performances available. Helping to suit a wider variety of situations.
The example used is the player flipping a table because it displays unwanted destruction to property and because flipping tables is fun.

Let the flipping of tables begin.

┻━┻ ︵ヽ(`Д´)ﾉ︵ ┻━┻

Destroy 1
This is the most aggressive response for this interaction. The aim was to use force to get the player away from what they were destroying or stealing and then make themself bigger in order to intimidate the player.

                                       

Destroy 1

This clip is the worst one of the entire collection, where as some of the others have a few things wrong this one seems to have collected them all. Occlusion in the data caused some odd motions with the hands which didn't seem to be particularly solvable especially within the time allowed.Direction during filming led to a less than aggressive performance which is a little disappointing and then timing has played a major part in making this look pretty rubbish. It does however have some of the body language it was intended to have so it's not a complete failure.

Destroy 2
This clip is mainly focusing around the NPC sizing up to the player, invading the personal space of the player in an attempt to intimidate the character.

                                       

Destroy 2

Something seems a little off about this performance as well. It doesnt feel aggressive enough possibly due to the lack of tensing of the muscles. It does include the invasion of space but the open arms indicating not being afraid kinda looks like he wants a hug...


Destroy 3
The difference between this and the previous clip was meant to be the speed and the distance between the player and the NPC. The NPC was meat to walk towards the player but not invade the personal space quite so much. He should of displayed more annoyance than full blown aggression.


                                      

Destroy 3

Like before i don't really think the NPC looks tense enough to be aggressive and even though he does move slightly slower towards the player it seems very casual and not aggressive at all.


Destroy 4
The idea behind this clip was to make the NPC notice the player, check what he was doing then ignore it.

Destroy 4

The hand gesture Adam made during the motion capture performance is another example of how useful it is to have a real person creating the main chunk of the action. It creates an added realism to the performance which i may not have thought of. I'd say this clip is a success.

Destroy 5
Minimal flight behavior, the NPC is meant to display visible unease and caution.

Destroy 5

The NPC has good anticipation before the action happens as initial movement from the player appears to catch his eye causing him to look as the table is flipped when he reacts. He moves his body away from the threat without moving his legs and his arm raises slightly as if moving to cover his chest.


Destroy 6
More nervous than the previous clip, this is meant to display more caution and have the NPC escaping the threat or going to find help in a reasonably calm manner.

Destroy 6

I like the level of caution in this clip, i think the small half run is a good halfway point between a little wary and the more extreme reaction. I think this clip works fairly well.

Destroy 7

This is meant to be the most extreme reaction displaying the most fear.

Destroy 7

I think the poses could use more exaggeration and possibly a bit more speed when running away but this would be difficult to do without getting Adam to run into a wall due to the size of the capture area.. Size of capture area has been difficult when needed a moving reaction.



That's all folks...

┬─┬ノ( º _ ºノ)

10/05/13 - Major Physical Reflection

The Major Physical interaction its originally based on a 7 point scale similar to the minor interaction however in hid sight it seems like it possibly would work better as a 5 point scale due to its more extreme nature.


Major 1
This is meant to be the most extreme of the fight reactions. The NPC displays no pain as they will be fueled by pure adrenaline which numbs the pain aiding a quick response.

Major 1

I don't think he looks quite aggressive enough. This is probably because Adam didn't want to actually hit to hurt, hes not very aggressive...

Major 2
The mid fight reaction is meant to display the immediate shock of the pain with a quick recovery as the adrenaline kicks in. This adrenaline fuels the aggressive reaction where it was intended that the NPC would attempt to invade the personal space of the player.

                                         

Major 2

This interaction lost some of its body language during the performance capture. Similar to clips in the minor interaction i think this is due to a lack of confidence in my direction during the first session. The performance looks more internal shown by the turn to the side away from the player.


Major 3
This interaction is the mildest form of fight and I'm not sure it's needed quite so much. It could be used for when the NPC knows the player really well such as the relationship between Nathan Drake and Sully in Uncharted. But Major 2 might also be suitable to fill this role. Because there's less aggression the adrenaline levels will be lower so the NPC can feel pain more than with major 2 or 1.

                                       

Major 3

Failed completely at showing the lower adrenaline levels but the aggression is less than major 2 by being less frantic.

Major 4

This interaction was tricky to figure out, It needed to maintain a neutral response that was neither fight nor flight but still be credible. I ended up focusing on the pain of the hit more than anything else.

                                        

Major 4

Issues with the performance are mainly in the timing. The whole interaction turned out to be quite short and considering it was meant to be quite a hard hit it doesn't seem like it had much of an affect.

Major 5
This is the mildest form of flight for this interaction. It should display some submissive body language as already displayed by other flight reactions. As the adrenaline is low the NPC should appear visibly hurt.


                                     

Major 5

The NPC appears to be feeling the pain as hoped but i think other than moving away from the source of the pain there isn't much submissive body language.

Major 6
Mid flight is meant to show some pain and then being to stagger away to a safe distance possibly with an element of confusion.

                                     

Major 6

The NPC looks confused at what just happened and begins to stumble away. The way the NPC remains facing the player is a way of showing that they are wary of player and is constantly checking the threat level.

Major 7
The most extreme flight reaction is meant to display little in the way of a reaction to the pain and only show they want to get away as fast as possible.


                                        

Major 7

The stumble to the floor was a nice addition by Adam during the motion capture session but i feel the NPC should pay more attention to the source of the threat and less to the pain in his face.

09/05/13 - Weapon Reflection

This post will cover the reflection of the weapon clips body language. It was decided that this interaction would be on a scale of 5 instead of 7 like the others because of how extreme the situation is.

Weapon 1

This clip demonstrates the most extreme aggressive response to having a weapon pointed at you. It was meant to be an instinctive reaction first dealing with the weapon with no regard for the NPCs safety then addressing the threat of the player.

Weapon 1

The posture at the beginning of the clip seems a little odd but i think this may be to do with the mesh and how the proportions of Adam have related to it. This is an example of the issue with making the NPC face the player when performing to help achieve a sense of consciousness.

Weapon 2
The less extreme fight reaction is the equivalent of the mid range action for the other interactions. This interaction was to show aggressive body language such as showing the player they were ready to fight and were unafraid.


                                        

Weapon 2

As with Minor 6, this clip has benefited from the input of the actor when recording. The beating of the chest is an extra addition that show the NPC is unafraid. The NPC ends the performance in the fight stance to aid with transitions.

Weapon 3
This was a hard performance to judge. It was tricky to think of a reaction that was neither aggressive or afraid  In the end i settled on trying to calm the player down. The use of submissive hand gestures combines with a strong unafraid pose succeeds in finding a neutral reaction.

                                      

Weapon 3

I'm pleased with how this reaction turned out as i think it succeeds in meeting it's goal of being both neutral and a plausible response.

Weapon 4
The less extreme flight is meant to show a lot of submissive body language. Curling into as small a space as they can, covering vulnerable areas such as the neck, chest and head. Turning so that the body is side on is another common sign.

                                         

Weapon 4

All of the body language hoped to be achieved by this clip is shown although i feel it might be better if the NPC starts to try and edge away slowly after a short while to try and get to a safe distance. This might not work so well though as it could be that the NPC is frozen with fear. This is a involuntary response the body may have which tenses all the muscles as if bracing for impact in an attempt to minimise damage.


Weapon 5
This is the most extreme flight reaction and the main inspiration for the performance was the immediacy of wanting to get away. During stressful situations it is possible that the body diverts all of it's energy to the legs to help run. This heightens reaction speed and quickens timing.

                                          

Weapon 5

The final clip turned out to include a lot more hesitation when running. Even though this wasn't the initial plan i think it worked out well as it allowed a believable performance from the NPC while he tried to get to a safe distance. Once at a safe distance the NPC would then break into a run.

8/05/13 - Minor physical reflection

Some of these have already been uploaded but I figure it might be nice to put up a post about each interaction, that way the posts aren't so long and cluttered.

MINOR PHYSICAL 

First up is the minor physical interaction. The intention for this interaction was to produce a range of responses to being brushed past. I chose to make this interaction using a scale of 7 rather than 5 because i felt there needed to be a middle ground between the most extreme reaction and the mildest reaction. For example its likely that many aggressive people would resort to yelling at someone without lashing out at them. Using a 5 point scale wouldn't account for this.

Before analysing individual clips success I'd like to point out issues that all of the clips have faced by using the Mixamo system. Mixamo allows little control when animating the hands which has limited the credibility the performance could achieve. For example the controls for the individual fingers are limited to curling as a whole whereas other rigs would provide controls to manipulate individual segments.Facial animation has had to be discarded due to time constraints and also the lack of controls provided by Mixamo. As much of the performance is focused on body language in this study this isn't so much of an issue. However, it does cause an uncanny affect as the blank face doesn't match the action.  While using Mixamo has drastically sped up the pipeline for creating the clips it has come at the cost of the quality of rig and subsequently the overall performance. This would be fixed easily by a custom script. 

Minor 1 

The main focus of this clip was to show extreme aggression. This could be suitable for an NPC who has already been wound up by something or someone. I've tried to include aspects of body language that show dominance such as towering over the player with arms wide apart to show they aren't afraid. The speed of the response is quick and instinctive with little anticipation.

Minor 1 
Note: This clip will be re rendered due to odd lighting.

Issues with this performance are mainly technical. Recording the player separately to the NPC has resulted in some timing issues but as this was a design for game it's highlighted a key problem with capturing specific actions involving the player. As such I've been able to include this in my findings section of the dissertation. 

Minor 2 
This clip is the middle road of aggression and aimed to show aggressive body language such as tensing of the muscles, clenched fists and making the NPC appear bigger and more intimidating.

Minor2

This clip has all the body language but it falls into the trap GTA NPCs fall into. It reacts in the wrong direction so it just looks like he's having a temper tantrum instead of directing the aggression at the player. This could possibly be solved with a system of making sure the NPC faces the player. It could possibly be achieved using blending techniques so that the bottom of the character moves to face the player while the hips and above play the performance.

Minor 3
This clip shows the mildest form of aggression. The NPC displays smaller movements such as the hand movement from minor 1 that implies they are not afraid of a fight. By reducing the size of the movements and keeping it closer to the NPCs side it indicates that the annoyance is more internal than directed at the player.

Minor 3

This clip is mainly successful in it's use of body language although the aggressive stance at the end could be clearer.

Minor 4
This clip is the default performance as it seemed to be the most obvious response to being brushed into. The body language was meant to indicate they were aware of the interaction and what it was cause by but then decide it wasn't a threat and return to normal fairly quickly.

Minor 4

I think this clip appears more aggressive than was intended and would work better as the mild fight clip. This is most likely due to bad direction when recording the clips. It was recorded in the first session and i think i felt a little cautious about directing as i didn't want to seem bossy, in the later sessions i feel i overcame my worries and remembered it was actually what i was there to do.



Minor 5
This clip shows mild flight. The body language is minimal but clearly submissive, after being bumped into the NPC checks the threat and then reacts by lowering the head and raising a palm to indicate respect. The NPC also hunches his shoulder making him appear smaller making it obvious he is no threat.

                                      

Minor 5

I think this clip is pretty successful, the timing works well and the movements are minimal and believable.

Minor 6
This is the mid flight response  not wanting to appear too extreme, this performance is primarily to show the NPCs unease. The NPC was meant to keep his eye on the player, checking that the threat hasn't increased any. He moves away to help distance himself from the threat where he relaxes a little.

                                       

Minor 6

I like the skip in the step at the beginning of the response as it adds an extra initial sense of unease. This points out a benefit to using motion capture. Without it, the skip would probably not be part of the performance as it was completely improvised by Adam on the day. Once seeing the skip it was obvious it was a nice touch and so was added in to all of the takes after.

Minor 7This is the most extreme flight response. This would be the response of a person with a very nervous disposition or who is possibly traumatised and on edge anyway. Body language was to be limited to pushing all energy to escaping the threat.

Minor 7

This clip shows the body language that was intended but in hindsight, i would probably make the character cower a little more while they escaped.

06/05/13 - Personal Development Summary

At the beginning of the semester I was aware of a few aspects that I needed to work on the get the best out of my performances. They were anatomy, body language and the sense of weight.

Anatomy
I see anatomy as a vital part of my improvement as an artist and animator. Throughout the year i have been attending extra life drawing classes put on by Lynn and using various sources online such as pose maniacs and another site which uses photostock images and offers a simulated life drawing class in my spare time. I've focused on specific areas that I feel are weaknesses such as hands, feet, faces and male anatomy. And searched out techniques to help me improve.

Sense of weight
Again i have mainly been aiming to improve my sense of weight through life drawing. The book, Force: Dynamic life drawing for animators has been a huge influence and has encouraged me to sometimes be more fluid with my drawing looking for lines of movement  to influence structure which have given my drawings more life. I've tried to transplant this knowledge into 3D by improving the poses of my 3D models by copying pictures and using the line of action technique.

Body language
A large part of my project was weighted on the performance that i produced revealing the emotion and thought process of the character. To improve the outcome it made sense to look into body language and the subtle gestures that add to a performance and really let the audience know how the character feels.

As the semester went on and it became clearer that motion capture was something that would be a vital part of my final outcome much of my development time went into learning new technology such as Vicon Blade 2.0 and Motion builder. It was tough to begin with but any solution to a problem i recorded on this blog which meant if it happened again i was able to quickly resolve it. This will also serve valuable for any future endevors and has encouraged me to begin documenting my problems and solutions more often on a personal blog. With a little help from lecturers such as Grant and Lynn i am now confident that i would be able to run my own motion capture session and be able to run through the pipeline between blade, Motionbuilder and Maya with much improved speed.












Even though this my not apply to my honours project i feel I've improved my ability to sketch freely. I carry a sketchbook around with me at all times and use it daily to encourage using my imagination. The quality of the drawings that i now produce in my sketchbook i feel has improved hugely and by sketching daily it has helped me to become less frustrated when drawing. I no longer feel like everything that i draw needs to be perfect and understand that even the drawings that I'm not so proud of are still signs of progress.

Finally I'll mention my odd collection of skills that I began to improve a little but as they weren't as crucial to my project were only worked on a little. I find as i come to the end of my uni experience i've become more eager to learn pretty much everything than i ever have before and sometimes this urge proved to be a little distracting. To help keep myself focused i allowed myself one day a week to work on something not necessarily related to my project. The following are some examples of these mini projects.

Digital Painting
Aim: Improve ability to render a final painting.
Result: Happy with improvement but highlights need for looking at textures of cloth and fur better.

Modelling

Aim: Improve ability to model from a concept sketch and topology
Result: Accuracy of model to concept massively improved, topology managed one mesh made completely of quads, downside it took me a day to model barely anything. Speed needs to be improved.

Quadruped walk cycle

Aim: Understand and create a quadruped walk cycle.
Result: Happy with the legs and feel like i understand the motion and order of the movement but really need to work on follow through as a principle.