3D Toolkit: Texturing, Rigging & Weight Painting the model
Texturing
Prior to texturing my model I had created a colour palette for my character, which I would use as a reference whilst texture painting. I had created this at the end of initial character development and as such, when I began the texturing process, expected to change it in order to abide by the sculpted model and UV unwrap. This is because, though I tried to keep the model as close to the intitial design as I could, I was aware that imperfections and differences would remain: I intended on adapting the design to fit the new model, and expected that - with my UV unwrap - certain ornate details would be difficult to adequately impliment.
Though I had used Substance 3D Painter to create the normal map for the model, I wanted to use photoshop to create the textures, directly painting over the UV map to add detail and colour. As such, I would only be working on one channel of the material used in the model. The material determines and specifies the different attributes that can be applied to a model: the specularity, reflection, roughness and normal map are all examples of different material attributes. As I was not using Substance Painter, if I wished to create textures for all of these different attributes, I would have to manually paint each: as such, I intended on only creating the base colour texture for the model, which I would use alongside the previously created normal map. Though this may have stifled some of the detail I could have put into the model, I made this decision for a reason, as the whole model was comprised of one material and as such metallic and roughness textures would be applied largely uniformly across its surface. Additionally, I am generally more comfortable with this workflow and felt I would be more easily able to replicate the textures seen on my reference design.
Rigging
I then began rigging, and followed the step-by-step process I had previously used to create the skeleton for the legs and spine, linking up the joints with IK handles and parenting them together to allow them to move. This allowed me to create simple bending motions in the legs, as well as cohesive bending of the spine.
The process to get this far was simple: I placed in joints for the feet and hip and used an IK handle to link the ankle to the pelvis, making it so that a bending motion could be maintained across the knee. When it came to the spine, I built up from the pelvis and created a string of joints for the lower and middle back. I could then use the Point and Orient constraints to link these to a series of nurbs controllers, which I then parented together to allow for a cohesive bending motion.
When creating the arms I followed a similar process to that of the legs, creating a series of joints, then linking them together with an IK handle. In the case of the arms, I placed joints down for the hand, wrist, elbow and shoulder - then linking to the chest through a clavicle - with the IK connecting the wrist and shoulder. Like the motion of the knee, this IK handle would allow for the arm to bend. Connected to a nurbs controller with the Point and Orient constraints, I would be able to move and position the arm as I wanted.
Across the creation of the rig, I did not create extensive groups for different motions, such as the heel tap and foot roll. This is because I only wanted to pose the model, and did not wish to animate it: I felt I would be comfortable manipulating the rig through simple controllers only.
With the rigging done, I began Weight Painting the model. I used the Interactive Skin Bind to do so, a weight painting method that used the manipulation of a weight capsule to distribute weights. I found this to be inaccurate but quick: I was able to rapidly alter the distribution of joint weights across the mesh of the model, and manipulate the controllers to continuously test how the mesh deformed. I found this process difficult, as this was the first time I had weight painted a model. It was largely a process of trial and error. If I made future character models, I would likely put them in a T pose to account for this: as I was weight painting the torso and arm sections, I found it difficult to specify which regions would be influenced as the arm and torso joints often overlapped at the inside of the arm. Due to the proximity of the torso and the arms in the A pose I modelled the character within, specifying between these two regions during weight painting was difficult.
When I was satisfied with the weight painting I positioned the model into a rudimentary pose and rendered the scene in Arnold. On the whole, the rigging and weight painting processes were fairly straightforward elements of the pipeline, but were made slightly more difficult by mistakes I had made in prior steps. This shows a point of weakness I feel I have when it comes to 3D sculpting, which is that errors I made previously - in this case, weeks ago - can influence and make more difficult processes further down the pipeline. As such, in future projects I may take more time in ensuring that I have adequately planned all procedures in the pipeline, allowing the future steps of unwrapping, baking and weight painting to influence initial designs and sculpting considerations. For instance, if I made this model again I would have placed it in a T pose to assist in rigging and weight painting.
Additionally, there are some aspects of the model that did not come out as well as I would have wanted, including the face and hands. I found the sculpting of these both to be the most challenging parts of the process, and found that baking did not add the detail that I wanted it to. If I were to make this model again it is likely that, similar to the A pose influencing weight painting, I would put more thought into the retopology of the face and head.
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