Step by Step Rigging for Sansar - Blender 2.79
This is for Blender 2.79. If you are using a later version choices will likely be in different places. The "idea" and steps should hold true though. Note that you can no longer rig to a BONE in Blender 2.8; you need to rig to a vertix group. So this will only be partly useful to Blender 2.8 folks.
Click screenshots to enlarge.
Make your mesh object. Make sure it has materials assigned as well as UVs mapped.
Import your avatar file (with skeleton version). This can be the default avatar or a custom avatar. If an item is rigged to a specific avatar it will almost certainly not work on another (some exceptions apply of course).
File > Import > FBX --- Find the file you will use as your rigging model.
Before we resize and align the object to be rigged (here a bangle bracelet set) we need to CLEAR ALL TRANSFORMATIONS on the skeleton to make sure it is aligned property.
Click on the armature (skeleton) and change from Object mode to Pose mode.
In Pose mode, choose Pose > Clear Transformations >All
Next Resize if needed and align your object in the place you would like it to attach.
Make any final adjustments if needed. (In this case I made the bangles more realistic by tipping their direction).
You model should now look something like this:
Select the object (bracelet) and Shift click on the armature skeleton. With both selected use Ctrl + P and choose Empty Groups.
Change to pose mode and find the bone that you want to rig your item to -- in this case it is Wrist Twist 2 (not the wrist as this is on the arm really). Select JUST that bone.
Direct your attention to the Scene panel.
Holding down the shift key, click on the PLUS sign next to the armature icon and expand the listing of bones.
Notice that the bone is highlighted in a circle.
If your bone is difficult to click on you can scroll down the list of bones to find the one you want to rig to. Right click on the bone listing and choose "Select". A selection bar of a lighter color will appear OR just make sure there is a circle around your bone of choice.
Important note which I learned with much angst:
On some items (it seems more complex ones but that might just be an accident) you will not be able to get the bone to highlight in the bone list just by clicking on the bone. They bone you select WILL look highlighted on the rig but the selection dot will not show up in the bone list. You MUST (in my tests anyway) have that bone selected in the list for Blender to understand which bone you are rigging to. If you miss that step your item will import in the correct spot but NOT be rigged.
I also found that sometimes the bone will be highlighted in the list when you start and somehow disappear along the way. So make sure and check to see if the bone is still selected before you export your file.
Go into Object Mode and select your item (bracelet). Then change from Object Mode to Weight Painting Mode (drop down menu). You want to make the brush larger, and have Auto Normalize on. You will note that the bracelet is currently BLUE. Our goal is to turn it to RED.
Use the Z_key to to into wireframe mode. Draw across the object and watch it turn from blue to red. Change views to make sure you reach ALL the vertices in your mesh object. I typically use 1, Ctrl 1, 3, Ctrl 3, 7 and Ctrl 7 to get all the angles.
When your weight painting is complete your object should be solid red.
[Note that if you have a complex object that spans more than one area you will need to do more complex weight painting than is shown here.]
Tap the Z_key to get out of wireframe. Go back into Object Mode.
Select your object (bracelet) and use Ctrl + A to get a menu. Choose Location, Rotation and Scale. This is THREE choices using Ctrl + A three times.
Still in Object Mode, Select your object then Shift + Click on the skeleton. It should look similar to this:
Export with these settings (these are the 2.79 settings remember):
Import your item into Sansar. ANY rigged wearable items will need to be uploade into the CLOTHES section of the Lookbook inventory.
Note to self :D
When doing something complex as shoes be SURE that the vertex group you are weight painting to is correct. JUST choosing the bone doesn't "necessarily" (or ever in my case) find the correct vertex group for you for the SECOND shoe. So scroll through the vertex group list and choose the correct group yourself. In my screenshot below the shoes uploaded fine but the painting needs to be changed to use more than JUST the ankle bone R_ball for example for the toe of the shoe. Just pasting in this screenshot so I don't forget.
Click screenshots to enlarge.
Make your mesh object. Make sure it has materials assigned as well as UVs mapped.
Import your avatar file (with skeleton version). This can be the default avatar or a custom avatar. If an item is rigged to a specific avatar it will almost certainly not work on another (some exceptions apply of course).
File > Import > FBX --- Find the file you will use as your rigging model.
After importing the rig you will be in OBJECT MODE.
Click on the armature (skeleton) and change from Object mode to Pose mode.
In Pose mode, choose Pose > Clear Transformations >All
Next Resize if needed and align your object in the place you would like it to attach.
Make any final adjustments if needed. (In this case I made the bangles more realistic by tipping their direction).
You model should now look something like this:
Select the object (bracelet) and Shift click on the armature skeleton. With both selected use Ctrl + P and choose Empty Groups.
Change to pose mode and find the bone that you want to rig your item to -- in this case it is Wrist Twist 2 (not the wrist as this is on the arm really). Select JUST that bone.
Direct your attention to the Scene panel.
Holding down the shift key, click on the PLUS sign next to the armature icon and expand the listing of bones.
Notice that the bone is highlighted in a circle.
If your bone is difficult to click on you can scroll down the list of bones to find the one you want to rig to. Right click on the bone listing and choose "Select". A selection bar of a lighter color will appear OR just make sure there is a circle around your bone of choice.
*****************************************************
Important note which I learned with much angst:
On some items (it seems more complex ones but that might just be an accident) you will not be able to get the bone to highlight in the bone list just by clicking on the bone. They bone you select WILL look highlighted on the rig but the selection dot will not show up in the bone list. You MUST (in my tests anyway) have that bone selected in the list for Blender to understand which bone you are rigging to. If you miss that step your item will import in the correct spot but NOT be rigged.
I also found that sometimes the bone will be highlighted in the list when you start and somehow disappear along the way. So make sure and check to see if the bone is still selected before you export your file.
*****************************************************
Go into Object Mode and select your item (bracelet). Then change from Object Mode to Weight Painting Mode (drop down menu). You want to make the brush larger, and have Auto Normalize on. You will note that the bracelet is currently BLUE. Our goal is to turn it to RED.
Use the Z_key to to into wireframe mode. Draw across the object and watch it turn from blue to red. Change views to make sure you reach ALL the vertices in your mesh object. I typically use 1, Ctrl 1, 3, Ctrl 3, 7 and Ctrl 7 to get all the angles.
When your weight painting is complete your object should be solid red.
[Note that if you have a complex object that spans more than one area you will need to do more complex weight painting than is shown here.]
Tap the Z_key to get out of wireframe. Go back into Object Mode.
Select your object (bracelet) and use Ctrl + A to get a menu. Choose Location, Rotation and Scale. This is THREE choices using Ctrl + A three times.
Still in Object Mode, Select your object then Shift + Click on the skeleton. It should look similar to this:
Export with these settings (these are the 2.79 settings remember):
Import your item into Sansar. ANY rigged wearable items will need to be uploade into the CLOTHES section of the Lookbook inventory.
Note to self :D
When doing something complex as shoes be SURE that the vertex group you are weight painting to is correct. JUST choosing the bone doesn't "necessarily" (or ever in my case) find the correct vertex group for you for the SECOND shoe. So scroll through the vertex group list and choose the correct group yourself. In my screenshot below the shoes uploaded fine but the painting needs to be changed to use more than JUST the ankle bone R_ball for example for the toe of the shoe. Just pasting in this screenshot so I don't forget.
Comments