Designing transformer (how to deal with transforming parts) ?

[lukx]

Maybe someone who worked on similar project could give me some tips. I need to design (create concept), and then model and rig and animate toaster that transforms into robot. So basically transformer. So I have existing toaster model and it need to transform into robot. The biggest problem for me is to figure out how the parts should split so it will go smooth when I will model it and animate it.
I was wondering how they did this for transformers movie, did concept designers had to design precisely how parts will split during animation so robot match the car or plane it was before? Anyone have any tips how to approach this whole thing?

[Da_elf]

there was a tutorial out there once but it was all in chinese... or some language like that.

[lukx]

oh, with Google translator it might be useful ...

[cyrille32]

Ive been doing lots of robots a while ago...
You should dissassemble your toaster into small parts, manufacturing parts, build up a shape out of them, and then link the parts with articulations.
The more realistic the articulations, the better (if realistic is the look you're after).
The animation transformation itself shouldnt be a problem, as it's just the parts going from toaster postion to robotic position.
I suggest you just keyframe these two states first, and then add extra rotations and sliding to the parts, decay, depending on the way you've articulated your robot, to enhance the whole transformation.

[Dariusz Makowski (Dadal)]

U also need 2 righs if my memory is correct. 1 for animation 1 for transformation, U have to rig the transformation rig to animation one so u can separetly control time and lenght of transformation and then use animation rig for animating it. Its like designing 3 Right character. U have IK right , FK rig and Skinn rig that is linked to both FK and IK rig and as u need u change the strenght of Skin rig to either use the FK rigt or IK rig. U probably need it too. So u need Tranformation Rig linked to both IK and FK rig with smooth control.

Also dont worry abou the smoothing groups just use smooth and the little edges its a post work fix. Or u can use some plugins for that I remember I saw few plugins that allowed u to weld 2 objects together dynamicly....

GL.

[lukx]

cyrille32 did you design all of this parts and how it will disassemble on paper? Or you played with already build 3d model?

[cyrille32]

Its not very hard to design these yourself, you can google search images of factory robots, motorcycles and such to get an idea of the joints and mecanisms you need.
It's easier to play with them already in 3d, as they have to fit your dissassembled toaster, and some of the articulations might rotate on more than one axis.

Example of a robot I've designed, but this one doesnt transform

http://www.cyrillethomas.com/060313mtvnordic.mpg

and this one transform, but I dont have the tranformed state anymore, the project is more than 6 years old...

http://www.cyrillethomas.com/c_thomas_mazinkaiser.jpg

[Da_elf]

oh, with Google translator it might be useful ...

it was a video tutorial. it was for this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qK4xpr6GO0w

[Morbid Angel]

I think for the sake of sanity, a lot of those parts just simply disappear once they move behind something. To me it just does not make sense to "make" all those parts work. I would just make sure my main shapes worked and the secondary ones would animate/scale/hide behind other objects.

[Da_elf]

yup. thats how they do it in the q7 animation. a lot of hiding

[joconnell]

http://transfer.joconnell.com/forums/Aib_savings_03.mov as an example and the scene is at http://transfer.joconnell.com/forums/Aib_savings_03.zip - lots of rotation, animated extrusions and not too much scaling. It's the really early stages of it but it might give you some ideas.

[lukx]

Big thanks !!!

[joconnell]

In the final version I had a lot of panels folded up in the shell of the model which cam out on ik arms - handy enough to get things in place. A lot of people have had luck working backwards on this stuff too!