Add body fur

As a starting point, you can add fur to your model and set global fur attributes so that the fur is even and grows in approximately the desired direction. See To add body fur.

After adding fur and setting global fur attributes, you can use Maya Artisan to paint most fur attributes locally. See the following:

• To make the nose bald
• To change the fur length around the muzzle
• To comb the fur

To add body fur

1. Select all surfaces you want to have fur.
2. Attach fur to the surfaces ( Fur > Attach Fur Description > New).

   

3. Select the fur feedback (click a feedback hair) and in the INPUTS section of the Channel Box, change the name of the fur description from FurDescription1 to something meaningful (for example, bodyFur).
4. Change the length of the fur, if necessary.
5. If the fur appears to be growing inwards (or appears bald) on some surfaces, reverse the fur normals on these surfaces:
   • Select the fur feedback or the surfaces where fur appears to grow inward (or appears bald).
   • Reverse fur normals ( Fur > Reverse Fur Normals).

     

6. To get more feedback on surfaces (for example, on large surfaces), increase the number of sample hairs:
   • Select the fur feedback on the surface where you want more feedback.
   • In the SHAPES section of the Channel Box, set the U Samples and V Samples to a higher value.

     

7. Make the fur lie flatter to the skin of the animal by increasing the Inclination value.

   

8. If the fur grows in a different direction on some surfaces, offset the polar direction for these surfaces.
   • Select the fur feedback or the surfaces where fur is growing in a different direction.
   • Select Fur > Offset Fur Direction by > 90 Degrees.

     

9. Set the fur color by doing one of the following:
   • Edit the fur description in the Attribute Editor ( Fur > Edit Fur Description > FurDescriptionName) and set the Base Color and Tip Color of the fur to match the skin color.
   • Edit the fur description in the Attribute Editor ( Fur > Edit Fur Description > FurDescriptionName) and map a file texture to the Base Color and Tip Color. For details, see Map fur attribute values.
10. For more natural looking fur, add some Scraggle to the fur.

To make the nose bald

1. Select the surfaces that make up the nose.
2. Select Fur > Paint Fur Attributes Tool > .
3. In the Paint Fur Attributes Tool Settings window, select Baldness from the Fur Attribute drop-down list.
4. In the Tool Settings editor, set the Value to 0.
5. Dolly in on the nose and carefully paint away the hairs.

   

To change the fur length around the muzzle

1. Select the body surface.
2. Select Fur > Paint Fur Attributes Tool> .
3. In the Paint Fur Attributes Tool Settings window, select Length from the Fur Attribute drop-down list.
4. In the Tool Settings editor, set the Value to be less than 1 (how much less depends on how short you want the fur).
5. Paint around the muzzle to shorten the fur.

   

To comb the fur

1. Select the fur feedback or the surface with fur you want to comb.
2. Select Fur > Paint Fur Attributes Tool > .
3. In the Paint Fur Attributes Tool Settings window, select Direction from the Fur Attribute drop-down list.
4. Brush along the fur. The fur is combed in the direction of your brush stroke.

   

Add whiskers

Use this technique to add whiskers to your models.

To add whiskers

1. Select the surface you want to put whiskers on.
2. Select Fur > Attach Fur Description > New.
3. Select the fur feedback and change the name from FurDescription1 to something meaningful (for example, whiskers) in the INPUTS section of the Channel Box.
4. Reduce the number of whiskers:
   • Select the surface you want to put whiskers on (not the feedback).
   • Select Fur > Paint Fur Attributes Tool> .
   • In the Paint Fur Attributes Tool Settings window, select Baldness from the Fur Attribute drop-down list.
   • In the Tool Settings editor, set the Paint Operation to Replace, the Value to 0, and click the Flood button. All the fur disappears.
   • Set the Value back to 1.
   • In the Stroke section, turn on Reflection (normally it would be X).
   • Paint whiskers back onto the muzzle.

     

5. Make the new fur description look more like whiskers:
   • Select the whiskers feedback and in the Channel Box, set the Fur Accuracy to 1.
   • Select Fur > Edit Fur Description > FurDescriptionName to open the Attribute Editor.
   • Set the Length value to 0.8, the Base Curl value to 0.9, and the Tip Curl value to 0.
   • Set the Scraggle value to 0.3 and the Scraggle Frequency value to 2.0.
   • Set the Polar value to 0.75.
   • Go to the Details section.
   • Go to the Length section and set the Noise Amplitude value to 0.5.
   • Go to the Polar section and set the Noise Amplitude value to 0.2.

     

6. The Polar value makes whiskers grow downwards on one side and upwards on the other because of the UV direction of the surface. To fix this:
   • Select the surface the whiskers are attached to.
   • Select Fur > Paint Fur Attributes Tool > .
   • In the Paint Fur Attributes Tool Settings window, select Polar from the Fur Attribute drop-down list.
   • In the Tool Settings editor, set the Paint Operation to Replace and the Value to 0.25.
   • In the Stroke section, turn off Reflection.
   • Paint the side of the muzzle where the whiskers are growing upwards.

     

Add eyelashes

Use this technique to put eyelashes on an eyelid.

To add eyelashes

1. Select the surface you want to put eyelashes on.
2. Select Fur > Attach Fur Description > New.
3. Select the fur feedback and change the name from FurDescription1 to something meaningful (for example, eyelashes) in the INPUTS section of the Channel Box.
4. Set the number of U and V Samples on the surface high so you can paint hairs more precisely.

   

5. Reduce the number of eyelash hairs:
   • Select the surface you want to put eyelashes on.
   • Select Fur > Paint Fur Attributes Tool > .
   • In the Paint Fur Attributes Tool Settings window, select Baldness from the Fur Attribute drop-down list.
   • In the Tool Settings editor, set the Paint operation to Replace, the Value to 0, and click the Flood button.
6. Paint eyelashes back onto the eyelid.
   • Set the Value back to 1 and paint eyelashes carefully along the edge.

     

7. Trim the eyelash to the shape you want it:
   • Progressively paint length values, such as 0.3 at the edges, 0.5, 0.8 and then 1.0 for the longest lashes at the center.

     

   • Set the value to 1 and Operation to Smooth, then Flood until the lash length looks smooth.
8. Make the new fur description look more like eyelashes:
   • Select the eyelashes feedback and in the Channel Box, set the Fur Accuracy to 1.
   • Select Fur > Edit Fur Description > FurDescriptionName to open the Attribute Editor.
   • Set the Length value to 0.8, the Base Curl value to 0.9, and the Tip Curl value to 1.
   • Set the Scraggle value to 0.3 and the Scraggle Frequency value to 2.0.
   • Go to the Details section.
   • Go to the Length section and set the Length Map Multiplier to 1.2 and the Noise Amplitude value to 0.325.
   • Go to the Polar section and set the Noise Amplitude value to 0.0325.
   • Go to the Base Curl section and set the Noise Amplitude value to 0.05.
   • Go to the Tip Curl section and set the Noise Amplitude value to 0.115.

     

     TipSuppose you want to render the eyelashes through spectacles (refractive material).

     • Render the full scene with the fur, but with the spectacle lenses hidden.
     • Next, create an image plane (Display Mode RGB, Fit to Resolution Gate) using the rendered image.
     • Turn on Visible in Refractions, and interactively change the Depth value until the image plane sits just behind the backmost part of the lenses. (You could set up an expression to accurately track this, if needed.)
     • Render the scene again with only the raytraced spectacle lenses and frame and the image plane (hide everything else and turn off Fur rendering). The image plane containing the fur will be refracted through the lenses.