After working on my first full bodied image Robo Bladin I contemplated on how to pose, align and proportion all the different robo parts. I understand that some 3D software packages have what they call "Bones" that help the user position the skins of thier models in 3D space. Using this idea I created a stick figure on another layer to use as a guide for my robot image. It worked like a champ. Thus the idea for ZBones festered in my mind.

After thinking about Zbones for awhile I thought about good ole Leonardo De Vinci and his Vitruvian Man. He very helpfully created an image in which to measure anatomical proportions. I used this image to figure out the proportions and wrote this script that will create body parts based upon this ratio.

To use this script

1. Determine how tall your creation will be if he/her or it was standing at attention. (your final image may be crouched or bent over etc.) You can either enter this number in the "Total Height" Slider (number is in pixols) or you can create a object and size it in the Z direction then press the "Set Height" buttone to automatically store the Z size of the object you are currently using.

2. Set the diameter of your body parts in the "Diameter" Slider.

3. Create each Zbone by pressing the corresponding button in the script and placing it on the canvas in the pose you wish to create.

The numbers in the sliders for each body part is a percentage of the Total Height you have set for your character. By manually changing these default values, which are base upon "Vitruvian Man", with your own you can lengthen or shorten each body part to your own design.

I have also included MakeALine and the 3D Plane function in the script as well.

UPDATE Version 1.1

Added Offset Pos and Offset Neg buttons
what this does is change the center of the body part so that it rotates from the end instead of the middle of the part.

Using this feature it is super simple to angle your body part by attaching the end of it to something. Then press "T" to enter Transform Mode and then drag the mouse to orientate it. Try it and you will see what I mean.

Note:
you only have to press an Offset button once. To return the rotation point to the center press the other button to restore it.
Use it also to align the end side to side.

UPDATE Version 2.0

Added the "Use Mouse" switch. With this selected the script will remind you to position the part with a mouseclick on the canvas. The part will then be drawn there

Example:

1. Set "Use Mouse" on
2. We want to add a upper arm to the shoulders so we press "Upper Arm"
3. A note will remind you to use the mouse
4. using the mouse click once on the end of the shoulders you place earlier.
5. The upper arm will be then added at that spot.
6. Use the Offset Pos or Offset Neg to move the center of the Upper Arm so that it rotates and is aligned right at the shoulder socket.
7. The gyro is visible so drag outside of it to adjust the objects Z position so that it is at the correct Z Depth.
8. Press "T" to enter Transform mode and then you can freely rotate the upper arm to the angle you wish.
9. Press "T" again to exit Transform mode and you are ready to place the next part.

UPDATE Version 3.0

Addition of Texture Objects

To assist Rotoscoping inport all the frames into the Texture Palette

1. Select the texture to create a texture object with

2. Create a NEW texture object by pressing the "New" button. This creates a 3D plane with the same ratio of height and width of the currently selected texture. And is placed way back in the Z direction so that it will remain behind subsequent objects made in the document.

3. Size the texture object if necessary and adjust the XY position to suit your needs

4. Press "Save" to save this Texture Object

5. Use the T+ and T- buttons to increment the slider to the next object and Repeat steps 1- 4 until you have all the objects you need

At this point all you need to do to recall an object is to use the T+ and T- buttons to select it and press the "Load" button. Load in a sequence of frames to use as a guide to creating ZBones.

Hope this will be of use!

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