Torque Soldier - Why are the thighs children of the lower spine and not the pelvis?
by Adam · in Torque 3D Professional · 08/06/2012 (3:48 pm) · 7 replies
This is really a question for the GG artists themselves, and as such, I don't expect a fast answer as I know you're all busy. But as it says in the title, why are the thighs on the soldier children of the lowest spine rather than the hips? Is there a reason for this decision?
I ask because it's got me in a bit of a bind. I'm trying to export upper-body-only animations, and the rotation on the lowest spine is being passed to the legs. In torque 1.1, there was an easy fix; just link the thighs to the pelvis in the main max file and re-export. But in 1.2, since all the animation is outside of the main max/dae file, then this same fix would require quite a bit more time. I'd have to import all the dae's, relink, then re-export. It's not insurmountable, but damn is it a headache I wasn't expecting to have to deal with when I quoted this job.
BUT! I'm totally open to the idea that I'm thinking about this whole thing wrong, and I'm just not seeing some easy solution or huge benefit to having the skeleton linked the way it is. In this spirit, I'm hoping one of the GG artists - or anyone else in the community that is might have an idea - can educate me on this matter.
I ask because it's got me in a bit of a bind. I'm trying to export upper-body-only animations, and the rotation on the lowest spine is being passed to the legs. In torque 1.1, there was an easy fix; just link the thighs to the pelvis in the main max file and re-export. But in 1.2, since all the animation is outside of the main max/dae file, then this same fix would require quite a bit more time. I'd have to import all the dae's, relink, then re-export. It's not insurmountable, but damn is it a headache I wasn't expecting to have to deal with when I quoted this job.
BUT! I'm totally open to the idea that I'm thinking about this whole thing wrong, and I'm just not seeing some easy solution or huge benefit to having the skeleton linked the way it is. In this spirit, I'm hoping one of the GG artists - or anyone else in the community that is might have an idea - can educate me on this matter.
#3
08/07/2012 (7:02 am)
Pity. That would have saved your head. 
#4
I am going to take a leap here since I am not an artist. I am guessing character animation is more 'art' than 'science'. It might have helped with rigging?
08/07/2012 (10:49 am)
Is that spine section tied to upper body animation? Can you treat it as lower body?I am going to take a leap here since I am not an artist. I am guessing character animation is more 'art' than 'science'. It might have helped with rigging?
#5
When I was starting to work with a biped rigged character, I was running into the same problem where I needed upper and lower-specific animations, and this was completely wrecking it. I ended up just going into max and re-parenting the thighs to the pelvis instead of the spine, and hadn't had a problem about it since.
As for a quick workaround, honestly, I have no idea about one. I ran into what you're seeing, where I had to go and re-parent the thighs for all the animations i was using(only about....15 or 20 at the time). There may be a shortcut(a command for this sort of thing in the shape editor/shapeConstructor that you could copy and paste into each of the animation's onLoad functions? But I'm not sure.
08/07/2012 (11:23 am)
The reason the legs are children of the first spine, and not the pelvis is because it's based off the Biped rig in 3ds max, which has that as the default setup. When I was starting to work with a biped rigged character, I was running into the same problem where I needed upper and lower-specific animations, and this was completely wrecking it. I ended up just going into max and re-parenting the thighs to the pelvis instead of the spine, and hadn't had a problem about it since.
As for a quick workaround, honestly, I have no idea about one. I ran into what you're seeing, where I had to go and re-parent the thighs for all the animations i was using(only about....15 or 20 at the time). There may be a shortcut(a command for this sort of thing in the shape editor/shapeConstructor that you could copy and paste into each of the animation's onLoad functions? But I'm not sure.
#6
Well, thanks Jeff. Question answered.
08/07/2012 (1:26 pm)
Oh my head, hilarious. I've been using max for about 10 years and I've NEVER noticed that's the default for biped. I generally don't use biped as I prefer to make my own rigs. I just checked some old work that I did where a client required biped, and it looks like I linked the legs to the pelvis. I was probably animating away, saw the legs were linked to the spine, assumed it was something I carelessly did, and fixed it. Or at least that's my best guess. I feel like if I noticed it right away, it would have stuck in my head that that was the default.Well, thanks Jeff. Question answered.
#7
08/07/2012 (7:30 pm)
Character Studio is evil....quick; but evil....and now you know why. Did they ever build the skeleton with 'any' kind of symetry, Left to Right[rotations/transforms]? LOL, probably not... 
Torque Owner Dan Webb
PsyCandy Games
Um, if this is in any way related to what I think it may be related to, then I say don't bother if it's this complex. If not then I apologise for interrupting. :)
Good luck in any case.