NancyGormezano

I tried it with 15c and it didn't crash. BTW, I also notice that you have some cps on the left arm that are assigned to the right arm (right upper arm1)

You can offset the start position (look at arm.txt) - it says something like: create a bone called "blah blah" with the start point of "another bone" offset by 0.12

ah...I was assuming the squetch Rig Installer plugin was standard issue - but perhaps it's only included in the zip files for Squetch rig? here is just the plugin for windows - just put under hxt folder. I believe it is included whenever David posts a new version of Squetch rig. Currently now to install the squetch rig, the steps are: 1) import the Squetch posable model into your model - the model to be rigged 2) create an action and do the Poses thing 3) export posed model from the action (just sizes the bones to fit the model to be rigged) 4) delete installation poses 5) Import Final IMPORT Model into newly posed model - I believe this only has poses/relationships in it and does not influence the plugin? Not sure. doesn't matter. 6) Run Install rig plugin (SIRP) 7) reset compensates 8) assign & weight CP's The Squetch Posable Model (mentioned in step 1) appears to have the instructions for how to create the final Squetch hierarchy. It has a bunch of extra bones with "INSTALL" in the name that get deleted after running the plugin. As well as hooking other bones up properly in the Squetch hierarchy. Perhaps someone can chime in as to exactly what the syntax is for this plugin. This is something that I believe was written by hash? My guess is that this plugin can come in handy as well, for other things if included in the procedure for rigging, and have a hybrid variation of TSM2 scripts and SIRP pseudo-scripts. Windows_InstallRig.zip

don't know what the SQUETCH Install rig plugin (run after final import) for squetch does, perhaps that could be modified somewhat to help out as well. Robert/David/Mark - I am like a dog with a bone...(yuk yuk - get it?) Back to this NULL thang. I definitely think that the SQUETCH Install Rig plugin can be used to add nulls (and other control bones) to a skeleton hierarchy, in the correct place so that the TSM2 rigger can access the nulls to create constraints - unless, of course, I am misunderstanding how the squetch rig install plugin (SIRP) works... I don't believe any text editing would be necessary. Looks to me like the SIRP takes a hierarchy of bones and interprets them sorta like a script. IE it 1) deletes any bones that end in INSTALL (or contain INSTALL). eg if you start with the hierarchy of bones: base bone INSTALL +another bone INSTALL ++NULL and run the SIRP - you will end up with: NULL 2) and It also looks to me that the SIRP could be used to place the NULLS (and any other bones) in their proper place in the hierarchy eg, If you start with a hierarchy of bones looking like: base bone +GEOM bone INSTALL_base bone/GEOM bone +NULL then Run the SIRP, you end up with: base bone +GEOM bone ++NULL So I am guessing that something could be worked out procedurally like: 1) position (optionally only 1 side) of GEOM bones (either created with TSM build or some other means) 2) optionally run TSM Flipper 3) assign CPs and optionally weight CP's 4) Import a control hierarchy of bones that contains NULLS and perhaps other non-GEOM bones & instructs the SIRP to create a "Final" bone hierarchy. 5) Run the SIRP 6) Run TSM2 Rigger (to create poses that require compensates & additional bones? & whatever). I have found you can write TSM2 scripts that access nulls for use in assigning constraints. ______________________________________________________________ Note: As a side effect in my poking around, I have also learned that the TSM flipper will create a right/left pair of any bone - & the original bone doesn't have to be a TSM special bone name. It will create the complement bone, as long as it doesn't exist already. Unfortunately if there is a NULL named "right null", it will create a BONE called "left null" - but this might be useful if a text editor is required to convert bones to nulls, and the SIRP can't be used.

In the chor, set the model's options to "flat shaded" to get the decal's original colors and render your chor with shadows turned off, no reflections

The easiest way is to have multiple images per decal (using 1 stamp). First: apply your decal as type color, expand the decal container, right click on Images (under decal), select "Add Image", select which image to use, and change it's type to bump. The easiest prep for the image file to use for the bump is to take your original color image and edit it in photoshop (or equivalent program) to make it an image that can be used for a bump map, thus preserving the aspect ratio. Both images used then would have the same mapping method, but are different types. You can also add spec size, intensity, etc. You can also apply multiple decals to the same area (but not as easy to line up) - using different types (color, bump, spec, etc). This would allow you to have different aspect ratios for the images, and different mapping methods (planar, cylindrical, spherical) for the different decals. EDIT: above explanation might be a bit muddy. Need additional info?

2 things occur to me - 1) perhaps rather than a text editor "program" to change bones to nulls, that the rigger plugin be modified to be able to handle the syntax of "create a null" - seems trivial (on the surface) for anyone who understands the sdk and has access to the TSM plugin code. (does anyone?). I do not know the sdk and I am even more rusty than you Robert (like about 15 years rusty) 2) or if thats not likely, I have noticed that I can just add nulls into the hierarchy (manually) and then run the rigger. The existing scripts don't seemed to be bothered by the existence of nulls (have not tested extensively). Perhaps something could be worked such that the geometry bone heirarchy with the necessary nulls for squetch could be imported before running the scripts. This would probably be waaayyy more involved given the complexity of the squetch rig. And requires more thinking. I don't know what the Installrig plugin (run after final import) for squetch does, perhaps that could be modified somewhat to help out as well. I like how the tsm process works: first positioning the geometry bones very simply and manually, 2nd assign (and weight) cps, then third the rigging. The squetch rig obviously has way more options and capabilities.

I've been playing with this - but I can't seem to create a null - I thought the syntax would be similar to: create a bone called "xxx" (ie - create a null called "yyy") perhaps I did something wrong - I also tried: create null I'm wondering if you've got a description of the syntax - or you've had to just play and see what works? Thanks for opening this door - I really like how the different components can be added modularly. EDIT: Just occurred to me that perhaps a null has to be part of the component model? and can't be added with the script - I will try

I notice that your image file (for the decal) is named something like vorparts.002-001.png Try renaming the image files to vorparts002-001.png The extra "." might be the problem

That looks reeeeaaaaallllleeeee good. Looks very professional...and ...umm...umm...I mean that in a good way... It's great to see you cranking this stuff out so quickly ...Plavix anyone? (I watch too many commercials)

Gasp!!!! Be still my heart...

I have found that if the ground is front projected & flat shaded, that I can get shadows if my light is a Klieg with z buffered shadows

Nice lighting/background setup (looks familiar? like the aligator head image you did previously?) I like the overall texturing of course - very well done - For me, the mouth/gums/teeth don't look as believable as the rest of the head - perhaps the gums need to enclose the teeth with more irregularity, and the mouth rim area also looks too "regular" - needs more variation, elevation, bumpiness & perhaps some indication of plausible scarring left over from battles ?

I'm interested but... This is a very hard image for me to comment on. I'm not sure if you are shooting for "realism" or a stylized image? I will assume photo realistic for now. And if realistic - aiming for film look ? digital photo? art priint film look? Something else? If aiming for straight photo digital real (a genre that is the least interesting to me) - For me I would tweak the following: the foliage of the background trees seems striated (uniform horizontal pattern) & could use some variation in color and growth pattern. The cougar isn't believable for me (but nice posing). The black eyed susans could be much yellower (if that's what they are). They too could use some variation. The flowers appear to track the ridges of the terrain - which looks odd. The sky looks like a typical photo, might choose something more different. Lighting looks like a bright high noon clear day - nice but not dramatic. Could use some atmospheric attenuation. The composition and subject matter are great and has a very appealing feel to it. The mountains have a great shape. Nice rocks. I like going for showing a large expanse of a blooming wildflower carpet. I like the bareness of the mountains contrasted with the detail of the flowers, and trees. I like the meadowish feel. I like the idea of putting the cougar in - but he distracts. My attention is immediately drawn to him and it becomes an image about the cougar. What do you want this image to say? Define for us where you want to go. What do you like and don't you like about it? The basic is there - the details need tweaking for a touch more oomph to make it pop. Tell us your goals and then maybe we can offer suggestions as to what it might need, and how we perceive it (with our own built in biases), if you want to go further with it.

There is a difference between how on screen renders look (render lock - ver15b) and how a final render looks. 100% transparent makes the object disappear in the final render to file (but not onscreen). I believe it also happens if you render multipass off. My guess is that you will have to make your object 99% transparent - rather than 100%. You can use whatever values you'd like for reflectivity & specularity. Too bad. The onscreen render looks much better

how big is your file? and what kind of file is it? jpeg? tga?

another wild stab - too high frequency pattern for the rendered image size? (try higher resolution?)

Wild stab - jitter option turned on in hair?

Oh yes - very fun, very good. And I repeat:

MARK - Did you not see: It was only feedback from how a user (who prefers short names, and doesn't like reading long lists) experienced the interface at first glance, and it was not meant as a request for any changes. This lazy user doesn't like to have to think when animating. But this lazy user can learn where things are eventually, and then not have to do any dreaded thinking.

Hee hee - found the difference - I foresee more goofy eye animations in the future

It appears to work correctly, also tried lots of other stuff in the FACE Curious: What's the reason for unhiding the eyelid bones in position 3 of FACE control ? Something other than making goofy eyelid animations? and what's the difference between position 2 & 4?

Whew. Thats a relief. And very nice. And yes improved capability. Some feedback: (NOT to be acted on - please - we monkeys can learn new ways to get the banana) Part of the confusion was that the Torso (squetch) folder was not under the Squetch controls folder (like it use to be?) and... When I finally found it - it was not immediately recognizable what: spine_FK__IK__IKSQUETCH__SQUETCH__auto_SQUETCH does. Did not realize I had to set that to 2% for IKSquetch Maybe if the slider had said something like Spine-0:FK 1:IK 2:IKsquetch 3:FK 4:FKsquetch (or something which might make more immediate sense to people). Also seems strange that position 0, 3, 4 are FK

Yup - That works. I checked out the squetching whole body - looks the same in ver 14 and 15 but ...but.... (panic attack setting in)... What happened to Torso Squetch (spine squetch) ? is it gone ? - that was basically the only squetch control I used in TWO for many, many - correction - probably every animation I did in TWO. I love the torso (spine) squetch. The whole body squetch distorts the arms, head, feet etc while the torso (spine) squetch doesn't - its was great Is there another way to achieve that same effect in this release? (used Sam 4/23/2008 to test). Is it somewhere else?

The expressions aren't quite right yet I'm getting a "missing a right parenthesis" on the nostril right Y translation calc and I'm getting "syntax error in the expression" on the nostril left Y translation calc The other expressions seem to be ok. I don't know how you manage to edit these expressions - I don't think there's a monitor built yet that's wide enough to see it all. Tried bringing it into notepad and my brain along with my eyes went running from the room. I tried editing the expressions in A:M and found it frustratingly hard - nay, impossible - to read/edit the strings without getting syntax errors I won't be able to look at it further tonight - will try again tomorrow