 | | | I made a free PDF of the 'Unofficial XSI Character ' book | I made a free PDF of the 'Unofficial XSI Character ' book 2004-06-02 - By Steven Caron
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you are one awesome man.... man
I am currently doing free XSI training for students on Saturday mornings at
my school. I will have something to give them that is a bit more up to date.
much appreciated
-Steven Caron
-Student @(protected)
-- -- Original Message -- --
From: "Anthony Rossano" <anthor@(protected)>
To: <XSI@(protected)>
Sent: Wednesday, June 02, 2004 9:40 PM
Subject: I made a free PDF of the 'Unofficial XSI Character' book
> Hi All!
> So, I have decided to make my 'Unofficial XSI Character' available to
> everyone, free!
> I went through it and made a few corrections to the command names to be
> current with Version 4.0, and made a PDF of the book IN ITS ENTIRETY
> and have now put it up for you all to do with as you please.
> There are no restrictions on the PDF - you can use it, chop it up, copy
> paste, print, spindle, etc.
> There are nice tutorials, exercises, and even a few interviews with XSI
> Gurus like Ludo, Ed Harriss, Matt Lind and Bob Bonniol. It's file size
> is about 23 MB.
> A few pictures are missing - some problem with the Distiller process,
> but it's free, so what the heck.
>
> Here it is via ftp:
> ftp://ftp.mesmer.com/books/xsicharacter/XSI_Character_2004_Mesmer.pdf
> And here it is Via http:
> ftp://ftp.mesmer.com/books/xsicharacter/XSI_Character_2004_Mesmer.pdf
> And it's in the Mesmer Filebank at:
> http://www.mesmer.com/public/pubdownload.php?in06
>
> And the files for it too:
> http://www.mesmer.com/public/pubdownload.php?in�
>
> Then, just in case you want a hard copy, we dropped the price to
> $13.60, which comes out to 3.5 cents a page, cheaper than you can
> photocopy or print it. You can order those here:
> http://www.mesmer.com/public/readpublicarticle.php?in18
>
>
> Just in case you don't know what's in there, I included a table of
> contents here.
> Have fun!
>
>
>
> <br><strong>Chapter : Planning for Animation </strong>
> <br> How to Read This Book
> <br> What This Book covers
> <br> What This Book Does Not Cover
> <br> Specialization
> <br> Storyboarding and Animatic
> <br> Character Design
> <br> Planning for Large Productions
> <br> The Pipeline
> <br> Project Tracking
> <br> Getting ready to start a big project?
> <br><strong>Chapter : Non-Linear Animation with the Mixer </strong>
> <br> Setting Up XSI
> <br> Setting and Editing Keyframes
> <br> Marking Properties
> <br> Checking what property is marked
> <br> Adding to the Marked Property List
> <br> Locking and clearing the marked property list
> <br> Being a productive keyframer
> <br> The Animation Divot and the Animation Menu
> <br> Removing Animation
> <br> Open up the Animation_Spring scene
> <br> Copying and Pasting animation
> <br> Animation Curves and the Animation Editor
> <br> Showing the Animation Editor
> <br> Animation Editor tools and tips
> <br> Keys in the Animation Editor
> <br> What the Slope of the Curve Means
> <br> Changing one key value at a time
> <br> Selecting Many Keys at Once
> <br> Locking to frames
> <br> Adding and Deleting Keys
> <br> Changing Slope
> <br> Swap and Snap
> <br> The Region Tool
> <br> Multiple items at once in the Animation Editor
> <br> Cycles and the Animation Editor
> <br> Creeping Cycles
> <br> Relative Cycles
> <br> Freezing and Removing Cycles
> <br> Timing Changes with the Dopesheet
> <br> Decoding the Dopesheet
> <br> Adjusting timing in the Dopesheet
> <br> All About the Mixer
> <br> Models have a special icon
> <br> Adding tracks to the Mixer
> <br> What Time Is It?
> <br> Storing Pose Actions
> <br> Store Current Values
> <br> Sequencing in the Mixer
> <br> Loading Actions into the Mixer
> <br> The Duration of a Clip
> <br> Feedback on Duration
> <br> Bounce and Cycle
> <br> Drag and Drop Actions
> <br> The Transition Tool
> <br> Storing Animation Actions
> <br> TimeWarp and Actions
> <br> Audio Tracks in the Mixer
> <br> Blending Different Actions
> <br> The Blend slider in the Mixer
> <br> Weight Curves
> <br> Additive versus Average Weights
> <br> Tutorial: The Subwoofer
> <br> Deleting and Renaming Actions
> <br> Mute, Solo and Size Tracks
> <br><strong>Chapter : Design and Modeling with Polygons </strong>
> <br> Polygon Modeling History and Uses
> <br> Polygons in Game Engines
> <br> Polygons in the Renderer
> <br> Polygons in Subdivision Surface Modeling
> <br> Scanned Models and Point Clouds
> <br> Polygon Terminology
> <br> Edges
> <br> Vertex, vertices
> <br> Normals
> <br> The Polygon Components Filter
> <br> Setting Selection Preferences
> <br> Selecting Components
> <br> Transforming Edges, Vertices, and Polygons
> <br> Drawing polygons from scratch and Aligning edges
> <br> Conforming Normals
> <br> Serious Poly Modeling
> <br> The Operator stack, Immediate mode, and Freeze
> <br> Polygon Duplicate means Extrude
> <br> Extrude along curve
> <br> Duplicating a Vertex
> <br> Duplicating an Edge
> <br> Add Edge
> <br> Split Edge and Split Polygon
> <br> Exercise: Manta Ray
> <br> Deleting Polygons, Vertices, and Edges
> <br> Collapsing Polygons, Edges, and Vertices
> <br> iv XSI Illuminated: Character
> <br> Dissolving Edges, Vertices and Polygons
> <br> Exercise: Modeling Diamonds
> <br> Keeping Models Symmetrical
> <br> Merge and Blend Polygon Meshes
> <br> Booleans and Polygons
> <br> Polygon Bridge
> <br> From NURBS to Polygons
> <br> Going from NURBS to Polygons
> <br> Polygon reduction tools in Softimage|D x
> <br> Subdivision Surfaces
> <br> The Subdivision operator
> <br> The Geometry Approximation Method
> <br> Working with Sub-D surfaces
> <br> Local Subdivision
> <br> Exercise: Angler Fish
> <br> Setting harder edges and boundaries
> <br><strong>Chapter : Shape Shifting </strong>
> <br> Deformations in XSI
> <br> Deformations are stored on Clusters
> <br> Making Clusters on your Character
> <br> WeightMaps Modify Deformations
> <br> Connecting WeightMaps to other operators
> <br> Bulge and Twist Deformations
> <br> Spline Deformation and Constrain Cluster to Object
> <br> Exercise: Sea Creatures swimming with Spline Deformation
> <br> Deformation by Spine: Quetzal Neck
> <br> Deform�Cluster Center
> <br> Deformation by Cage
> <br> Exercise: Small sea monster eats larger one
> <br> Deformation by Volume
> <br> Shrinkwrap Deformation
> <br> Exercise: Smaller Monster wraps around larger one
> <br> QuickStretch Deformation
> <br> Example: The Flying Egg
> <br> The Push Tool
> <br> All About Shape Animation
> <br> Shape Tracks in the Mixer
> <br> Save Key Shape
> <br> Store Key Shape
> <br> Exercise: Shape Animation for Musculature
> <br> Select Key Shape
> <br> Exercise: Practice with Shape Mixing
> <br> Shape Animation for Expressions and Lip Sync
> <br> Using Proportional Modeling
> <br> Proportional Setup
> <br> Hierarchies of Shape animation
> <br> Tutorial: A Shape Tree for Facial Animation
> <br> Order of Operators
> <br> v Table of Contents
> <br><strong>Chapter : Inverse Kinematics </strong>
> <br> Inverse Kinematic Concepts
> <br> Forward Kinematics vs Inverse Kinematics
> <br> What�s a Solver?
> <br> More IK Terminology
> <br> The Cones of Doom
> <br> Exercise: Drawing Your First Chain
> <br> Selecting IK Bits
> <br> Types of Chains
> <br> D Chains
> <br> D Chains
> <br> The Resolution Plane
> <br> Preferred Axis Constraint
> <br> Up Vector Constraints
> <br> Changing the IK Solver Type
> <br> Bone Length and Shadow Radius
> <br> Setting Joint Rotation Limits
> <br> Using Joint Roll
> <br> Joint Friction
> <br> Forward Kinematics with IK Chains
> <br> FK/IK Blending
> <br> Pseudo Roots
> <br> Parenting IK Chains Together
> <br> Skeleton Symmetry
> <br> Get Back
> <br> Methods of Attaching Geometry to IK
> <br> Rigid Enveloping
> <br> Tutorial: Egg Factory IK Setup
> <br> Interview: Matt Lind
> <br><strong>Chapter : Skins: Enveloping and Weighting </strong>
> <br> Binding Skins to IK and Weighting theory
> <br> Flexible Enveloping to Inverse Kinematic Chains
> <br> How Envelope Assignment Works
> <br> Local Joint Assignment
> <br> Assignment to the whole Chain
> <br> Keep controls and constraints out of the hierarchy
> <br> Tutorial: Cartoon Hand
> <br> Envelope Assignment Depth
> <br> Envelope Assignment Method
> <br> Adding in new Deformers
> <br> Removing Envelopes
> <br> Enveloping to Objects other than IK
> <br> Weighting Your Skin
> <br> Viewing the Weight Map
> <br> Hurry Up and Weight
> <br> Manual IK weighting
> <br> Mixing weights Manually with Edit Weights
> <br> Envelope Weighting with Paint
> <br> Shaded Mode, Constant Mode
> <br> vi XSI Illuminated: Character
> <br> Mixed Mode and X-ray Mode
> <br> Viewing Names on IK
> <br> Adjusting Paint Brush properties
> <br> Softness, opacity, size, coverage
> <br> Adding Weight to one bone
> <br> Isolating one bone
> <br> Posing models in bad positions
> <br> Smoothing Envelope Weights
> <br> Painting Smoothing On
> <br> Looking at Each Sample Weight
> <br> Tutorial: Weighting Lorphea
> <br> Interview: Bob Bonniol
> <br><strong>Chapter : Custom Properties & Linked Parameters </strong>
> <br> Custom Parameter Sets
> <br> Adding Custom properties
> <br> Editing Custom Properties
> <br> Example: Monstrous Properties
> <br> Collecting Proxy Properties
> <br> Links and Relative Values
> <br> Links
> <br> Tutorial: Linked Spring
> <br> Linking IK to Custom Sliders
> <br> Tutorial: The Monkey�s Paw
> <br> Linking Muscles to Bones
> <br> Pose-Based Shape Animation
> <br> Tutorial: The Stretch
> <br><strong>Chapter : Human Character Modeling </strong>
> <br> Building a Good Pose for Weighting
> <br> Using Reference Material with Rotoscope
> <br> Keeping Proportions with Rotoscope
> <br> Modeling Technique
> <br> Keep it simple
> <br> Edge Loops, Contours, and Poles
> <br> Modeling for Expressions and Lip Sync
> <br> Building musculature
> <br> Building detail around Joints
> <br> Body Parts
> <br> Arms
> <br> Legs
> <br> Torso
> <br> Feet and Toes
> <br> Hands and Fingers
> <br> Head and Face
> <br> It's Alive!
> <br> Proportional Template
> <br> Stitching
> <br> Smoothing Characters
> <br> vii Table of Contents
> <br><strong>Chapter : Complex Human IK Rigs </strong>
> <br> Control Rigs
> <br> Making a Model
> <br> Making a Model shareable
> <br> Hierarchy Versus Constraints
> <br> The Strategy of the Hierarchy
> <br> Reusability
> <br> Easier Enveloping
> <br> Easy Selection
> <br> Automatic Animation and Levels of Control
> <br> Easier Animation
> <br> Animation Re-use
> <br> Building a Simple control rig
> <br> Using Clusters with IK
> <br> The COG and GPS
> <br> Controlling the Resolution Plane
> <br> Organizing with Layers
> <br> Where to put Custom Controls
> <br> Limiting Range of Motion
> <br> IK Controls for Feet
> <br> Controlling Leg IK with Two Constraints
> <br> IK Controls for Arms and Hands
> <br> IK and Controls for Hands
> <br> IK and rotation for forearms
> <br> IK and controls for Spinal Column
> <br> Building in Rigidity
> <br> Building Soft Tissues
> <br> Linking in Muscle Behaviors
> <br> Using Higher Assignment Depth
> <br> Setting Keyframes and Saving Actions
> <br><strong>Chapter : Saving Time with Expressions </strong>
> <br> What is an Expression?
> <br> Why are they so useful?
> <br> What kind of people use expressions?
> <br> Property Names
> <br> Adding expressions onto objects
> <br> Simple expressions
> <br> The process of gradual refinement
> <br> Expression Syntax
> <br> Objects, properties, and animation curves
> <br> Where�s position in X and what�s a Euler?
> <br> Which object does the expression go on?
> <br> Naming conventions
> <br> Mathematics, order of operations, and parenthesis
> <br> Using another object in the expression
> <br> Functions, Constants and Variables
> <br> Constants
> <br> Variables
> <br> Functions
> <br> The Random Seed
> <br> viii XSI Illuminated: Character
> <br> Decisions and Logic
> <br> Tutorial: Swishing the Tail
> <br> Tutorial: Pulsing Lasers and Other Repetitive Stuff
> <br> Tutorial: Hot Wheels
> <br> Tutorial: Expressions Mixing Shapes
> <br> Interview: Ludovick William Michaud
> <br><strong>Chapter : Advanced Character Setup </strong>
> <br> Becoming a Technical Director
> <br> Innovative controls for animators
> <br> Tutorial: Custom PPGs and the Heads-Up Display
> <br> The Amount slider and the Degree slider
> <br> D controllers vs D sliders
> <br> Tutorial: Building D body controllers
> <br> Facial Animation Controllers
> <br> Tutorial: Facial Animation Controller
> <br> Exercise: Saving a Library of Actions
> <br> Creating and Using the Synoptic View
> <br> Tutorial: Simple Synoptic
> <br> Expressions for Human Movement
> <br> Automatic Hip Placement between feet
> <br> Pelvis Lean (Hipskinelocalposz)
> <br> Pelvis Sway (Hipskinelocalposx)
> <br> Pelvis Crouch (Hipskinelocalposy)
> <br> Weight Transfer for Balance (Hipskinelocalposx)
> <br> Automatic Pelvis Rotation
> <br> Hips Rotate with Feet (Hipskinelocalroty)
> <br> Follow forward foot (Hipskinelocalroty)
> <br> Bear Weight (Hipskinelocalrotz)
> <br> Bowing and Backflips (Hipslocalkinerotx)
> <br> Foot collision detection with the floor
> <br> Collarbone Expressions
> <br> Collarbone Lean
> <br> Collarbone Sway
> <br> Collarbone Dip
> <br> Collarbone Rotations
> <br> Spinal Column Expressions
> <br><strong>Chapter : Emotion and Facial Musculature </strong>
> <br> Setting up a face for emotion, not lip sync
> <br> Transportability
> <br> Using Envelope Deformers as Muscles
> <br> Multi-point Constraints
> <br> Shapes and Constrain to Cluster
> <br> Thinking about Muscles
> <br> Opposing action with three shapes
> <br> Tutorial: Facial Expression Rig
> <br> Interview: Ed Harriss
> <br><br>
>
>
> [ Anthony Rossano ]
> - CEO, Mesmer Inc -
> -tel: 206.782.8004-
> -fax: 206.782.8101-
> http://www.mesmer.com
>
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