Explanation: Blender currently uses hard-coded transforms (each object has a transform + delta transform, bones have one transform, Parenting makes a hidden inverse transform, constraints have offsets, etc…) The system is a bit opaque and inflexible; So when Lukas Tönne add pynodes to Blender, I jumped at the idea of trying to do a nodal […]
Nodal Transform Experiment
Explanation:
Blender currently uses hard-coded transforms (each object has a transform + delta transform, bones have one transform, Parenting makes a hidden inverse transform, constraints have offsets, etc…)
The system is a bit opaque and inflexible; So when Lukas Tönne add pynodes to Blender, I jumped at the idea of trying to do a nodal transformation system, that would hold both transform nodes and constraint-ish nodes, and relieve the need for rigging with ‘too many bones’ and lots of constraints. On the way back from SIGGRAPH I had some time to kill in lounges between flights, so I hacked together a really simple proof of concept, and cleaned it up some today. All it does is copy a transform from one object to another:
define a custom nodetree type
define a custom 4×4 matrix socket
define a transform input node that takes the transform from one object
define a transform output node that puts a transform onto an object
really, really hackish driver update function that forces the node tree to evaluate
There is a lot that’s wrong- arguably buggy with what I did, and the current design of pynodes doesn’t really work for this type of usage (I think) but this is a way to prove concepts and keep conversation going.
At SIGGRAPH we premiered the trailer for the Blender community and revealed the title of the Tube Open Movie project: Wires For Empathy Tube is a name we have gotten attached to, but it was only a provisional title and serves us still as the designation for the project (the way that Elephants Dream is […]
Wires For Empathy trailer
At SIGGRAPH we premiered the trailer for the Blender community and revealed the title of the Tube Open Movie project:
Wires For Empathy
Tube is a name we have gotten attached to, but it was only a provisional title and serves us still as the designation for the project (the way that Elephants Dream is also known as Orange). Wires for Empathy is a more evocative title that hints at the themes of this fairly abstract film. During the weeks running up to SIGGRAPH, the local and remote crews were working hard polishing these (and many more) shots and getting them rendered in time. We hope you enjoy our short trailer!
Doing some shader/texture/look developement for Enki-roach before its lighting debut. Roach design is from Redo, Modelling and Textures by Dimetrii (with some mods by me), rigging by me (with some tweaks from Dimetrii). Currently working on cycles shaders (a mix of refraction, transparency, SSS and glossy (no diffuse!!!)) with loads of fresnel/layer weight and textures. […]
Combing a Cockroach’s legs
Doing some shader/texture/look developement for Enki-roach before its lighting debut. Roach design is from Redo, Modelling and Textures by Dimetrii (with some mods by me), rigging by me (with some tweaks from Dimetrii). Currently working on cycles shaders (a mix of refraction, transparency, SSS and glossy (no diffuse!!!)) with loads of fresnel/layer weight and textures. Takes a while to converge but worth it- this cockroach is in only 3 shots (and only one alive ;). The hairs were a last minute addition. click it to embiggen.
Recently Davis Sorenson tweeted that he has resurrected the mypaint-xsheet branch- a special branch of the popular FLOSS painting application that has support for animation, in the form of a playable exposure sheet type interface that harkens back to traditional animation. The original creator of the branch, Manuel Quiñones, used it to animate the open […]
using mypaint for 2d animation
Recently Davis Sorenson tweeted that he has resurrected the mypaint-xsheet branch- a special branch of the popular FLOSS painting application that has support for animation, in the form of a playable exposure sheet type interface that harkens back to traditional animation. The original creator of the branch, Manuel Quiñones, used it to animate the open movie Viaje a la tierra del Quebracho, and it subsequently remained pretty much as-is. Davis has since then updated the branch so it tracks the most recent version of mypaint with all the new enhancements, and has so far added the ability to adjust framerate, and is working on a new file format that takes inspiration from blender’s SDNA for forwards and backwards compatibility. You can get his current progress from his github. His goal is to develop this as a standalone animation application, that naturally shares the mypaint brush engine.
I’ve often used mypaint to ‘sweeten’ renders by adding a certain amount of grunge, smearing and artistic adjustment. Now we could even contemplate producing animated sequences for tube, for use in texture sequences or in post processing, enhancing the film with some direct touch.
I’ve done a bit of experimentation in the new branch, and I have (of course!!!) a list of things I’d like to see – this list is intended as feedback, but not as a series of demands, I believe Davis has his own priorities before he starts adding a bunch of features, but, well, a person can dream 😉 :
exporting a sequence is either missing or diabolically hidden; I ended up exporting frame by frame (not fun!)
copying a cel results in a ‘linked’ cel , painting on one affects the other. That’s cool, but there needs to be an obvious way to unlink them for individual modification
working with multiple animated layers; i.e. more than one cel per frame would be great.
once 3 is implemented, it would make sense to import a sequence as an animation.
timeline based animation like pencil?
sound in the timeline for lip/sound sync?
transformation tool (mypaint is currently lacking this)
perhaps exploit mypaints vectory strokes to do some kind of tweening
That being said, don’t let the lack of features discourage you from playing: this is an intensely addictive and fun program, and in a way, its simplicity is a factor in that; however Davis decides to take this program, I hope that he keeps this element in mind.
Finally, Davis is thinking about names for the new animation program: his conditions are that the name be a single word (no portmanteaus), that it be meaningful, and finally that it sounds good! Suggestions welcome 🙂
