Need Help with Bone Arrangement

[chiefr_suthrland]

Okay, so here’s a character I’ve created for my South Park parody. The guy’s supposed to be dancing in his underwear. But for some reason, when I use the Manipulate Bone tool and drag it, it doesn’t manipulate the bone, it simply drags my entire character. Pretty much he’s supposed to be doing a pelvic thrust, back and forth, just some silly little dance. Is there something wrong with the way I setup my bones? This is my first time drawing a character from a side angle, but I just used the same setup I always use, so I don’t see why that should make a difference.



When I use the Manipulate Bone tool with my forward facing South Park characters, what I “want” to happen happens, as illustrated in this image here.



The torso moves from right to left, the legs however, when I use the manipulate bone tool on the legs it moves my entire character…but I like it like that. I use that make my South Park characters walk. I don’t want my character’s torso to have that same effect however. “Ideally” I would like to set it up so that when I use the Manipulate Bone tool on the “meeting point”(where the torso bone meets the leg bone), I want both the bottom of the torso bone and the top of the leg bone to move in the same direction when I use the Manipulate Bone tool on it. So for example, if I drag it left, it would be shaped like this “<” and if I move it to the right, then it would be shaped like this “>”. Hopefully you understand what I’m trying to say. I try my hardest to explain myself the best way that I can. If anything I said confused you, let me know and I’ll try better to clarify.

[synthsin75]

But for some reason, when I use the Manipulate Bone tool and drag it, it doesn’t manipulate the bone, it simply drags my entire character.

The manipulate bone tool translates the root bone (bone without a parent bone) automatically. You may want to either add a root bone to use to translate the character or hold alt when using the manipulate bone tool on the root bone.

When I use the Manipulate Bone tool with my forward facing South Park characters, what I “want” to happen happens, as illustrated in this image here.

The torso moves from right to left, the legs however, when I use the manipulate bone tool on the legs it moves my entire character…but I like it like that. I use that make my South Park characters walk. I don’t want my character’s torso to have that same effect however. “Ideally” I would like to set it up so that when I use the Manipulate Bone tool on the “meeting point”(where the torso bone meets the leg bone), I want both the bottom of the torso bone and the top of the leg bone to move in the same direction when I use the Manipulate Bone tool on it. So for example, if I drag it left, it would be shaped like this “<” and if I move it to the right, then it would be shaped like this “>”. Hopefully you understand what I’m trying to say. I try my hardest to explain myself the best way that I can. If anything I said confused you, let me know and I’ll try better to clarify.

Here's an example of a possible solution:
http://www.filedropper.com/rigexample


I used the offset pin bone to move the whole rig and the middle one to bend it, with the regular bones targeted to the other pin bones.

[chiefr_suthrland]

But for some reason, when I use the Manipulate Bone tool and drag it, it doesn’t manipulate the bone, it simply drags my entire character.

The manipulate bone tool translates the root bone (bone without a parent bone) automatically. You may want to either add a root bone to use to translate the character or hold alt when using the manipulate bone tool on the root bone.

When I use the Manipulate Bone tool with my forward facing South Park characters, what I “want” to happen happens, as illustrated in this image here.

The torso moves from right to left, the legs however, when I use the manipulate bone tool on the legs it moves my entire character…but I like it like that. I use that make my South Park characters walk. I don’t want my character’s torso to have that same effect however. “Ideally” I would like to set it up so that when I use the Manipulate Bone tool on the “meeting point”(where the torso bone meets the leg bone), I want both the bottom of the torso bone and the top of the leg bone to move in the same direction when I use the Manipulate Bone tool on it. So for example, if I drag it left, it would be shaped like this “<” and if I move it to the right, then it would be shaped like this “>”. Hopefully you understand what I’m trying to say. I try my hardest to explain myself the best way that I can. If anything I said confused you, let me know and I’ll try better to clarify.

Here's an example of a possible solution:
http://www.filedropper.com/rigexample


I used the offset pin bone to move the whole rig and the middle one to bend it, with the regular bones targeted to the other pin bones.

Wait. So what's that thing you put in the middle and how do I create that?

[synthsin75]

Just a pin bone (bone with zero length), like the other three. I just scaled it up on frame one to make it easier to grap.

[chiefr_suthrland]

Just a pin bone (bone with zero length), like the other three. I just scaled it up on frame one to make it easier to grap.

Okay. So I just went onto Google/YouTube to find out how to actually do this and evidently you need Moho 12 to use this feature. Unfortunately I'm a broke boy, so I need to know how to do this using Moho 11. How exactly does the root bone method work?

[synthsin75]

Here's an AS11 example, without pin bones.

http://www.filedropper.com/rigexample_1

[chiefr_suthrland]

Here's an AS11 example, without pin bones.

http://www.filedropper.com/rigexample_1

How'd you get the rig to move like that?

[synthsin75]

Walk with the offset bone, and translate the middle bone. Check the keyframes for each bone.

[chiefr_suthrland]

Ahh. I see now. So I take it that middle bone is your root bone?

[synthsin75]

Ahh. I see now. So I take it that middle bone is your root bone?

The offset bone is the root bone, since it has no parent bone. But yes, without the bone targets to accomplish what you were asking for, that middle bone would typically have no parent...and be the root bone.

[chiefr_suthrland]

What am I doing wrong here?

[synthsin75]

Shin is not parented to thigh. And head is not parented to torso.

[Greenlaw]

If you want to use a more conventional character skeleton, here's another possibility:



My demo animation is a bit clumsy but you can see in the above GIF, the thrusting motion is mainly animated by moving the root or 'pelvis' bone directly.

The only things 'special' about this rig is:

1. I have a keyframeable bone target to point the upper torso. This target switches on just before the thrusting and then releases when towards the end.
2. Independent angle is enabled for the head (alternatively, you can apply it to the neck.) This keeps the head steady and pointing upward while the torso bends.

This is a pretty simple setup and it also allows you to animate the character for more 'normal' poses and movements when it's not 'thrusting'.

(You may have noticed a bone at the bottom. This is just a global anchor bone and using it is completely optional.)

[chucky]

Hi guys,
The rigs I use these days cover this and almost all situations.
I have a target on the hips , wrists and ankles
the head . hands and feet are independent angles.
When walking the hand target reparent to root .


Please excuse the unintentionally disturbing image below....
Just pretend it's me....


I think Dennis' 'manubrium' target is a great idea.
I actually think I might have to introduce that as well to all my rigs...
I did consider a head target which wold be similar but chickened out, obviously in retrospect , the manubrium is a better location.
Must think further on this...
The great thing is re-parenting and retargeting allows for these bones to be activated and deactivated which means it is better to have them and not need them than to not have them and need them