Beginning Rigging Issues

DrowElfMorwen

I have finally decided to really go after rigging again after venturing into it a while ago but not getting far at all. I started my day out by following the basic rigging tutorial on the DAZ website. Now I've realized that seems to be a mistake. 

After spending many hours today making "selection sets" as the tutorial explained, by the time I go to export it as an object to reload it, none of the groups I made are there! Instead I am only shown the original surface groups of which there were 3. I need the surfaces and up and coming bone groups to be separated obviously, but why do these selection sets disappear?

 

I opened later a tutorial I saved long ago and I regret not using it from the beginning. It doesn't mention selection sets AT ALL but an entirely different group... I forgot already but it seemed some kind of surfaces. Now I am very confused. Please tell me I don't have to make all these groups again as something else.... 

Richard Haseltine

Selection sets are not, as far as I know, supported by the OBJ format. Groups (used for bones in legacy rigging, and (which may be the root of the confusion) as selection groups to tell DS which bone to select when an area of mesh is clicked. Selection Sets in DS are a native thing to allow you to store a selection without disturbing the groups and surfaces, which have functional effects.

DrowElfMorwen

There was no confusion for me, at the time: http://docs.daz3d.com/doku.php/public/software/dazstudio/4/userguide/creating_content/rigging/tutorials/basic_rigging_preparation/start

This tutorial VERY clearly states, "selection sets" which in the end are almost completely useless. At least making those same selection sets into groups does not seem like it will be too complicated. Anyway, yes, it's working out, I jsut wasted time >_>

I'm also wondering... I have two orcas I plan on rigging the same way if I can. When PAs have a male and female version of anything, do they just rig one and then apply/ make morphs after? Or must they rig two seperate ones?

DrowElfMorwen

Second Question: Is it possible to make a sketon for this orca and apply it to another, later?

Richard Haseltine

It is possible to save the bone relationships, yes. It's also, or course, possible to use the Transfer Utility if two meshes have the same basic proportions - that will give both bones and weight maps.

DrowElfMorwen

That's great to know! Phew that is going to save me heehee

DrowElfMorwen

I am still stuck on this same problem. Decided to come back to do rigging, this time on an orca figure.

Did DAZ change how it displays what is red or not? Because I never see blue anywhere... I only see my figure as gray, and the whole part I'm trying to edit as red (after selecting polygons and right clicking--> fill selected). So is it okay/normal I'm not seeing ANY blue?

Also, no tutorial goes over how you can change from all filled in red to making that red section smaller. I rather do that than expand the selection.

See, basically, any smoothing I do makes the selection completely red; there is no fading into grey/gray ... because there is no blue. And the sensitivity of the smoothing brush does this even set as low as 0.019

Below I'm including a picture. The left-most is the original "fill selection" on the X-rotation weight map. The two on the right shows what happens when I apply the same low smoothing values, both with and without the "restrict influence" box checked.

http://orig05.deviantart.net/7536/f/2016/365/a/2/rigging1_by_drowelfmorwen-datlm2p.jpg

kitakoredaz

Hi,, I feel you seems change your weight draw setting,, as "Draw surface with weight" mode.

when you  r- click tool setting tab , (keep current tool = node weight map brush) , or use option menu of tool setting tab , then > Weight display>draw weighted surface,

wil not l change wieght map drawing in 3d view.?

 

 

 

Richard Haseltine

Flood-filling may not be a helpful way to go with an organic model, as it allows for no soft bending. You will certainly need to selectively smooth the weight maps.

DrowElfMorwen

Hmm so no blue shows up even switching it..unless I begin manually painting. Then blue shows up, and what is already flood-filled will have no change. :(

 

Richard what do you suggest I do? Should I just scratch all the areas I flood-filled and start with new rotation maps?

 

mjc1016

Save the flood fills for things that both parts of the joint need to remain rigid...like a door.  They are more useful for inorganic things.

kitakoredaz

DrowElfMorwen  had used  smooth with selection in his pic,, then the selected area  need to change as blue  from 100 weight red  with his setting. 

Then,,  I know,,  change color weight of poligon,  which colored as 100 weight alerady ,  sometimes refuse any   modify. (smooth or attenuate or Fill another color).

Have you alredy  color weight map for un-colored area (in you pic , keep glay zone) to  another bone X-rotation  once? (eg Peduncle 3 or Peduncle 1 ?  if you have not colored still,, then those color are assigned for root node only,, try it to assgin another bone weight map once... eg select Peduncle1 , then color weight for grey zone,,, and select Peduncle3 then color weight for right side zone. of poligons.. after that try smooth again with selected poligon. 

And,,  I sometimes see,, I need to save the current figure once,, then re-load and start modifying can reflect my edit. (reduce weight from 100%)