center/end transfer versus translate?

Singular3D

Hi,

While analyzing the the Female Body Morphs, I realized that some of the dsf files include morph data and the change of center/end point. Other files use a simple rotate/translate of the bone together with morph data (e.g expression files).

I understand that setting rotate and translate is reflected in the UI, whereas shifting center and end is not, which seems to be useful for creating a character. Nevertheless I wonder, if the changing of the center/end point somehow influences the default joint orientation? The orientation does not necessarily follow the end point.

Regarding end point: What is the use of the end point? Someone told me that it is used by PointAt, but I have no idea, what the Point At is for. Can someone enlighten me or tell me where I can find some information?

Thanks in advance

Richard Haseltine

Point At is for aiming one node, or a chain of bones, at the centre point of another node.

The rigging adjustment for a morph may or may not affect orientation, as required by the morph. Moving the joint centres is to make sure that the figue still poses correctly after applying the shape; moving the bone actually sapes the mesh, just as rotation does - they are completely different functions.

Singular3D

Richard Haseltine said:

Point At is for aiming one node, or a chain of bones, at the centre point of another node.

The rigging adjustment for a morph may or may not affect orientation, as required by the morph. Moving the joint centres is to make sure that the figue still poses correctly after applying the shape; moving the bone actually sapes the mesh, just as rotation does - they are completely different functions.

Hi Richard,

Thanks for your fast reply. I saw a bodymorph that changed the orientation as well, indpendently of the center and end point. You're absolutely right that a translation or rotation of a bone also moves the vertices of a weighted mesh, whereas moving the center/end point does not. This all makes perfectly sense to me now.

So the end point is mainly used for aiming other things at the end of a bone of a figure. It can be used for setting the orientation, but in case of posing a figure without any accessories, the end points do not play a vital role. Rotation pivot is the center point and the default direction of the bone is defined via orientation. These 2 parameters are also responsible for the mesh deformation via weighting.

In other applications than Daz Studio, there is no equivalent to the end point, so this confuses me all the time. The end point is also not exported via FBX.

Thanks and best regards

Walter