Muscule+Bones+Animation

[jeff]

Hello all! ...

I'm a beginner in 3D Max (Currently using 3d studio 7.0) and i have a project to do (post-graduation... well.. i don't know how to write it.. i'm from Brasil and my english isn't the best)...

I Have a skeleton model (got from 3d Cafe)... I need to put muscules on it... and, when the bone moves, the muscule move too and contract/retract, depending on the moviment...

So, i must place muscules on the bones, and, when i move the bone, the muscule moves too, but increasing / decreasing size and changing the color...

My basic knowledge in 3d Max was sufficient to make the skeleton moves in the way that i want.. but.. i have no idea how to place the muscules in the bones and make then grow size.
...
Any ideas? does someone have a tutorial about this? or something like? :)

Tnx and sorry misspellings :\ :)

[ross_coe]

you can create bulging muscles using angle deformers, which is a part of the skin modifier. this basically controls how individual verts move depending on how the bones move.

you'd probably be best to wrok thru the tutorials that come with max, and just play around with it a bit.
if you can't find the tutorials go into help--->tutorials.
when the tutorials open up, open the "character animation" folder, then go into "character animation without biped" folder, then "using the skin and flew modifiers" folder, and just work thru the 4 tutorials there (which covers adding and adjusting the skin modifier, angle deformation, and also adding flex (which will make things wiggle)).

There are also plugins that can make actual muscles that you can attach to bones and that the model can be wrapped around. I don't know if there's any for Max yet tho....but MuscleTK (http://www.cgtoolkit.com/muscletk.htm) is an example of one for Maya

anyways, hope this helps a bit :)

[Black]

I was in the Beta testing group for ACT for MaYA... which is meant for this xact process. (Advanced Character Tools) But it was not as great a success since Sam was more a Max guy. And this new plug was sort of intregrated to the latest version of Max.

You should be able to find a variaty of tutorials on the subject in Max itself. In any case you may want to chek on the site of it's developers http://cgcharacter.com/ which also have a foum of very helpful individals.


As for TK for MaYA... haha.. nope thats MaYA specific :D