mtpeak2

The default for 2001 rig is with the IK legs turned ON. This hides all the bone in the legs that are not needed. If you turn the IK legs OFF, the leg bones will appear.

Good to know Nancy, thanks for the info.

When you apply a decal in an action or chor, it applies it permanently to the model. Applying in an action or chor allows you to deform the mesh before applying it. It doesn't mean you can animate the application of the decal. Ok, next to the name of the model in the chor (PWS), there is a red X, click on the red X to show more than drivers. Now you will be able to locate the decals to animate. Once you animate the percentage of the decal, open the timeline and switch to channels mode. With the model selected in the chor you will see all the keyframes for the decals. Select all the channels for the decals and right click in the bounding box to set the interpolation method. I'm sure there are easier ways to do this, someone will chime in with the answer.

Here's the project with the decals applied (in the chor) and animated using a hold interpolation. You could use zero slope, with an extra key a few frames before, so it gradually appears. And here's the movie rendered from the project. FOOTPRINTS.zip prints.mov

You have to animate the percentage of the decalled image type. Each footprint needs to be in a different decal container, so you have the percentage property for each stamp. "Show more than drivers", in an action or chor, so you can access the decal folder of the model and find the image properties.

I think I may know why you had an issue with the stretching. The "translate to" constraint needs to be before the "aim at" constraint, in the relationship. I had to delete the "aim at" first, then add the "translate to", then reapply the "aim at" constraint again. So, if you added a constraint to the installer and the "translate to" is after the "aim at", there probably will be an issue. [EDIT] Just checked the installation project and that is exactly the problem, the "aim at" constraint is before the "translate to". Just delete the "aim at" and reapply it, so it comes after the "translate to" constraint. Robbylite has the same issue.

You've been busy. Looks pretty good.

Ok Holmes, here's a few possibilites, if you wish to use them. Added limits to the calves to keep kneecaps in position. Added "aim at" constraints (apply before action) to the thighs, in the "legs IK" pose, to the ball controllers. Knees point in the direction of the feet, but still can be positioned manually. Allowed translation of the lower hips and constrained lower spine to the lower hips. Translating the lower hips will now stretch the lower spine in the same way it does when translating the torso translator. Added a roll like constraint to the lower spine, so it rolls like the lower spine 30% as well as the torso. Take it for what it's worth, it's up to you if you want to use it. v13_RobbyLite_Mark.zip

Updated my first post with an update to the installer and instructions (found missing constraints and fixed the typos in the instructions). Also posted a zip containing Thom and Robby with the fix. Thanks Chris for finding the typos.

I'm rotating the foot control null on the Z axis.

Ok holmes, you need to rethink you method for the knee controller. The method you used has two problems (1) the kneeecap in your setup always points forward. (2) The controller setup has a circularity. The controller is constrained to the calf, then the thigh (parent of calf) is constrained to a child of the controller. This is a circularity. The controller does not animate corrrectly do to this issue, I've also had the controller go crazy at times when trying to position it. I had my concerns about the setup and trying to animate it confirmed it. In the clip I posted, the right leg should be in the same position as the left leg at the start and end of the clip. I haven't looked at the arms yet, but you may want to use the same method on the legs as you did for the IK arms. knee_issue.mov

Looks pretty good so far Kel. Not much to add to what Paul point out. Nice snow Robert.

There is still a foot issue. If roll targets are applied as David suggested, that would take care of this problem. I have an issue with how the spine works. I would rather see the bend between the lower hips and the lower spine or have the lower spine rotated 50%. Also, there is no way to rotate the lower spine on the Z axis, except for rotating the hips null. foot_issue.mov

The Robby model was posted by Michel (Animus). I don't know if he modelled it or not. I just rerigged it for him after his attempt to install the 2008 rig without an installer.

This sounds like an interesting idea. You could create a black image with a 1/4 square with an alpha channel (upper left). Use this image as a rotoscope for the camera. Then just scale the image to move the alpha area to a different corner of the camera. Might just work.

Open the QT, go to view and you can set it to loop. When you close the QT it will ask you to save it. [EDIT] Hmm, I had an older version of QT (7.4) I just updated and it no longer gives that option.

Looks geat Michel. The one thing that I noticed is that, the girl shaggy's left arm goes through her left leg when she sits up.

I've only had time to take a quick look, but the first thing I noticed was that you did not delete the old relationships from the user properties and the relationship folder. This is the main problem with the rig not working properly. There is also issues in the way you installed the right foot bones, they are out off position. For the most part, the leg install could have been rotated on the Z axis to align the foot bones. 90% of the time, the knees and feet point in the same direction. Sorry for the typos in the instructions, some of the bones were renamed in one of the updates, after the instructions were written.

Turning OFF the head controller puts the head and neck in FK mode. Turning OFF all the spine poses, IK legs and arms, and showing the FK fingers/thumbs will put the whole rig in FK. The Geom bones are the FK setup, this is the mode you want to use to setup any smartskin you want to do. All Geom bones can be animated directly if desired.

Did you assign cps?

Your the expert Robert, but I still think if TSM2 rig is mirrored by the mirrorbones plugin, the rigger won't work properly (I think I read this from a post by you in another thread). The caps are on the fan bones which has nothing to do with TSM2 rig (unless he modified the script), if flipper ignores them, then the mirrorbones plugin can mirror them afterwards.

With TSM2 rig, I think you need to run TSM flipper plugin first, before running the mirrorbones plugin (mirrorbones plugin will then only mirror the cp assignments and weighting). TSM rigger plugin with not work if the bones are mirrored from the mirrorbones plugin.

Nice character. Check the surface properties of the model or group that the material is applied to. There may be something you set on the model or group that is affecting the fur (other materials or surface settings).

I think you answered your own question, follow the instruction.

The problem is the plugin is processing too much at once, I think. Possible work around, after positioning the rig, run the install rig and mirrorbones plugin, before assigning and weighting cps. After assigning and weighting cps on the right side, run the mirrorbones plugin again. I haven't tested this, but I will soon. I think this will work. I have no problems with the mirrorbones plugin with just the rig, it seems to only happen after cps are assigned and weighted. I haven't had time to look into this yet.