- Collecting References
- Background Templates and Key Facial Zones
- Step 1. Creating the Initial Design
- Step 2. Dividing the Work Into Zones
- Step 3. Plotting Points in 3D Space with Rail Molds
- Step 4. Developing the Cage Further with Key Facial Zone Object Rails
- Step 5. Modeling Isolated Key Facial Zones
- Step 6. Connecting the Key Facial Zones Together
- Step 7. Creating the UV Map for Painting
- Step 8. Mixing Mediums for Texture Creation
- Step 9. Applying the Fur
- Step 10. Fur Combing
- Step 11. Fur Coloring, Shading, and Shadowing
- Summary
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Step 10. Fur Combing
One of the key attributes to the fur is that it has many directional patterns. These are controlled using options that are available within whatever software and usually categorized as tools for combing the fur/hair.
Each fur zone's combing direction was controlled via a null object. Splitting the mass into separate contained areas makes combing very easy. Figure 13 one directional flow based on the null objects Y orientation, which is typical setup for each of the fur zones. By simply rotating the null on frame 0 forces the fibers to follow the same direction.
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Figure 13 The fur combing settings.
The following options (visible in Figure 13) allow you to enhance how a zone looks through styling:
Box A adjusts clump settings, which control the actual feel of the fibers. This achieves any matting to the fur zones.
Box B highlights typical settings that can be used to take the rigid straightness out of the fibers, giving them a more realistic entanglement.
Box C settings control the gray scale gradients, which control the density and length settings.
TIP
When you test the rendering of your combing try for the majority of the time to render without shadows. This speeds up getting the combing results that you are looking for. I have also found that combing without shadows was clearer to visualize with dark fur.