Custom rig - export problem
by Emre Akpolat · in Artist Corner · 03/30/2009 (2:07 pm) · 6 replies
Hi! I am trying to build a custom rig but currently the dts exporter or Houdini itself ignores the parent-child relations which are set up manually by me. Instead of the real parents, it makes these objects children of the start01 node. This doesn't cause any errors in the export process, also the animations look alright in Showtool Pro. But the bone structure looks very weird as you can see in the image below:
http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/1306/iskeletnolila.jpg
Any advice in order to make this skeleton look normal is much appreciated. Thanks for looking.
EDIT: here's a link to my dump file in case you want to see it:
http://rapidshare.com/files/215491573/dump.html
http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/1306/iskeletnolila.jpg
Any advice in order to make this skeleton look normal is much appreciated. Thanks for looking.
EDIT: here's a link to my dump file in case you want to see it:
http://rapidshare.com/files/215491573/dump.html
About the author
#2
Have you tried building a skeletal rig 'from the ground up' and gotten the same 'render'/export result? Of no connection of the hierarchy? I 'think' that a single, hierarchy rig with the deforming/capture nodes and mesh should export correctly. You last image is closest, somewhere a parent/child relationship is not registering...
Are you following any type of rigging tutorials/videos?
03/30/2009 (7:12 pm)
What you see is the result I was getting if I used the AutoRig system of Houdini. I've written on this subject in probably more than one posting. It comes from Auto Rig's nature of a controlling rig and the deforming rig....the 'rig' that deforms the meshes don't a 'branched' hierarchy, they export as your first image; all nodes parented to one single 'root'/base type node.Have you tried building a skeletal rig 'from the ground up' and gotten the same 'render'/export result? Of no connection of the hierarchy? I 'think' that a single, hierarchy rig with the deforming/capture nodes and mesh should export correctly. You last image is closest, somewhere a parent/child relationship is not registering...
Are you following any type of rigging tutorials/videos?
#3
I had the same problem, I re-created the rig and it worked. Now trying to re-re-create it as I didn't like it:) If I do get a good rig I will post it.
03/30/2009 (7:40 pm)
Do you have your bones ending in a number? Looks like it is converting your bones to meshes and since they are not polys hence the errors only triangles supported? I had the same problem, I re-created the rig and it worked. Now trying to re-re-create it as I didn't like it:) If I do get a good rig I will post it.
#4
I built it myself but I don't know how to make branched bone structures in Houdini. So I built the bone groups separately and parented them afterward. It works good in Houdini :)
Randy, yes, I have some bones ending with numbers. Although re-creating the rig sounds a little horrible, I'll of course do it if I can't find a solution.
Thanks for the replies :D
03/31/2009 (2:21 am)
Rex, here's an image of what my rig looks like in Houdini:I built it myself but I don't know how to make branched bone structures in Houdini. So I built the bone groups separately and parented them afterward. It works good in Houdini :)Randy, yes, I have some bones ending with numbers. Although re-creating the rig sounds a little horrible, I'll of course do it if I can't find a solution.
Thanks for the replies :D
#5
The 'branched' structure I'm speaking of is the 'normal' biped structure....spine up to head, arms branching from chest/neck, legs branching from spine.
The 'gaps' in your DTS shape may not be detrimental at all, it depends. If you're matching DSQ files to this particular DTS, there may be no 'problems' at all beyond visual rendering...however; without definite Parent/Child relationships between nodes, manipulating them procedurally inside the engine may prove troublesome. You'll have to load up the dsq's into the dts shapes you're developing and take a look inside the engine....
I haven't really built any rigs with the native HD system and setup IK...I frankly didn't want to learn another 'bone' system and IK setup. I tried the AutoRig system and found it to not export as I'd like, and Poser is so easy to build rigs and IK for; I decided to not put too much time into HD's character solutions, I could do equal work faster away from HD...
I guess the end result to walk away with is: don't worry so much about how your characters/shapes look in the modeling programs or ShowToolPro visually; just make certain the shapes work inside the engine with your particular codeBase.
03/31/2009 (5:52 am)
Ah, yes, I can see there are 'gaps' in the 'skeletal' structure with some 'control' objects inserted here/there.The 'branched' structure I'm speaking of is the 'normal' biped structure....spine up to head, arms branching from chest/neck, legs branching from spine.
The 'gaps' in your DTS shape may not be detrimental at all, it depends. If you're matching DSQ files to this particular DTS, there may be no 'problems' at all beyond visual rendering...however; without definite Parent/Child relationships between nodes, manipulating them procedurally inside the engine may prove troublesome. You'll have to load up the dsq's into the dts shapes you're developing and take a look inside the engine....
I haven't really built any rigs with the native HD system and setup IK...I frankly didn't want to learn another 'bone' system and IK setup. I tried the AutoRig system and found it to not export as I'd like, and Poser is so easy to build rigs and IK for; I decided to not put too much time into HD's character solutions, I could do equal work faster away from HD...
I guess the end result to walk away with is: don't worry so much about how your characters/shapes look in the modeling programs or ShowToolPro visually; just make certain the shapes work inside the engine with your particular codeBase.
#6
No, I just trashed mine becasue I didn't like the movement plus I bought a new character model anyway.
But, the errors you are getting is because you have the numbers after the bones, if the Houdini exporter is like the others, it will interpret that as a mesh, which is indicated by the errors?
Simply rename your bones and remove the numbers at the end and see if that clears up those errors. Then you will know how the rig actually works in showtool. Right now, its not making it over based on the dump file.
I will be happy to test tonight when I get home as well as I am more curious on that myself.
03/31/2009 (9:07 am)
@EmreNo, I just trashed mine becasue I didn't like the movement plus I bought a new character model anyway.
But, the errors you are getting is because you have the numbers after the bones, if the Houdini exporter is like the others, it will interpret that as a mesh, which is indicated by the errors?
Simply rename your bones and remove the numbers at the end and see if that clears up those errors. Then you will know how the rig actually works in showtool. Right now, its not making it over based on the dump file.
I will be happy to test tonight when I get home as well as I am more curious on that myself.
Emre Akpolat
There's still something weird though. The bones I set to be parents/children don't still have any links between them in Showtool. That's probably because they are not connected by bones. Can this cause a problem in the future? What do you think? Image below:
http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/3761/nodesmissinglinks.jpg