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TrueSpace Rigging, Texturing, Animating, Compatibility Issues
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TrueSpace Rigging, Texturing, Animating, Compatibility Issues // Roundtable
Post by i2dontknow84 // Oct 1, 2008, 8:31am
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i2dontknow84
Total Posts: 9
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Hi,
Here is my dillema... I have learned Hexagon for modeling characters, but there is no bone rigging capabilities there, so I looked to Carrara Pro, but their bone rigging is so complex and deforms the mesh when I rotate the arms. So I looked to Poser, not an easy process there, unless you are a programmer and know Python.
Then I found trueSpace and I am quite impressed with it so far, especially with the bone rigging. I'm still just starting to learn it though.
My dilemma is that I have hundreds of rigged, textured characters that I have purchased over the months, but from what I have read in the forums, it is not a fast and easy process to be able to use those characters in trueSpace while keeping their textures, rigging, IK, etc.
And if that is the case, then posing and animating in trueSpace would not be my choice.
If it is not a fast and easy process to be able to use DAZ and Poser characters in trueSpace, then I would rather use Carrara Pro for my posing and Animating and use trueSpace only for bone rigging and maybe for some modeling too.
Carrara Pro allows me to load all of my Poser runtime folders into the Sequence Browser. So it is just one double-click to get any of those Poser or DAZ characters into the scene.
I've tried exporting a rigged character from trueSpace as a '.cob' file, as a '.3ds', as a '.dxf' and as a '.x' file, but when I imported the character into Carrara Pro, the skeleton was not attached to the mesh character, which would mean that I would have to attach the skeleton to the mesh in Carrara, but that option was grayed out.
And even if it was not grayed out, I am assuming that then I would need to set the IK, the bone rotation and the weightmap painting for the character in Carrara Pro. Which is what I am trying to avoid.
* So my questions are, in what file format can I export a trueSpace rigged character and keep the skeleton, the Inverse Kinemetics, the bone rotation settings, the textures and so on, so that I would be able to use those characters in Carrara Pro?
* Is there a plugin available that will solve my export problems so that the models I create in trueSpace would work in Carrara Pro?
* What other options do I have?
i2dontknow84 |
Post by 3dfrog // Oct 1, 2008, 9:09am
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3dfrog
Total Posts: 1225
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I have gotten ts animations into carrara. I use ultimate unwrap pro as the inbetween. The best format to export from truespace that is most compatible with ultimate unwrap pro is collada dae. Then import the dae to ultimate unwrap, you may have to reapply the texture, but all the uv info is there. Keep in mind truespace materials do not export, you need to use texture maps. Then export from ultimate unwrap as .x and import to carrara. Sounds like a pain in the butt but once you get the workflow down its quite easy. Also when you import the directx file into carrara the model gets scaled real small for ome reason, so you have to scale it back up in carrara. May just be I dont use the right settings but it just takes a second to scale it back up anyway. |
Post by i2dontknow84 // Oct 1, 2008, 11:19am
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i2dontknow84
Total Posts: 9
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Thanks 3dfrog,
That info helps alot. I might be able to get a workflow going that works for me now. Much appreciated.
One more quick question for you, if I use the Ultimate Unwrap tool as the inbetween, does it also export the skeleton into Carrara and keep all of the rotation, IK, weightmap painting and whatever other rigging work that I did in trueSpace with the character?
i2dontknow84 |
Post by 3dfrog // Oct 1, 2008, 11:49am
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3dfrog
Total Posts: 1225
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The IK you set up in truespace will not inport to carrara. I like to do all my animation in truespace first. I don't thin there is any way to really send ik info from one program to another as they use different systems. Your skeletal animations and weight painting will translate. Currently there is no way to export morphs from workspace either, so use skeletal. I basically just use carrara for its nice scenery, and dont animate in it. |
Post by i2dontknow84 // Oct 1, 2008, 12:38pm
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i2dontknow84
Total Posts: 9
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Thanks again 3dfrog,
I appreciate the info.
Adding IK in Carrara is not hard, so that is no problem.
It was mainly the skeleton joint rotation work and the weight map painting work that I was concerned about getting into Carrara from trueSpace, because that is what is hard to do in that program.
Now I need to see if I can figure out how to use the Ultimate Unwrap 3D tool.
i2dontknow84 |
Post by W!ZARD // Oct 2, 2008, 4:09pm
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W!ZARD
Total Posts: 2603
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Another option might be to do your rigging and animation in Workspace, save the resulting clip as a .BVH file and export that to another application. You would need to reapply your .BVH skeleton to your mesh in your other application but the animation info should transfer across nicely in the BVH format (which is I believe also exportable/compatible with DAZ Studio and Poser content).
Note I've not tried this but I'm sure it would be worth looking at, assuming your other app supports .BVH files.
HTH |
Post by i2dontknow84 // Oct 3, 2008, 8:01am
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i2dontknow84
Total Posts: 9
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Hi Wizard,
Thanks for the info. I will try the .BVH file option.
3dfrog, I downloaded the trial version of the Ultimate Unwrap 3D software and read the Help, but when I launched the program and tried it, I did not see a Collada '.dae' Open or Import option.
Attached are two screenshots showing the 'Open' and 'Import' options that I found.
i2dontknow84 |
Post by 3dfrog // Oct 3, 2008, 11:03am
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3dfrog
Total Posts: 1225
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You have to download the importers and exporters from the uu3d site on their download page. There are tons of formats. |
Post by i2dontknow84 // Oct 3, 2008, 1:19pm
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i2dontknow84
Total Posts: 9
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Hi 3dfrog,
Thanks for the info.
I found the plugins on their site.
I must be blind as a bat to have not seen them the first time around :-)
So do I just import the '.dae' file that I exported from trueSpace into Ultimate Unwrap 3D and then export it without any changes to a '.dae' file, then import it into Carrara Pro?
Or is the process more detailed and more sinister than that?
i2dontknow84 |
Post by 3dfrog // Oct 4, 2008, 4:22am
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3dfrog
Total Posts: 1225
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the best results i found is use ts dae, import to uu3d, you may have to reapply texture map, then export as directx and import to carrara. |
Post by i2dontknow84 // Oct 4, 2008, 9:08am
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i2dontknow84
Total Posts: 9
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Thanks 3dfrog,
The info is much appreciated.
i2dontknow84
P.S. Happy birthday.
I've decided to either no longer have any birthdays, or to count backwards so that I minus one year from my age each year until I hit 1. |
Post by i2dontknow84 // Oct 6, 2008, 6:03pm
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i2dontknow84
Total Posts: 9
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Hi 3dfrog,
I purchased the Ultimate Unwrap 3D software, did what you said for exporting a trueSpace file, importing it into Ultimate Unwrap 3D, exporting it as an '.x file' and importing it into Carrara Pro...
It does import into Carrara, but when I try to attach the skeleton to the mesh, the 'Attach Skeleton' option is grayed out no matter what I do.
I have tried selecting only various parts, and so on, no matter what I do the 'Attach Skeleton' option is always grayed out.
Attached is a screenshot.
Are you able to attach the skeleton in Carrara after a trueSpace export?
i2dontknow84 |
Post by 3dfrog // Oct 8, 2008, 4:34am
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3dfrog
Total Posts: 1225
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Hmm, the skeleton should still be attached to the model after importing. Can you send me your files at dennis@3dfrog.com and I'll take a look at at them, zip them all up and send them. I'll see what the problem is. |
Post by i2dontknow84 // Oct 8, 2008, 9:12am
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i2dontknow84
Total Posts: 9
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Hi 3dfrog,
Thanks so much.
I just emailed you the '.x file' as an attachment with my email.
Much appreciated,
i2dontknow84 |
Post by i2dontknow84 // Oct 9, 2008, 1:26pm
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i2dontknow84
Total Posts: 9
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Hi 3dfrog,
Thanks for getting back to me with the recommendation.
I tried the '.fbx' and it worked great.
Much appreciated,
i2dontknow84 |
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