Rigging - Cattle

We use the IK Spline Handle Tool on the back of the cattle, this tool will create a curve on the skeleton, and we can translate the point of the line to control the bone smoothly.  Then, we add some clusters to represent to curve points because it is easier to control.

There are the IK handle and the controller.

Normal map editing - cattle

After using the normal to the cattle in Unity, we find that there are some problems in the normal map.
As we can see, there are some unexpected shadow appear at some parts of the cattle.

We've try to adjust to setting to reproduce the normal map of the cattle, but the problems was still there, so we decided to edit the normal map file manually to fix the problems .

We go back to the Mudbox, use another color and paint on the part that having problems.

 In Mudbox, there is a function to flatten the cattle to UV space, now we can find out which part of the texture that contain problems. export this to Photoshop.

In Photoshop, import the normal map, now we can find the exact place that contains problem. Then use the Photoshop tool to fix it.

The old normal map.

 The new normal map.

 Now, the unexpected shadow is gone.

Use the same method the solve the problems at other parts of the cattle.

Normal Map - cattle

In order to save the polygon count, we decided to use normal map at the cattle and the horse.

The cattle have Level 0-5 in the Mudbox, we try to use Level 1 for our target model, because the polygons count of Level 0 is too low, it is different for animating.

 This is the normal map option in Mudbox, choose the target and the source model to produce a normal map.

This is the paint layer of the cattle.

Now,we have the Normal map file(cow_nor.png), 

the paint layer (cow_paint.psd) 

and the maya model (cow_secondLevel.fbx),

We can import them into Unity now.

We click the cattle in Unity, and change the shader to "Bumped Diffuse"

And the Normal map option will be appear. 

This is the target model that without using normal map.

After applying the normal map, we can see that the detail of the cattle is appear.

Kinect in Unity 3D

 

We are trying to use the kinect to control the model and object in unity, we've use the Microsoft SDK before but the SDK only a beta version and the reference resource is not enough so we change to use Openni and NITE into the unity. Finally, we success for using the hand tracking in unity, which is our need in the animation.

Now, we're tuning the program to make the hand tracking run smoothly in our animation camera and trying to define different layers to make the 3D effect.

Unity animation

Modeling- The village(7)

These facilities will be put in the scene.

A plate made by Photoshop.

The buildings of the village are almost done. We also started doing our interim report.

Modeling- The village(6)

This is one of the buildings in the village. This style of building is common in western, so we may duplicate it in the village and change the signboard.

And we will build a train station, rails and some objects that may appear in the village.

Modeling- The village(5)

In order to match with the style of the village, the color of the the brick should be deeper.

Modeling- The village(4)

We use UV texture editor to fox the mapping problems.

 The signboard is made by Photoshop.

Modeling- The village(3)

This is another building with UV texture mapping.

Modeling- The village (2)

This is the base of the building.

 Then we add some polygon on it.

 

 We also edit a source image by Photoshop.

(Window's texture)

 (Box's texture)