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By KaiD - 13 Years Ago
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In this tutorial, you'll learn all about using the special reach function in the motion layer editor panel to attach your character's limbs to props like swords or guns. From there, you'll be able to manipulate the props, with your character's body conforming to the movements by naturally using the Human IK capabilities built in to iClone. You can also use the look at function to aim your gun, or the prop puppet tool to quickly create some sword movement or idle motion. Check it out! Enjoy!
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By mark - 13 Years Ago
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SWEET! Thanks!
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By sumthinwong - 13 Years Ago
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Thank you very informative.
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By AverageJoe - 13 Years Ago
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I too think this is very informative, but something I'd like to see to extend it a bit would be the character walks in from off stage without the sword, picks it up, goes through some of the poses and motions, then puts the sword back down. These videos thus far are great for pre-arranging things, but how do they work within the flow of a normal animation?
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By funfunfun - 13 Years Ago
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I would also like to know could this technique be merged with a pre-recorded sword fighting motion? I mean the animation of a fight is going to be specific to the character in his feet shuffle and torso torque and release, and not the other way around.
In real life the sword has weight and that does affect the character, but primarily the character controls the sword.
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By KaiD - 13 Years Ago
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You can do a whole ton of stuff by using dummies and the attach/release function, just be creative with it, there's always workarounds  @funfunfun - Yeah, originally the tutorial was supposed to be with a broom, but I thought it was a bit boring. As for adding more emphasis to your movements to demonstrate the effect of the sword's weight, it will mostly need to be done with key editing.
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By The Mythical Dragon - 13 Years Ago
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Thanks for posting KaiD. Good tutorial.
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By Dreamcube017 - 13 Years Ago
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wizaerd (11/17/2011)
I too think this is very informative, but something I'd like to see to extend it a bit would be the character walks in from off stage without the sword, picks it up, goes through some of the poses and motions, then puts the sword back down. These videos thus far are great for pre-arranging things, but how do they work within the flow of a normal animation?
I think the attach function is animatible, so have the character walk in and then key it to attach to an object and then detach later.
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By AverageJoe - 13 Years Ago
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Dreamcube017 (12/5/2011)
wizaerd (11/17/2011)
I too think this is very informative, but something I'd like to see to extend it a bit would be the character walks in from off stage without the sword, picks it up, goes through some of the poses and motions, then puts the sword back down. These videos thus far are great for pre-arranging things, but how do they work within the flow of a normal animation?I think the attach function is animatible, so have the character walk in and then key it to attach to an object and then detach later. Agreed, that's the way of it, but it'd be helpful to see a practical application at work. Thus far, most tutorials are great if that is all you're going to be doing in your videos, that one specific thing the tutorial is hilighting. Most tutorials are great at showing how to set up certain advanced stuff, but doesn't really show it it action. As I said, a practical example. In order to get the most from iClone, it's good to learn how to use all of the stuff together to make a movie. My guess for the above scenario would be areach target first to show the character reaching for the sword, then attaching to pick it up (and hopefully the rotation and placement of said dummy is appropriate), swing the sword back and forth a few times, then put the sword down. It's just not as simple as "attach prop", there's a whole slew of "animation" that would need to occur to make it fluid and smooth.
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By Paumanok West - 13 Years Ago
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wizaerd (12/5/2011)show the character reaching for the sword, then attaching to pick it up (and hopefully the rotation and placement of said dummy is appropriate), swing the sword back and forth a few times, then put the sword down.
It's just not as simple as "attach prop", there's a whole slew of "animation" that would need to occur to make it fluid and smooth.
Maybe. Maybe not. The big question is: who are you really trying to "sell" on the proposition that this is a real person picking up and using a real sword? The audience--or yourself????
Maybe the audience doesn't give a tinker's damn whether or not you can get a weapon smoothly into and out of a character's hand--as long as the story goes forward. If there's something especially revealing or dramatic about this one act, that's one thing, but it's also quite possible that if you captured the same live scene on film, a pro film editor would use a jump cut and leave it on the cutting room floor.
Now it may well be that I am taking your example too seriously, when all you are trying to do is define a desirable functionality for iClone. If so, no harm done. You can get back to your regularly-scheduled discussion. The idea that the best animation of all is the animation that the audience only thought they saw is so important that I'm going to just keep chanting it--forever. 
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By hutchartwork - 13 Years Ago
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[b]Paumanok West: "The idea that the best animation of all is the animation that the audience only thought they saw is so important that I'm going to just keep chanting it--forever. "
Hitchcock was great at leaving the tedious or trivial unsaid. (See Paul Newman's argument with Julie Andrews outside Karl-Marx-Universität in Leipzig, East Germany, in the movie "Torn Curtain". Hitchcock leaves it up to us to imagine the dialogue. We know Newman is about to tell Andrews he isn't a traitor but a secret agent bent on getting a secret formula from some wacky professor, and can tell when he does by the way Julie Andrews, at first stopping her ears, responds.) Grabbing the sword may be essential to one's using it, but there are ways to get around having to show it. Focus the cam on his face, displaying his emotions (anger, panic, determination, whatever) at that moment; add the sound of the sword briefly touching the ground while it's being raised, etc., then show him turning toward the door, or his opponent, sword in hand.
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By AverageJoe - 13 Years Ago
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Being a huge fan of sword & sorcery type of movies, there are time when showing someone actually grabbig the sword, fitting their hand to the pommel is very important. One doesn;t just grab a sword, you must seat it properly in your hand, and feel it's balance. Also, this was just really a demonstration for the purposes of discussion. As I said, many tutorials show a setup of a shot for a scene, with little regard to actually using the scene.
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By hutchartwork - 13 Years Ago
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wizaerd (12/5/2011)
Being a huge fan of sword & sorcery type of movies, there are time when showing someone actually grabbig the sword, fitting their hand to the pommel is very important. One doesn;t just grab a sword, you must seat it properly in your hand, and feel it's balance.
Also, this was just really a demonstration for the purposes of discussion. As I said, many tutorials show a setup of a shot for a scene, with little regard to actually using the scene.
Maybe you could zoom in on his hand as it's moving toward the sword (recorded in slow mo and sped up afterward in the timeline)? That way you can make minor adjustments to the move (while using lots of "custom-ease-in-and-outs" to keep the movement smooth).
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By jproctor0 - 8 Years Ago
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Hi, is it possible for the character to pick up the sword in iClone version 6. Thank you for any possible help, John Proctor
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By mark - 8 Years Ago
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By using the 'Link" to the hand, instead of "Attach" to the hand, you could pickup and release the sword. This is only possible with the "Link" function.
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By jproctor0 - 8 Years Ago
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Thank you for your kind help, John Proctor
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By mark - 8 Years Ago
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jproctor0 (1/17/2016)
Thank you for your kind help, John Proctor
You are welcome John Proctor!
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