Technical Paper: Worm Squash and Stretch Blend Shape

While rigging my Worm Character I gave him a special control that I named Squash Stretch, which works just as the name implies I created the Squash Stretch control by first duplicating the model of Worms Head, Body and Tie twice. Duplicating the model is done by opening the edit menu and selecting the duplicate option or pressing CTRL+D (Figure 1 & 2).

Figure 1 Duplicate.

Figure 2 Duplicated Models.

Next with the duplicated model still selected I unlocked all of the translate, scale and rotate controls by highlighting them and pressing the right click button, then I select unlock selected (Figure 3).

Figure 3 Unlock the selected Values.

I then renamed the second head, body and tie to Fat_Head, Fat_Body and Fat_Tie, I did this by going on the models name on the info window and double clicking it. I did the same thing to the third head, body and tie but instead of calling them fat etc I called them Skinny (Figure 3). Next I added a lattice deformer to both the Fat and Skinny_Head and Body. To use the lattice deformer you need the Main Menu set to Animation, then pick create deformer and select the Lattice Option (Figure 4).

Figure 4 Lattice Menu.

Make sure the settings are set to default by going on file and choose rest. Then I set the T Divisions, which is located in Lattices channel to the left, to 10 (Figure 5, 6 & 7).

Figure 5 Change T Divisions to 10.

Figure 7 Both duplicated models with Lattice applied. Figure 6 Lattice Options.

Next I made the Lattice around the Fat_Body and the neck area around the Fat_Head wider by selecting the Lattice Points and scaling it appropriately. To select the Lattice Points you need to right click the Lattice then select Lattice Points. I did the same thing to the Skinny_Head and Body but I reduced the scale appropriately (Figure 8 & 9).

Figure 8 Choosing Lattice Points.

Figure 9 Reults of changing the Worms figure.

Next I added a new attribute to Body_Ctrl_01 from the Modify Menu. In the long name box I named the new attribute Squash_Stretch, then set properties of the Minimum to 30, Maximum to 30 and Default to 0 (Figure 10 & 11). Figure 10 Add Attribute. Figure 11 Attribute Properties.

Next I opened the Set Driven Key window, which is located in the Animate Menu under Animation Menu. Then I selected Body_Ctrl_01 and at the Set Driven Key window I clicked Load Driver and Load Driven (Figure 12).

Figure 12 Set Driven Key location. With Body_Ctrl_01 in both windows I then highlighted Squash Stretch in the Driver Channel and Scale Y in the Driven Channel, this will let the highlighted section on the Driver Channel have control over the highlighted section on the Driven Channel when I hit Key on the Set Driven Key window (Figure 13). Next in the Body_Ctrl_01 channel box I set the Squash Stretch to 30 and the Scale Y to 3, then I hit Key in the Set Driven Key window. Next I then set the Squash Stretch to -30 and the Scale Y to 0.1 and hit Key (Figure 13 & 14). This should control the scale of the model with different control.

Figure 14 Set Squash Stretch Value.

Figure 13 Set Driven Key window.

Lastly I selected the Fat and Skinny_Head first and the Worm _Head second then I selected Blend Shape, which is located in Create Deformer under the Animation window (Figure 15).

Figure 15 Blend Shape location. I did this two more times to the Bodies and Ties on my model. Next I selected the Worm_Head, Body and Tie and open the Input window by right clicking on the model and choose Input (Figure 16). In the Input window I then moved the Blend Shape info down to the bottom (Figure 17). This will tell Maya that the Blend Shape does not have complete control over the objects position, only the shape when using the Blend Shapes.

Figure 16 Input location.

Figure 17 Moving the Blend Shape Input.

I then opened the Blend Shape window, which is located in the Animation Editors under the Window menu (Figure 18). I then looked for the Body Blend Shapes and I clicked on the Select button. Once done I then opened the Set Driven Key window and clicked on Load Driven. This should changes the driven object from Body_Ctrl_01 to the name of the Blend Shape I selected, for me the Blend Shape is named blendShape6 .Here I selected Squash Stretch in the Driver Window and I selected both Fat Worm Body and Skinny Worm Body in the Driven Window by holding CTRL (Figure 19). Figure 18 Blend Shape window location. Figure 19 Blend Shape window and Load Driven.

Next I selected Body_Ctrl_01 and made sure Squash Stretch, as well Fat_Worm_Body and Skinny_Worm_Body Values are is set to 0. Then I hit Key on the Set Driven Key window. Next I then set the Value of Squash Stretch to 30 and the Value of Skinny_Worm_Body to the Max in the Blend Shape window, while leaving Fat Worm Body to 0 (Figure 18). I then hit Key on the Set Driven Key window. Next I set the Value of Squash Stretch to 30, and the Value of Fat Worm Body in the Blend Shape window to the Max while setting the Value of Skinny Worm Body to 0 (Figure 20 & 21). I then hit Key on the Set Driven Key window. I did this two more times on the Fat and Skinny_Worm_Head and Bow_Tie. I then tested it out to see if the Squash Stretch tool is working fine.

Figure 20 Set Driven Skinny_Worm_Body.

Figure 21 Set Driven Fat_Worm_Body.

However I soon learnt that the Bow_Tie was not sitting right when using the Squash Stretch tool (Figure 22 & 23).

Figure 22 First Tie Error

Figure23 Second Tie Error

The way I fixed this was by first setting the Value of the Squash Stretch tool to 30. Then I moved the actual Skinny_Bow_Tie Blend Shape to an appropriate position by turned on Vertices of the object on by holding the Right Button and chose Vertices (Figure 24). This help the Bow_Tie to sit in place when setting the Squash Stretch tool to 30. I did this again with the Fat_Bow_Tie but set the Value of the Squash Stretch tool to 30.

Figure 24 How to turn on the Vetices

The result should look like this (Figure 25 & 26), and thats is how I have created the Squash Stretch control for my Worm Character.

Figure 25 Squash

Figure 26 Stretch