Creating a rigged umbrella for animation?

[Rachel vd M]

Currently i'm attempting to create a short animation in Maya 2012
In this animation a character tries to open an umbrella in a heavy storm.
For this i want to create an umbrella that is capable of being animated through a few keyable attributes.

At this moment i'm fairly new to animating, though with modelling i have plenty of experience.
The character that is being animated will just be the standard "Norman" rig most often used for animation excercises.

i have found some pretty usefull reference about how a umbrella opens on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMqZp7i4IJc
For the umbrella i did already make up the attributes that i want to be able to animate with their most probably value ranges:

open/closed/insideout 0 tot 15
fabric bulge -10 tot +10
ribs bulge -10 tot +10
bending 0-180
bend direction 0-360

How would one create a rig that is capable of operating these values?


The animation itself is currently just being blocked out by just using a stick as a placeholder, also i have sketched out the planned animation on paper:

[ServantOfTheNoise]

Hi Rachel. Look up a set driven key tutorial.

[Rachel vd M]

i know about set driven keys, though the thing im wondering about is things like how can i make things like bulges or rig the thin fabric of a umbrella?
or how do i do the bending of certain parts

i can do all these things in 3dsmax using modifiers, though i cant in maya cause maya doesnt work that way...

[ServantOfTheNoise]

I'll write you a mini tutorial. It's rendering as we speak.

[ServantOfTheNoise]

http://youtu.be/1opQr7T8yRs around minute 4 might more interesting to you

[ServantOfTheNoise]

now you know how to add attributes and link them to a joint chain nothing is stopping you from simply binding it. http://youtu.be/VHgkSyngDZE Or use it in combination with ncloth and blend schapes etc.