Toa Hagah (Updated) - Full Project Synopsis

 

 Full Project - Toa Hagah (Updated)

Toa Hagah 3D Model Showcase

https://youtu.be/-UbJ9aD97aQ

    These are new and improved versions of the six Hagah character models I worked on about three years ago. I had recently joined a collaborative project where participants were prompted to produce an animated clip of their own design spanning about 10 seconds. I had already been thinking of updating and using my Hagah models for new animations, so I figured this would be a great way to debut their new and improved version.

    I essentially went back to redo and update and inconsistencies or aspects of the models that I was unsatisfied with from the first time around. A such, the amount of differences between models varies. Some went through very significant changes, while others not so much. This time around, I set up a Trello board to keep me organized on what needed to get done, in what order, and how quickly.

The initial updating of the rigs in preparation for animation took about two months, and the animated clip then took another month of time. Finally, another month of time was dedicated to creating more animations for a model showcase video. With a definitive deadline for each segment, I was not hard pressed for time, but still very determined to keep on track and put out a good final product.

Modeling

    Since this project was more of an extension of a previous project, it was nice not having to start from scratch. Modeling this time around was largely a process of retopologizing outdated or unfinalized assets. Some, I just needed to adjust vertices, while others I opted to scrap and redo entirely. Armed with new knowledge of modeling in Blender from other projects, I was eager to see how I could improve upon what I had accomplished before. It was honestly a bit surprising to see what new things I could do to optimize these parts.

    On the other hand, there were also a handful of new assets I had to model for some of the characters. Not much I can say on that matter other than the process was fairly easy to get through, also a testament to how much more comfortable I've become with the modeling process.

Texturing

    I still planned on using the custom toon shader from last time, but for dexterity's sake, I went back to the tutorials I had referenced to remind myself how to properly set up lighting systems and colors as I wanted for each character. It's not a complex system, but it had been a while since I set up scenes using it.

    Additionally, I went a step further and set up proper UV sheets for every individual part. Even though the current iterations of the character models don't make use of UVs for their texturing, I thought it would be useful to take care of them now in case I want to make other versions in the future. That's right, every single part, not counting duplicated assets, now has a proper UV layout. In fact, since most of the characters share a majority of their pieces, each of them only needs about 2-3 UV sheets if necessary.

Rigging

    Coming off the heels of a previous Bionicle-centric project, I've become much more familiar with how to set up a character rig for these types of models. As part of my checklist, I knew exactly what features I wanted these rigs to have, and luckily I had most of the knowledge to make them all functional from the start. I scrapped the old rig skeleton I had set up and this new version came together very quick and easy.

    The rigs feature all of the standard points of articulation and basic root controls. New additions include a foot roll, proper FK/IK switching for both arms and legs, and an improved setup for the weapons. Both spear and shield can be switched from either equipped (by hand or wrist for the shield) or free, so animators can switch between seamlessly. Visibility for both is also included. Finally, there is a toggle for the level of glow in the eyes/heartlights, and another to turn them off entirely and instead become transparent.

Animation and Rendering

    Animating was the big task this time around. What I set out to make was a clip that showed off all six of these characters, each with their own bit of personality and powers, contained within about ten seconds. Luckily, I had a good outline and set of storyboards to follow, and with a bit of work on the camera angles and timing, it all came together as great as I had envisioned. Obviously, there were parts where my skills were still limited such as environment and lighting, but I knew the bottom line was that I had to make sure the animation looked good.

    Once it came time to render, I once again turned to tutorials to ensure I had the best quality of work ready to post. A lot of rendered frames, and some fancy editing in the compositor, and I had my final animation ready to roll.

Final Products

    Once the final animation was done, I took some time to figure out what I was going to do next. I knew I wanted to add on some additional clips to put these characters I'd spent so much time and effort into on display. At the same time, I didn't want to launch into a full-on new batch of animations that would take a long time to plan out. So, as a result, I settle don a limited number of simple animations I could apply to every character and string together for a proper showcase video.

Animations were made for each character; idles, runs, and 360 spins, as well as some group shots with everyone side-by-side. Once those were finished, I worked together with a friend to make some great motion graphics to add on.

Final Thoughts

It was very fun coming back to update and go beyond with these characters. While some of the steps along the way were retreading old path, it was still a great way to relearn some things, and see how much I've improved since first starting this project. Now with these characters officially completed (for my sake) and some animated content finally ready to put out to the public, I am eager to move on to the next thing, which may or may not involve these models.

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