Orray model

[JAWSFreelao]

 

All my models end up with the same guilty smile...

I believe it's more akin to a rapeface?

[Boothand]

Started the rig and weighting, but Max eventually crashed and corrupted my saved file. Will have to start from making the skeleton again.

[AshuraDX]

@@Boothand STOP before you go ahead and start over , check the autobackup folder for a backup of your scene

[Boothand]

@@Boothand STOP before you go ahead and start over , check the autobackup folder for a backup of your scene

 

Aaah thanks! Seems like a lot of the progress survived there

 

Now I've just got to deal with a mirror seam that refuses to weld...

[AshuraDX]

show me your seam , and the mesh before mirroring

probably I can help you fix it

[Boothand]

show me your seam , and the mesh before mirroring

probably I can help you fix it

 

Yeah, I fixed it now by welding manually before mirroring (actually didn't keep the symmetry modifier when weighting, so collapsed it instead. It duplicates vertices in strange places. I didn't understand it. But for now it's okay.)

 

I'm having some other issues though. I'm not sure how to word this correctly, but I'll give it a try:

 

The orray has four legs obviously, and I'm using the "Paste green to blue vertices" weight mirroring method. But this means that when I'm choosing the left leg, and fixing the weights for that leg, and then mirroring it, the mirrored vertices on the other side will also be weighted to the left leg bone, instead of the right bone. All the bones are mirrored (Bone tools) before weighting.

This might also just have to do with me not reading enough manuals, so in the meantime, I'll do that

[Boothand]

Any chance @@Psyk0Sith knows what could be causing the mirror weight tool to not mirror correctly? The vertices are mirrored perfectly and work that way as well, however are assigned to bones on the side I'm mirroring from instead of the corresponding mirrored bone. Googled it, and have tried the suggestions, such as resetting the Xform. Bones were mirrored by Bone Tools mirroring, and then positioned at the exact negative value of its position. Pivot point of the model is centered.

 

Any possibilities without re-doing the skeleton and starting over?

 

(Max 2013: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/58757568/ZOrray3_Rig.max)

[Psyk0Sith]

So you added all bones to the list, and the skin modifier mirroring tool picks only 1 side of the skeleton for both sides of the mesh? I've only seen this happen when i forgot to add bones...i can't troubleshoot a max 2013 scene file since i'm still using 2010. Give me a .XSI and .FBX maybe i can help.

[Boothand]

So you added all bones to the list, and the skin modifier mirroring tool picks only 1 side of the skeleton for both sides of the mesh? I've only seen this happen when i forgot to add bones...i can't troubleshoot a max 2013 scene file since i'm still using 2010. Give me a .XSI and .FBX maybe i can help.

 

Yeah, definitely added all bones.

 

Okay, one of the most annoying things in the world just happened. It started working for no reason. Really, I'd rather it was still broken I suspect this is something that will haunt me all my life - I get persistent problems until I ask someone for help, then it fixes itself.

 

Seems my Max 2013 can save 2010 compatible files, so if I get stuck again, I'll gratefully throw a 2010 file in your direction ^^ Thanks.

[Boothand]

Some progress:

 

Not finished weighting completely, but getting close. On the other hand, I've already warned the public of my experience with animation, so this is what I with my very limited experience managed to piece together, in the first round of things (some of the body swaying motion disappeared now though, when putting an IK chain there.. for now). @@DT85, @@minilogoguy18, I suspect you guys know more about frames than I do. Would this be enough to make a looping walk cycle (blend the first and last frame of the loop)?

 

[DT.]

I usually just look at other models like the howler and see how long their frames are incase there's a set length in the code or something.

 

You're using a later version of max yeah? I suggest a CAT rig as a shadow rig with the 'ingame null bones' binded to it.

[Archangel35757]

Rather than record your computer monitor-- you can use "Animation Preview" to create an AVI for your WIP anims.

[minilogoguy18]

I can't help much with 3ds max questions but the shadow rig opinion is the best way for any animation in a game. One thing I do notice though is that your model is through the floor which could potentially cause transform problems in game of your animations.

[Boothand]

I usually just look at other models like the howler and see how long their frames are incase there's a set length in the code or something.

 

You're using a later version of max yeah? I suggest a CAT rig as a shadow rig with the 'ingame null bones' binded to it.

 

Yeah, using Max 2013 on this computer. Okay, will have to check out what shadow rigs are! Ingame null bones = the actual skeleton?

 

 

Rather than record your computer monitor-- you can use "Animation Preview" to create an AVI for your WIP anims.

 

Hehe yeah, doing it this way for nostalgia mostly + it reflects the kind of questionable state of the rig.

 

I can't help much with 3ds max questions but the shadow rig opinion is the best way for any animation in a game. One thing I do notice though is that your model is through the floor which could potentially cause transform problems in game of your animations.

 

Alright. I'll get back in this topic if I need more immediate assistance. I'll see if I can set the pivot point at the feet, without causing a disaster ^^.

 

Actually, you can see in the video that the hind legs kind of bend both ways. I suspect it's because the bone isn't so much in the middle of the leg (?). I might have to re-do some things because of it though.