Red9 ProPack Expands with New Tools, Evolving Character Animation Workflows
The team at Red9, a renowned character rigging specialist, has announced significant upgrades to their core product, Red9 ProPack. This toolset, designed for Autodesk Maya, has been enhanced with new features stemming from their work on the hyper-anticipated hybrid live-action/CG animated film, Sonic the Hedgehog 3. These additions aim to democratize advanced character animation workflows traditionally exclusive to AAA game developers and large visual effects studios.
Introduction to Red9 ProPack
Red9 ProPack is a suite of over forty custom user interfaces (UIs) and hundreds of individual tools that optimize character animation in Maya. Its functionality encompasses animation retargeting and repathing, version control via Perforce, and custom exporters. This latest iteration of the toolkit includes innovations like the Transfer Deformation Stack and Ripple Animation – utilities directly developed by Red9 for their groundbreaking work on Sonic the Hedgehog 3.
New Tools Developed for Sonic the Hedgehog 3
Red9 was commissioned to handle the character and facial rigging for this ambitious project, designing base assets distributed across six key VFX facilities. The rigs were strictly constructed using native Maya nodes to ensure seamless compatibility among different studios. Two crucial tools engineered for this endeavor are the Transfer Deformation Stack and Ripple Animation.
Transfer Deformation Stack: Streamlining Facial Animation
The Transfer Deformation Stack is a powerful utility that transfers skinning and deformation between two objects. This feature was pivotal in building Sonic’s facial deformation stack, allowing complex animations like eyelid movements to influence eye meniscus geometry. By breaking down the evaluation graph into smaller components, Mark Jackson, Red9’s founder, reported that they could process these separately on independent CPU threads. Without this tool, according to Jackson, he stated, “Red9 couldn’t have had the final rig run in real time,” underscoring its transformative impact.
Ripple Animation: Introducing Secondary Motion
The Ripple Animation tool simulates overlapping secondary motion, specifically designed for the quills atop Sonic’s head. This feature adds natural secondary movements, enhancing visual realism and fluidity in the character animation. The Ripple Animation tool is a testament to Red9’s commitment to pushing technological boundaries to elevate character animation standards.
Making Advanced Tools Accessible to All
By integrating these advanced tools into the public release of Red9 ProPack, Red9 is democratizing high-end animation technologies. This ensures that smaller studios and individual animators can now apply cutting-edge workflows that were previously restricted to major players in the industry. This expansion not only accelerates animation creation but also broadens the creative possibilities in the industry. Red9’s commitment to sharing their technological advancements demonstrates a vision for fostering growth and innovation across the animation community.
System Requirements and Pricing
Red9 ProPack is compatible with Autodesk Maya on Windows, Linux, and macOS platforms. Available exclusively as a rental, users can subscribe for £39.99 per month (approximately $50 USD) or opt for an annual license for £450 (about $560 USD). This pricing structure reflects Red9’s dedication to making advanced animation tools accessible to a wider audience.
Exploring Red9 ProPack Further
The Red9 team maintains a YouTube channel dedicated to showcasing the product’s features and capabilities. Interested animators and studios are encouraged to explore this resource for a comprehensive overview of Red9 ProPack, including proprietary tools and workflows that can elevate their projects.
Conclusion and Call to Action
With the addition of Transfer Deformation Stack and Ripple Animation, Red9 ProPack continues to push the boundaries of character animation technology. These innovations not only bring high-end workflows closer to small studios and freelance animators but also drive the industry forward with their inventive applications. As animation demands grow in complexity and realism, tools like Red9 ProPack play a critical role in meeting these standards.
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