Mechanical Creations in 3D

A Practical Look into Complex and Technical Setups for Animation & VFX

Stewart Jones

• Publisher: Chapman and Hall/CRC
• Year: 2018
• ISBN:
  9781351361040
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Computer Science
• Subtopic: Programming Games
• Index: Computer Science

Cogs, cranks, wheels, plates, chains, springs and pistons - a nightmare for animators. This book shows 3D artists how to create, setup, control and automate movements for complex and technically challenging mechanical structures all while working on a super-detailed steampunk train! This book will specifically implement current industry trends and techniques for animated mechanical structures. We will be using Autodesk 3ds Max only, with no plugins and no additional software required. Readers will close out this book with a completed steampunk train for their portfolios and practical knowledge to combat other tricky hard-surface rigging and animation challenges.

Key Features

• This is the only book available for mechanical setups in Autodesk 3ds Max.
• Although 3ds Max specific, the techniques and foundations will work for any 3D application.
• By following the step-by-step guides in this book, you can finish and complete a portfolio-ready steampunk train.
• Each chapter will include an introduction and a summary, giving significance to the start and end of each section where readers can rest!
• Boxed step-by-step guides will be used for the creation of technical setups in 3ds Max. A "Memory Refresh" section is included in each chapter, this gives short and quick reminders for the stages needed to complete the chapter setup - helpful as a reference guide for those that have already read the book and just need a reminder, saving them time as they won't have to re-read the whole thing!

1

Introduction

All aboard!

Mind the gap as you step onto the train. Be careful of the closing doors … Yeah, I ran out of stereotypical train quotes pretty quickly. Anyway, welcome to the start of our steampunk-style train-rigging journey.

Throughout the next 10 chapters, we’re going to be discussing theories, tips, tricks, and techniques for the three-dimensional (3D) rigging setup of complex, technical, hard-surface geometries. We’re going to spend time looking into human-made, industrial-type machinery such as chains, tracks, cogs, dials, wires, and pistons, among others. Our goal is to design and create a system of hierarchies and controls that enables automation and overrides that an animator can control easily.

Although our primary creation is going to be a futuristic, steampunk-style train, the methodologies used here can be applied to a number of other hard objects. Cars, boats, planes, tanks, robots, and other kinds of vehicles or structures often need the same or similar kinds of rigs that we will be creating. And, as the way that we work on our rig throughout this book is modular, those rigged elements can be easily re-created and transplanted into other models and geometries. It is worth noting that, as with any rigging solution, there is no perfect way to create a rig. There are different options and choices to make, but we can create the best solution for the challenge at hand—which is what we do during the course of this book.

Our weapon of choice for this steampunk creation is Autodesk 3ds Max (3ds Max for short). At the time of writing, I’m using the latest version of the software, which is Autodesk 3ds Max 2019, but the approaches used in the rig’s creation are transferrable to any of the more recent versions from around 2010 onward. I’m just guessing on this, but the fundamentals of 3ds Max haven’t changed all that much over the years, so I’m pretty confident that things will work out just the same on older versions. Actually, even though I’m writing specifically about this software, the manner in which the rig is created can be shifted to other 3D software applications. Obviously, the tools and steps may be different, but the core foundations, techniques, and mathematics in which to create a rig are always the same…Honest! I have personally used both Autodesk 3ds Max and Autodesk Maya at a comparable level in professional productions, and although they have their differences (and quirks) in terms of architecture and procedures, both can replicate the exact same kinds of rigs. A good rig is a good rig and a bad rig is a bad rig in any program—so what I’m saying is that we better build a good one, no matter which software we’re using!

One last thing: This book is aimed at those with an advanced level of understanding of 3D and a thorough knowledge of rigging tools and terminology. You also should be at least an intermediate-level user of 3ds Max, who can use the software confidently and comfortably. If you’re new to rigging, I’m afraid to say that this book may, at times, be a little overwhelming. That’s not to say that you won’t be able to follow along—far from it, in fact. You definitely will be able to re-create the tutorials and enjoy creating most sections of the rig for the...