Batch Render

Well, here's my batch render video.  It didn't render out the fur or the grass, or the different colored background.  I have no idea why. Maybe someone can help me before class.  If not, then this is the very best I can do.

Even Though it Won't Be Complete

I wanted to post at least what I've got.  I won't have all of the animations because my rig was too messed up.  I re-rigged it four times, weighted it three times, and it still could not be fixed.  I had to settle for a stationary animation.  There are five motions, but not what was asked.  I will work all summer on trying to figure it out  (that and make a Brass Rings worthy model).
I'll post my rendered video before the final tomorrow (well, later today as it is) morning.  For now, it's just a screen capture, single frame render, and my playblast video.

(This is an actual grass texture on a plane, and viewed from my camera with lights added)

It isn't going to work

I have tried everything I can.  I have read the book, I have listened to Digital Tutors, found other online tutorials, and posted to CG Society.  I have not been able to solve the problems of my rig.  There is no way it will animate fully.  I can't fix it.
All I can say is that over the summer there won't be much else that I do besides work and learn Maya.

Trouble with Skin Weights

I assure you that I have been working on this since I got back from church this morning.  I cannot get the skin weights on the legs and body to work completely right and since my book shows an interactive skin bind and I'm using a smooth bind (because I tried the other and this one works better) I'm kind of in the dark about what I'm doing.  I hope I have a fully weighted and animated model on Tuesday, but it is starting to look like I'm not going to make it.
I did manage to get the ears to move close to right.  You can't tell that the skin around the base isn't quite right thanks to the fur (thank the Lord for furry animals).

RIGGING DONE (or at least as done as it's going to be)

I have done this rig FOUR times now... This is the best I can do.  I think it's safe to say that I will not go into rigging as a career...
Tomorrow (Sunday afternoon) I'll get it weighted and hopefully moving around a bit.  It won't be as awesome as I had hoped, but it should be okay.

More Fur!

Just wanted to upload a pic of my newest fur render.  I made the fur more dense and made the length of the undercoat longer.  So he looks spotty, but at least there's more fur. 

First Furry Render!

I just finished working on the fur render.  Starting over on the rig again.  Thanks to the Creative Crash tutorial, I might understand what I'm doing.  I kind of wish I had made eyes that move... that I could make all shiny... maybe I'll work on it this summer and make a better model.

Problems with the front legs

Just wanted to post the images of the problems I've encountered with the front legs on my rig.  I did post the pics on CG Society forum and asked for help.  I hope that I will be able to get it all fixed.  I also played with the skin binding, and discovered that it's going to be difficult since I have so many polygons on my model.  But, it will get done.  I might live in the Mac Lab for a while, but it will be done.

Legs Rigged

I had to go back and start over with the rigging in the legs... And they still didn't turn out right.  I think the problem with the way they work now is because I don't have any pole vectors. IK blends, or set driven keys (maybe I'm totally wrong on that).  I really need some help on Tuesday.  I'll try to work on it a bit more by then, but I'm really confused about so things.

Here are the two rig pics I have:

Explanation for lack of progress for last night and this morning

I had a bit of an emotional upheaval and a (rather foreshadowed) break up.  Well, I'm feeling a little better now, and will whole heartedly throw myself into modeling!  I should have everything rigged by Friday afternoon because I'm going to Missouri this weekend (I need to get away).

Here's a pic I haven't posted yet:

I did take out some of the joints after doing this and I have rigged the front left leg (just forgot to take a picture of it).  I'm basically completing this while following along with my book tutorial.

Restarted the Rigging

I restarted my rigging.  I'm to the point of organizing my Outliner, and then mirroring the joints when I finish that.  I should have all of that done by Monday so I can work on animating or adding fur when we are in class Tuesday.

Maya and Fur

I finally got the colored version into Maya.  Now I can start rigging while I'm figuring out how to precisely use the fur function.  Although, I have found the right combination for the fur.

COLOR

So, I realized I would have to do any poly-painting before I got serious with Maya.  I went back to Mudbox and did some painting.  I'll put it back into Maya next and add the bones again, and then I'll add the fur render.

Changes and Bones

So, I smoothed out the texture on the model in Mudbox since I figure I'll try rendering it with actual fur in Maya.  And, I've finally started making the bones.  After I get the left side done though, I'll have to go back to tutorials because that's as far as I've gotten in the lessons from my book.

Oh, and I found a new skeletal research pic that's helping with the spine especially.

Final Touches

I sculpted the face a bit more, trying to get away from the big tabby face and more toward a thiner, short hair face.  I will be getting rid of the fur texture here and adding it in Maya so that it will actually be fur...
And yes, the eyes are just about that big when you look at an Abyssinian cat's face.

Fully furred (texture) and Adjustments

I made the adjustments my friend told me to make, though I don't know it it's quite right... I'll have to ask her again later.
I finished the fur texture.  I will start painting it soon.  I don't know what color I'm going to make it.  I kinda want to paint it like my cat back home.  It would be funny.
I'll probably try to work on the lessons/ tutorials in class.

Half-Furred

I'm starting the fur texture/sculpt layer.  I also shaped the head a bit more.

Here's advise from my friend (another cat person):
Loose the hunched back and make the body longer,
Keep the haunches from sloping too much,
Lower the top of the head to make the forehead smaller,
Add muscle to the front legs,
And make the feet bigger.

Cat Modeling Progress

These are images on my progress so far, plus one more research pic that I had to get for the inside of the ear... you think human ears are hard, try a cat's!