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RigMesh for rigged alphas

TugpsxTugpsx Posts: 739
edited August 2012 in Hexagon Discussion

With the release of the new version of RigMesh you can make rigged alpha shapes that can be refined in Hexagon or imported into Daz Studio.

See the below YouTube video for more info.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbOXMuwQlyE


We are glad to release RigMesh v1.01. It can be downloaded here:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4964558/rigmesh_v1.01.zip

The main changes are:
- The merging interface is now "mode-less": it is suggested based on the proximity of the shapes.
While dragging one shape, press and hold Shift, and the system will suggest either:
1. Merging the two shapes by snapping them on a joint:
The closest joint pair on the two corresponding shapes will be highlighted, the grabbed shape will be translated as a preview, suggesting that the grabbed shape will be merged to another by snapping onto this joint when the user releases the mouse.
2. Merging the two shapes by splitting a bone:
One joint on the grabbed shape will be highlighted, together with a "suggested" splitting point on another shape and a cylinder connecting them, suggesting that a joint will be introduced on the other shape and the grabbed shape will be merged by snapping onto this newly added joint when the user releases the mouse.
3. Merging the two shapes by connecting two joints on different shapes (and inserting a bone connecting the two joints in the resulting shape)
When the snapping/splitting bone preview is highlighted, drag the grabbed shape away from the target shape. The closest joint pair on the two corresponding shapes will be highlighted. Meanwhile, a suggested bone insertion will also be highlighted.

RigMesh.jpg
635 x 351 - 19K
Post edited by Tugpsx on

Comments

  • RoygeeRoygee Posts: 2,247
    edited December 1969

    That looks like a lot of fun - downloading now - thanks for the heads-up.

  • emfederin_9bc0c524c8emfederin_9bc0c524c8 Posts: 0
    edited August 2012

    Strange program and rather awkward to use as a hex or DS4 utility.

    All the program opens/saves are FBX or SHAPE files, neither of which are compatible with hex or DS4.

    I downloaded an FBX converter from autocad, and it crashes saving OBJ files.

    The converter seems to save DXF files okay, although the normals are flipped and some faces were missing (see image)

    Also, the program doesn't seem able to model shapes using quads.

    ADD:

    The converter also saves DAE collada files which can ostensibly be imported by DS4, but DS4 wouldn't load the shape below as a DAE file.

    OBJ and DXF files don't contain IK data, so it looks like any effort setting them up would be lost.

    hole.jpg
    924 x 694 - 57K
    Post edited by emfederin_9bc0c524c8 on
  • RoygeeRoygee Posts: 2,247
    edited December 1969

    I've had a quick play with it and found that after converting to .obj, using UU3D it is perfectly compatible with Sculptris. This will be very useful for drawing basic shapes for further detailing in Sculptris, then retopo in Blender.

    The .fbx version doesn't suit Carrara or DS4.5 - I'll have to get hold of the fbx converter and see whether I can find a version that Carrara likes.

  • RoygeeRoygee Posts: 2,247
    edited December 1969

    OK, I've converted with Autodesk FBX converter to every version it offers. None of them are compatible with Carrara or DS4.5. They do load, with rigging and the mesh is viewable in the vertex modeller, but the size is a negative value so large it looks like my bank account.

    Collada loads the mesh into Carrara, but not the rigging. Error loading in DS. DXF gives Hex a reading error and .obj conversion crashes the converter.

    So, unless someone comes up with another method, I'll not be using it for animation. Still good as a base mesh for Sculptris, though.

  • WendyLuvsCatzWendyLuvsCatz Posts: 38,311
    edited December 1969

    it works in iClone via 3Dxchange for what that is worth!
    but I found it very crashy
    I mentioned this app a while back when the new forum first started,
    the mesh only appears as a bounding box in Carrara, in iClone 3dx5 I had to use the smooth modifier and re-uv map it, trying this in Carrara just gets rendering failed.

  • WendyLuvsCatzWendyLuvsCatz Posts: 38,311
    edited December 1969

    http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/4832/

  • RoygeeRoygee Posts: 2,247
    edited December 1969

    Hey Wendy - was hoping you'd pop in, knowing you've had some experience of it. Saw your YouTube efforts to get it working in Carrara - hilarious!

    OK - I've done more research on it - seems it's one of those science projects that is only used for research and never goes anywhere. It apparently works in Maya as well, but the rigging is really just part f the modelling process rather than to be used in animation.

    The couple of tries I've made to build something to be used as a base mesh in Sculptris were a disaster - just doesn't work as shown in the video and in the sparse text file that comes with it.

  • WendyLuvsCatzWendyLuvsCatz Posts: 38,311
    edited December 1969

    I tried another one after posting this, after retargetting it and converting it in 3dx5 for iClone, I added iMotions created from Daz Aniblocks and re-exported it, it wirked fine in Autodesk fbx viewer but still only a bounding box in Carrara (AND Houdini, tried that too).
    using 0 to frame the mesh sends Carrara to an undefined xyz position like the co-ordinates given for the mesh yet it is visible in the vertex room, in iClone 3dx5 smooth fixes it but doing this just makes Carrara get a black assembly room Window.
    Must ask Blumblumshub to try it in Maya if he can get his head around animation!

  • johnnybevo_1ac43c32dejohnnybevo_1ac43c32de Posts: 0
    edited August 2012

    Wow this is cool.
    Is there some more info and docs somewhere?

    never mind, just need to read the read me file.

    Post edited by johnnybevo_1ac43c32de on
  • johnnybevo_1ac43c32dejohnnybevo_1ac43c32de Posts: 0
    edited December 1969

    give me a few days to start to play with it and I will see if i can import and export from xsi. mod tool.

  • RoygeeRoygee Posts: 2,247
    edited December 1969

    Yeah - it comes into Carrara at something like minus 58million trillion.

    Wendy - I know you do a lot of moving between apps - in another thread you suggested to someone wanting to bring an fbx into Carrara that they use 6 or 7. The Autodesk fbx converter I have gives options 2006 through to 2013 - what is 6 or 7?

  • WendyLuvsCatzWendyLuvsCatz Posts: 38,311
    edited December 1969

    I mean export as 6 not 7, it is the first option in the Carrara export dialogue.
    with the import, C8.5 not too fussy but trying 2009 tends to work best in the production build, get a lot more messed up imports than in the beta where most work fine with exceptions like rigmesh (which does not work in Unreal UDK either btw, just tried).

  • RoygeeRoygee Posts: 2,247
    edited December 1969

    Thanks, Wendy - now I understand.

    Still battling to get an Optitex sim into Carrara - tried fbx, also converting using the converter - just get a rolled up ball - looks like a chicken ready for roasting

  • WendyLuvsCatzWendyLuvsCatz Posts: 38,311
    edited August 2012

    need C8.5 AND DS4.5rc and save as a .duf scene
    see my thread in the Carrara discussion on it
    clothing props ie the poncho, need to be parented to Genesis to work.
    my latest video the nightie is not conformed, just parented to Genesis.

    Post edited by WendyLuvsCatz on
  • RoygeeRoygee Posts: 2,247
    edited December 1969

    I use both - nothing involving animation works for me using duf - static scenes OK, any movement gives me i/o error.

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