PinkDot on 30/12/2020 at 20:01
Yes, you can either modify existing motions or make new ones from scratch.
jermi on 3/1/2021 at 15:42
This seems to work pretty well. I find euler filter so necessary that it probably should be a checkbox in the import dialog. Selecting a recent motion (in the import dialog) doesn't do anything. Is there any way to plant hands or feet at current position?
Modifying an existing motion is definitely not easy, due to every frame on every joint being a keyframe in the motion files. But that's not this tool's fault.
LarryG on 4/1/2021 at 10:28
Joint interpolation for a specified number of frames of motion between start and end positions would help though.
PinkDot on 4/1/2021 at 12:51
Thanks for the feedback.
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I find euler filter so necessary that it probably should be a checkbox in the import dialog.
I totally agree. Sadly, the Euler filter tool is not exposed to a scripting API. Maybe one day I'll implement it myself, if I find a bit more info on what the calculations are.
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Selecting a recent motion (in the import dialog) doesn't do anything.
It loads the recent motion into memory. So you can either press Apply to import the motion or press the '>' ("cheap" version of PLAY ;) ) button and it should play interactively on the current character.
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Is there any way to plant hands or feet at current position?
Yep, that's what IK mode is ON. IK mode on feet is ON by default, when you import the character, OFF for hands. But when you import a motion, the IK for feet is getting turned OFF, as motion gets loaded onto FK controls only.
IK controls are the red ones, so just select them and move or animate the slider in the Modify Panel from FK to IK mode.
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Joint interpolation for a specified number of frames of motion between start and end positions would help though.
That is the basic 3dsmax functionality - animation values get interpolated between key frames. You can set the ease in and out for every key etc.. to control the interpolation shape (linear/slowing down/speeding up etc...)
However if you import an animation what you're getting is a baked motion - with a key in every frame. If you intend to modify existing motion you can either create Animation Layer on the FK controls and add relative motion on top.
Or you can clean up the keys - just leave the extremes and then work from there, with just a few keys. This can be tedious initially, but yeah - that's similar to working with motion capture data. It always needs a clean up process.
There are tools/scripts, that can optimize/clean up curves, removing unnecessary keys, but as every automated process, it's subject to work better in certain scenarios and worse in others.
jermi on 4/1/2021 at 21:15
I think more often than not you need both. You need to reduce existing keys to edit or remove some motion and you need to layer something on top. And the latter is done by adding controllers to individual joints. And then you always have to remember to activate the controller you want to work with. This is nothing new, but it's a lot of work.
Quote Posted by jermi
Is there any way to plant hands or feet at current position?
The "IK --> FK" button is what I was looking for here. These buttons could perhaps be named more clearly. I had to actually RTFM.
Quote Posted by PinkDot
It loads the recent motion into memory. So you can either press Apply to import the motion
The "Apply" button remains disabled, is what I mean by "doesn't do anything".
PinkDot on 4/1/2021 at 23:23
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I think more often than not you need both. You need to reduce existing keys to edit or remove some motion and you need to layer something on top. And the latter is done by adding controllers to individual joints. And then you always have to remember to activate the controller you want to work with. This is nothing new, but it's a lot of work.
I could possibly add better support for animation layers, if there's an interest in this toolset. So far it had been minimal. I'm glad somebody is talking about more advanced features like animation layers.
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The "IK --> FK" button is what I was looking for here. These buttons could perhaps be named more clearly. I had to actually RTFM.
Yeah, I might add a tooltip saying something like 'Snap IK to FK controls' etc..
Sorry I made you read the manual... :cheeky: ;)
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The "Apply" button remains disabled, is what I mean by "doesn't do anything".
Looking at the code now - it seems that the only time Apply would not get enabled would be if the .mc file would not exist beside the .mi file, for some reason.
Are you getting an error like this, by any chance: "ERROR: .MC file is missing for this motion. (...)" (in the Listener window) ?
If that's not a case - please provide more details, like version of 3dsmax or ideally record a short video replicating this. Cheers!
jermi on 6/1/2021 at 09:10
Quote Posted by PinkDot
if there's an interest in this toolset. So far it had been minimal.
I think it's a pretty big ask for most to obtain and install and learn some of the basics of 3dsmax.
Quote Posted by PinkDot
Are you getting an error like this, by any chance: "ERROR: .MC file is missing for this motion. (...)" (in the Listener window) ?
Actually yes. OK, that makes sense.
PinkDot on 6/1/2021 at 13:40
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I think it's a pretty big ask for most to obtain and install and learn some of the basics of 3dsmax.
Yes, I'm aware. I wish I knew Blender, but I don't and don't have time to learn it as of now. Maybe in the future - who knows.
However 3dsmax is kinda easier to obtain these days, than in the past with the Student and Indie licenses available. I'd guess there is a bunch of 3dsmax users in this community.
LarryG on 9/1/2021 at 16:21
Bunch = 1 or 2?
Ferus65401 on 25/3/2023 at 02:03
I want to learn to change the characters themselves. like different clothing etc maybe a different type ie :: swordsman to not having one, a red outfit guard to a nobleman, etc etc. will this set of tools do that or do I need to use something else?