Friday, January 27, 2012

Ghost of the Ghoul Goes West, pt. 4.1

Hey, S&Pbrains!

Don't get up. This is just an update from the lab. I even 'posterized' the video just to do something a little different from the other videos. It's almost effective.

Almost.


A better linkage system and smoother movement, and along with his head working like a champ, it looks like I might just pull this off.

Better not claim victory just yet.

But I'm enjoying the whole process and learning a lot about things I thought I already knew all about. Like servos, torque, wiring.

And my patience.


DDSP!

5 comments:

  1. YES.
    Ah, this is shaping up splendidly. I'm so glad you've kept the movements to a relative minimum. All too often, I see animatronics that are over-animated. Van Bone here moves when he needs to and it really augments the performance. Great stuff, Mike.

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  2. Thanks my friend. I purposely try to over-animate in the beginning, just to find the limits, but I wholly agree about too much movement. It's funny, I usually see way too much movement or not enough, especially in faces. Puppeteering is tough to program, but worth taking the time. I appreciate your kind comment, very much.

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  3. He is looking good.
    The timing of the gestures seems to flow with the narration. I think its a good idea to add the gestures. In the original footage, Van Sloan barely moves. In fact, only his head and fingers move--the hands are clenched together.
    Will you be animating another arm or just the one? I can see how one arm will be particularly effective, especially if he is standing at the entrance to a room or at the edge of a curtain.

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  4. Thanks Fes!
    I am happy with how it's all moving right now, but of course it's early in the game and the REAL puppeteering/programming are still to come. It can only get better, I think.
    And Edward will have two arms -- I'm waiting on the arrival of a few more pieces of electronica before continuing construction of his left arm -- and I think that will be effective too. I won't have a LOT of movement, but enough of the right kind of movement, makes it look like there's more going on, people think I did WAY more work than I did, haha!
    But I like your idea of him standing sort of behind a curtain, like he's just opened the curtain for the Museum guests and is gesturing them into the place.
    Hhmmmm.

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