This week beigns with the last few days I'm willing to spend on modelling Manny - it's been fun creating variations on a theme, but I really ought to be getting on with placing him in his window display and getting the first few scenes sorted
I have also drawn up a storyboard which keeps my mind focused on how to go about and progress with each section, bit by bit
Here, I have created a new .Max file from the original torso file, in which I have merged in his head and right arm. The pole/plinth combo is two Cylinders, one wider and shorter than the other taller, but slimmer one
Here, I was cloning Manny's right arm as it would be time-consuming to create a new'un from scratch. Only thing was, I realized (I must have had a geometric-positioning lapse!) that the arm was facing backwards e.g. the hand was a full 180degrees from where it should be; I'll have to sort that, or conjure up a good explanation as to why its like that...
The two images above illustrate the process of removing the bottom-most Polygons to slide the head over the section of neck I had left uncapped for just this situation. I did need to tweak the remaining vertices and edges to get it looking as flush a fit as possible, but it seemed almost seamless to me (until I start animating it, that is, and thats when it'll go haywire!)
The two images above illustrate the final adjustments I was to make around the eyes; using the Cut tool to create extra edges and then Removing them straight after, leaving behind the beginning and end vertices that allowed me greater flexability when shaping the outline of the eyelids/sockets
Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present Manny!
...Hang on.
Ok, I've had a rethink...
Below is Manny Mk.2!
Basically, I thought that his overall construction and makeup wasn't working too well with my intentions of keeping him as visually believable in terms of the artistic textures and appearance; in other words, when looking through the Material Editor, I found a selection of Standard visual makeups that I could apply, whilst still using an existing BitMap, should I wish to
But, in keeping with the more traditional, hemp-style materials used with shop mannequins, this appearance rendered below is more in keeping - plus, it exudes an almost naive, child-like visual style which highlights all the right areas (the ones I spent so long getting just so...the smooth outlines of the nostrils, the lips and pecs, for example)
Well, I'm pleased with his transformation, to say the least!
Storyboards
Below are the set of twelve scenes that will make up the character animation; I have tried to instill a sense of fustration, but also desperation within Manny who, although the pinnicle of a humanely-relatable inanimate object, can't express himself from anything but his eyebrows and eyelids facially, and frantic arm movements physically
As there is, understandably, little video/animation showing these emotions with mannequins as the main character (those I did find always involved them in more uplifting scenarios, truthfully!), I had a tough time even thinking of the right terminology to use when searching, let alone finding the material in the first place.
I did, however, come across this which can instruct me on how best to approach the positions in which I can contort Manny's face to display a range of common human emotions: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrUfxn3eXoQ
...and perhaps, as an illustrative aspect, from 3:42 on this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oee6XJSUe4 (beware, its a bit traumatic!)
I thought it was a good example of being trapped in a confined space and follows my intentions of giving Manny a human awareness of that confinement and it, subsequently, freaking him out
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