Hi everybody, well I've been browsing this site for a couple years now, and I finally decided to join up. So, for my very first post I'm asking for help because I'm pretty well stumped. I am in the process of creating several characters who will be using swords. I've attempted to rig one of the first characters with a skeletal system that includes the sword as an extension of the wrist or hand, and then incorporate IK for an intuitive pose to pose animation. The results were less than spectaular. On their own the arms work beautifully with IK, throw the sword into the mix and whole thing gets whacked out.
I've seen really good swordplay animation in at least a hundred different 3D games, Jedi Knight, Soul Calibur, Tenchu and Ninja Gaiden, as well as a few great CG films. I really want to do something spectacular, but I'm stumbling on the TD... any help would be appreciated.
well.. where's a problem? I guess that sworder-rigs are just a little modified source-rigs. virtually any rig could be upgraded for that.. what exatly You are looking for?
Well, I suppose it's not the way I have my arms set up, they're straight forward enough. However I've tried to create a bone for the blade itself, and placed an IK handle at the tip of the blade so I could animate the blade and let the arms take care of themselves. The problem is I get some flipping and popping when I move the sword, sometimes it even ends up twisting the arm all over the place. I don't see a reason for it to behave the way it does, I've got joint contraints on the arms in all the right places and at the right settings. It should, for all intents and purposes behave like a real arm, but it doesn't... sword in hand, things become very unpredictable.
Parenting actually is simpliest, but not optimal solution, since swordfight often include swordPLAY - passing sword to another hand, throwing (constraints), turning around bladetip, custom blade swing (bone+IK), etc. which is not possible with hierarchial parenting. For really advanced setup _You_ should be advanced. At least do it through constraints, not parenting.
There's no need to rig the sword and the one post is right about using constraints. I would parent constrain the sword to the palm joint. You can key frame the parent constraint if you want the sword to leave the hand.
If you are bent on running a IK solver through the sword, make it separate from the character. Don't make it part of the character's heirarchy. I would still parent constrain it to the palm, and maybe have a controller for moving the tip of the sword relative to the character.
QUOTE(Joojaa @ 03/03/06, 08:27 AM) [snapback]229876[/snapback] well you gain allmost nothing trough running teh ik torugh the sword since if only works well on 2 joints anyway.
You would have to have two joints in the sword because IK can't be used on fewer than two joints.
well id imagine youd thinkof the ikchain form shoulder to tip of vblade! Because thats how you properly use a slashing sword, the wrist could easily be sdked since its movement is quite predictable (yes i do have some training in sowrdsmanship both european and japaneese).
but if id have to so this with ik id do a reverse foot like rig where the sword is parentted to 2 ik chains one being the wrist and one the hand.
I'd like to thank everyone for all their input. I actually thought up another method I might try.
First I'd place the sword in my characters hand. Then group, or parent the arms IK handle to the sword, so that I could move the sword however and wherever I need to and the hand will follow, If it works for onehanded sword play it should also work for two. If need be I might even be able to fix the sword with an aim constraint, if I need it pointed someplace precisely
That would be a reverse foot type of rig! THing is tough this make for animating the sword movement hard. Because unless your fencing with a light trusting sword you DONT move the sword about in thisway. Wich mekes the controll a bit wonky.
TO be totaly honest the use of a wide range of slashig swords orm a katana to a european classic kinighst sowrd is WAY easuier to fk than ik, hat is if yoru going for real swordsmanship.
QUOTE TO be totaly honest the use of a wide range of slashig swords orm a katana to a european classic kinighst sowrd is WAY easuier to fk than ik, hat is if yoru going for real swordsmanship.
Totally agree with Joojaa here. IK is great cause you don't have to pose every single joint, but when it comes to what you're actually going to do with the sword you would really limit yourself using ik for both the sword and the arm. arm could be IK and wrist forward should be FK, especially if you want your swordfighters to look organic.