Skinwrap boot?

[Spinell]

Hello everyone, I have a question I need sorted out:

I'm using blender 2.6 and went over to machinimatrix where I discovered the marvels of the skinwrap modifier. I've been using it a lot for dresses and tops, but after watching the "shoe quest" videos from the same site, I had an idea:

Would it be possible to actually make a high boot using the skinwrap modifier and then just add the heel at the end?

I went to try it (using the avatar workbench) and I seem to be running into a bit of a problem. Two problems actually. First one is that the mesh shape doesn't wrap around the foot. Rather dissapointing, really. I used just a sinple cilinder with the top face cut out and, if you slide it alng the leg it works finebut as you go down and aproach the foot, the skinwrap doesn't seem to work so well and it refuses to wrap around the bottom of the foot or extend to the toes. The second problem is that while I'm doing one foot, the mesh cilinder keeps getting "glued" t the other foot. Now I saw this trick in another machinimatrix video about how to get rid of that quirk and, while it had worked with fixing tops and dresses, it didn't work here.

I don't know a lot about modifiers or skinwrap in particular, so could anyone explain to me if it's possible to fix the two problems above or if this is just and impossible project?

Much apreciated!

[Lindal Kidd]

Making a very close-fitting boot doesn't require mesh.  Just paint the boot textures on a sock and shoe layer.

[Da5id Weatherwax]

I cant say I've tried it but I would have thought a simple cylinder isnt not the right way to begin a shrinkwrap-based boot...

My gut tells me to create a cylinder open at both ends stretching from the top of the boot down to the ankle, angle the lower end by 45 deg and set the offset pretty high so it stands clear of the av mesh by a useful amount..  mess with the position of the lower end until it makes a 45 deg angle across the avs ankle under the modifier, then disable the modifier and extrude that end down the axis of the foot until you hit the toes and close the end, then re-enable the modifier.

I'd use that as your starting shape for introducing the edge-loop cuts to improve its contouring and then apply that modifier once you're happy with it and are ready to start adding extra geometry for details like bucket tops, heels, buckles and straps etc..

Like I said, I haven't tried it but thats where I'd start if I was going to...