itsjustme

There's the Tutorials section of the forum. In there, you will find the Tech Talk videos, a list of links, the A.R.M. (which is no longer maintained, but still some useful links), etc. Those should get you started...hope they are helpful.

I tested v14 by creating new relationships on a very simple model that I made in that version...I didn't get the string error. I tried "orient like", "aim at" and "translate to" constraints without anything unusual turning up. Then, I opened Squetchy Sam in v14 and started adding new Poses...I didn't get the string error. Does TSM put anything in one of the AM folders? Like an HXT file in the HXT folder? If so, have you tried testing for this problem without those files installed, Jesse? I don't have TSM, so it's not something I would be able to try.

I was using V13, I really think this is an A:M/TSM thing. I hadn't noticed a constraint haveing any problem in other situations. All newly created (ie not copied, pasted or imported, such as during a squetch rig install) relationships, whether tsm or not, give string errors. Imported actors with relationships built under previous versions do not display the error. To test this, create a new relationship, any relationship, on a model. It will display the string error text. Very minor. (These facts are true in v14c, I don't use 13 anymore.) Thanks for the information, Jesse. I'll have to try that tonight...I've been doing a lot of work in older versions to get the Squetch Rig update released.

There is usually a new version released sometime in December or early in the next year...the people at Hash would know better than me, but that appears to be the norm.

Sorry for any confusion...I try, but sometimes what I think is clear...isn't.

You mean even if someone installs a squetch rig the relationship names get that error? I checked v14 last night when I saw that comment...I didn't see it when using the Squetch Rig installation. Maybe I'm not understanding the steps to make this happen.

First, make sure that the center spline is at "0" on the 'X' axis by selecting the spline and scaling it on the 'X' axis to 0%. Select a point on the spline, make sure it's at "0" on the 'X' axis...if it's not, select the entire spline again and move it to "0" on the 'X' axis. Next, select then entire model, hold down the "Shift" key and select a point that is on the center line ("0" on the 'X' axis), right mouse click and select "copy/flip/attach". Hope that helps.

Was that from before the date naming convention was used, Steve? If it's that old, it would be easier to wait until Mark posts the Posable installation rigs for this release and re-install the whole thing.

I have used the BVH data from Zign Track in v11.1, v12, v13 and v14 while testing the FACE controls. I haven't tested on any older versions than that.

This is what worked for me, Paul. Hope that helps.

Here's the Quadruped rig updates. The changes in these rigs for this update are the same toe fix and FACE updates as in the biped rigs. The face setup instructions are still here (the Quad rigs don't have the full face bones rig, so not all of the instructions will be used for setting up the Quad faces) and the instructions for using the BVH data from Luuk Steitner's "Zign Track" software is here. The MirrorBones plugin is located on Steffen Gross' site, here. If anyone finds a problem, let me know and I'll fix it as fast as I can. ------------------------------- EDIT ------------------------------- These files have been deleted, the next version is located here.

Have you read this tutorial? There are also some descriptions of the functions here that might be helpful. Also, there's this tutorial, in case you haven't seen it. Hope those help, Ramón.

Have you tried using the GetTime() function, Ramon?

Okay, here's a test project, Ramón. I used surface constraints, which I think will give you the abilities you're looking for. This is a very crude example, so it needs a lot of improvement, but maybe it will help point you in the direction to solving your problem. Scrub through the Action and see if it's what you're looking for.

I hate posting an update this quickly, but, I changed the way the individual eye controllers work and figured it would be better sooner than later. After rolling it around in my head a little, I decided that Dhar is right (thanks, Dhar). So, I made the eye crossing controls into the "left_eye_control" and "right_eye_control", set them up to control both the 'X' and 'Y' rotation of each eye using the same rotations on the controllers. I also made the manipulators "rotate only" on those controllers and the "EyeAimerBone". The face setup instructions are still here and the instructions for using the BVH data from Luuk Steitner's "Zign Track" software is here...the instructions haven't changed. Mark will post the Posable installations as soon as he gets a spare moment. ----------------------------- EDIT ----------------------------- These files have been deleted, the next release is located here.

Are you using OpenGL or DirectX for your realtime rendering? Whichever you are using, switch to the other one and see if that gets rid of the problem.

Sorry it has taken me so long to get back to this, Ramón. I'll try to mess with it again tonight.

There are no limits on the eyes in this update, Nancy. Of course, if you roll the eyes inside the head it would be best to turn off the automatic eyelid movement. Try Squetchy Sam and see if that fixes the problems you have encountered.

The two bones that currently control the eye crossing are positioned above the "EyeAimerBone"...they are using the 'Z' rotation for rotating the eyes inward/outward. I was thinking about another set of bones just above the eye crossing controllers that also used the 'Z' rotation, but to rotate the eyes up/down. Or it could be a control that is just two bones that rotate like the "EyeAimerBone", that would make it have the same number of controls that it currently has, but they would be controlled differently. Me, I lean toward the 'Z' rotation set of controllers, but I'll make it whatever way is deemed the best. This addition would be very easy to add, it wouldn't cause any problems. I'm sold on adding the control, now it's just a debate on how the control should work in my mind, Dhar.

No David. I don't think you should add it now that I know about the "Show_Eye_Targets". That'll do very nicely I don't know, Dhar...the more I think about it, the more I want to add it. It would make things less messy when trying to keep track of what the eye targets are doing and make unhiding them extremely rare (probably just for having them "translate to" something). It would add two more controls over the EyeAimerBone, but I don't think they would hurt anything. What do you think? Once I get the Quad rigs posted, I've got a spine update that I want to work on...I could add the extra eye control to the "to-do" list.

Squetchy Sam is free and you can use him for anything you like as far as I'm concerned, Dennis. I'm using him as my "test bed" for the rig, so he's always going to have the latest updates in him.

In cartoons, you often see the eyes rotate in different directions (like after the character is hit hard by a pan). Is it possible to allow for complete control over the rotation? I could add that, although there is still the ability to use the individual eye targets by unhiding them using the "Show Eye Targets" Pose in the "FACE Interface" folder. Do you think I still should add it, Dhar?

I haven't figured it out yet, Ramón...but, I found out that GetTime() worked. Just so I understand completely, what is it you're actually trying to do? Maybe there's another way to do it. I'll have to look at this some more tonight/tomorrow.

Here's the next update... Changes in this version: --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- fixed hiding of left_bicep_fan_geom in the "show_geom_bones" Pose added "sleeve_squetch_like_bicep" Pose corrected compensates sheet errors added euler limit on thumb controller's 'Z' rotation changed the "roll like" on the wrist fan bones to an "aim roll at" did some re-parenting in the installation models for making the bicep_fan, bicep_base and thigh_base bones neater fixed a toe problem when going from IK to FK and back to IK added "ear_right_manual_movement" and "ear_left_manual_movement" Poses "lips_to_jaw" Pose renamed "lower_lip_to_jaw" added "Maxilla_to_LowerTeeth" Pose (for keeping the lips together when needed) increased the accuracy of the eye aiming made the "eyes_aim_at_Master_EyeTarget" Pose an on/off Pose so that it could be like an IK/FK switch...the "Master_EyeTarget" will follow the other set of controls when not in use (the v11.1 version doesn't work the same). added some controls to control eye-crossing...there is a bone for each eye located above the "EyeAimerBone" that rotate on their 'Z' axis to control the inward/outward movement of the eyes. added support for the BVH output of Luuk Steitner's facial motion capture software "Zign Track" re-worked the face setup so that Pose sliders could be used to set limits and enforcements made hips null always have a 0,0,0 rotation during installation in the Posable installation rig --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Posable installations will now have an added final step of importing a model that has the setup Expressions for the face in it...the Expressions didn't play nice with the installation Poses. There is a text file included in the Posable installation ZIP that lists the changes in the installation method. The face setup has changed quite a bit...hopefully, everyone will find it easier (that's the goal, at least). The "face_setup_11_12_2007_instructions.zip" contains a PDF file with a step by step explanation. The location of the origin of the cheek bones has changed, they now have their origin near the bridge of the nose...look at Squetchy Sam's rig for an example. There is a quick PDF tutorial in the "Using_Zign_Track_with_FACE.zip" that explains how to use the output from Luuk Steitner's "Zign Track" motion capture program with the FACE controls in the Squetch Rig and standalone FACE installations. I included as much as I could in each ZIP file...I had to separate out the instruction PDF's so that I wouldn't have ZIP's larger than 2 MB. The "InstallRig" plugin is included in each installation ZIP, the DLL's necessary for the "InstallRig" plugin to work in v11.1 are included in the v11.1 ZIP's. Thanks to Robert Holmén, Dhar Jabouri, Ken Heslip, Jeff Bolle, Rusty Williamson, Luuk Steitner, Mark Strohbehn and Mark Skodacek for their help with these improvements. If anyone finds a problem, let me know and I'll fix it as fast as I can. Mark Skodacek will be posting the Posable installations very soon. I'll try to have the Quadruped versions posted in the next day or two. ---------------------------------------------- EDIT ---------------------------------------------- In the list of additions, I forgot to mention that there are now fan bones for the mouth and eyelids (another great idea from Mark Skodacek). These will eliminate the need for any SmartSkin on the eyelids for me...there may still be an occasion where SmartSkin is necessary, but this will make it more rare. ---------------------------------------------- EDIT ---------------------------------------------- The next update is located here...the rigs in this post were deleted. The Zign Track instructions haven't changed, so they are still here.

I'll take a look at it late tonight.