This is an update of a rig I’m working. Just finished weighting him. Haven’t added any helper joints or blendshapes, just pure weights.
Any feedback would be great. Skinning is just now starting to get a little easier, but at the end of the day it’s still the hardest thing for me.
Edit: Model by Will Martinez
[video=youtube_share;B-4PWv3sNYc]http://youtu.be/B-4PWv3sNYc[/video]
Hi AaronCarlisle! I thinks it’s looks really cool so far and I think the skinning is really good considering how few joints you have. I also think it’s good that you skipped a lot of squash and stretch which you had in your last video. 
Some thoughts:
*I would add some extra “helper joint” in the neck area to preserve some volume. Around 2:03 you see slightly weird bending in the back of the neck. I would maybe also add an extra joint to fake the shoulder blade going in and out.
*If this is an portfolio piece make sure you think about your target for the rig. Is it a game rig, an offline render rig? In the final video, make sure you make that clear for the viewer and tell them why do made the choices you did based on your target. If it’s and online rig, take it to and game engine and show your stuff there.
Good luck!
Thank you so much for the suggestions Ella! I added in some helper joints as you suggested. I incorporated a new shoulder setup that uses spline ik and added some helper joints for the elbows, knees and buttox regions. I also pushed the weighting more.
Here’s a demonstration 
[QUOTE=AaronCarlisle;26687]Thank you so much for the suggestions Ella! I added in some helper joints as you suggested. I incorporated a new shoulder setup that uses spline ik and added some helper joints for the elbows, knees and buttox regions. I also pushed the weighting more.
Here’s a demonstration
//youtu.be/RRXpcqPwhNw
[/QUOTE]
Cool! Look really nice!
Looks pretty good. Just a few nitpicky things…
The buttocks area looked a little crushed to me when you brought the leg back, so you might want to push the helper joint more if that’s anticipated to be a common pose, though I often have to avoid the old trap of catering too much to unnatural and physically impossible poses to the detriment of the natural pose deformations.
The back looks pretty good, but the crushing that’s happening midway down the back when the shoulders move back feels off since the scapula movement probably shouldn’t be affecting things that far down the back, to the sides maybe, but not that center ridge where you only get that sort of compression between the scapulas.
Last thing, the neck turning in at the end still loses a lot of volume. It’s a deceptively tricky area. One quick and dirty method I’ve had success with is using a ribbon spine with the end controllers point constrained to the end of the chest and the head to make a helper joint to mimick the sternomastoid Muscle. But in any case, there are a few ways that could be done and it would add a lot.
If you search on Vimeo for a guy named Paul Smith, he has some fantastic reference of a well-lit and toned person just kinda standing around shirtless moving around his shoulders and neck. I’m not at a computer right now, and the Vimeo app isn’t cooperating, but it should be fairly easy to find.
Thanks for the feedback nalzay! I’m going to have to take a look at those areas and work out those issues. The neck was/is the most difficult part for me, seems to be a common tricky part for most (that’s comforting lol). I kinda see what you mean about going too far down the back. I think that has also affected some of the deformation for the back. If I go too low the back starts to get a little crazy and collapses on itself. The buttox was kinda a weird area. There isn’t a whole lot of geometry there, but I think you’re right, there really wouldn’t be that much loss in volume from bending the leg back like that. The neck does seem a bit devolumetized lol I’m definitely going to need to fix that.
Paul Smith: Paul smith <------ this guy?
Thanks again!! I’ll post up again once I have more progress. I’m looking into putting in a muscle system, and I’m hoping that will help out a bit with some of the deformation areas as well.
Yep, that’s the guy.
Here are the actual videos:
It also might be worth it to watch some Eadweard Muybridge stuff if you need body reference, it’s an oldie but a goodie.
Thanks for the resource nalzay!! :).
I’m still working on the rig actually. It should not have taken me this long, but school, work and the family have been keeping me busy. I’m going to have an update on the rig soon :).
Thanks for all the input guys!