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I finally uploaded an updated LiteRig. I changed the Roll Method for the Arm IK Controls to "Roll History". It seems to work best at the moment. Thanks for all your help. ---------------------------- If anyone wants this fix in a model that has already been rigged with the LiteRig, look in the rigged model's folder for and . Look in the |Properties| window for each bone and change the Roll-Method to "Roll-History".

Here's one from the Technical Manual I didn't know. p48 [Roll-Method] "Occasionally you may rotate a bone and find this default (Roll Handle/Z Rotation) behavior undesirable. To remedy it, simultaneously press the [Ctrl] key on the keyboard, or [Cmd] key on the Mac, (while dragging the end of the bone) to automatically compute a minimal visible roll ..." I think this means if you hold down the [Ctrl] key while dragging the tip of a bone around, the bone will not rotate on the Z axis.

I had to add a couple bones to the legs ... and a couple more constraints ... and do some futzing around ... But basically I just rigged a toad with the LiteRig. WooHoo! I learned something new too. If your model is much larger or smaller than the default bones, you may have to scale the hand/foot controls up or down. That can easily be accomplished when you open your model in the *Install* action. The controls to scale are: "Foot Control" nulls (for the back feet) "Hand Gizmo Parent" bones (for the front feet) "Arm IK Control" nulls (also for the front feet) These controls are parents of all the other hand/foot controllers, so they should all scale in the action when you scale the above mentioned bones. Also make sure to activate the "Key Skeletal Scaling" filter button as well as the "Key Translations" and "Key Rotations" buttons before you export. You can pretty much just follow the basic LiteRig instructions for installing LiteRig_TOAD. http://www.hash.com/forums/index.php?s=&am...st&p=290286 The toad was modeled by Ken Heslip for our very own "Scarecrow of Oz". My cp weighting could probably use a little more work, but dang ... a toad ... with the LiteRig ... I'm stoked LiteRig_toad.zip (updated 1/9/09) Everything you need to rig a toad (or other amphibian). ToadLite.zip (updated 1/9/09) Ken Heslip's toad rigged with LiteRig_toad LiteRig_Toad.zip ToadLite.zip

Thanks Rodney. Its easy to forget things like that over time.

Please explain your problem in more detail. I opened up you model and the only thing I found is that your fan bones are not constrained to orient like anything (they have Translate To constraints on them), so they aren't moving when you move your arms. Also, the CP weighting does not appear to be finished. Other than that, everything looks fine. Shoulders are always a challenge. Everybody seems to have their own solution to make the shoulders deform smoothly and you will probably find many of those solutions on the forum. If you don't like the way the bicep rotates when you bend the forearm, do this: In your rigged model, open the Rigging -> Limits relationship. In the list of bones under the Limits relationship, find "Left Forearm" and "Right Forearm", they will have Euler Limits constraints. Set the Euler Limits as follows: ---------- Minimum: x = -180 y = -180 z = -180 ---------- Maximum x = 180 y = 180 z = 180

Congratulations on the volumn control. Presentation may be the last little bit of the production process, but I think presentation is a biggie.

Very nice largento. Please keep going. It is inspiring to see you keeping your nose to the wheel.

I'll do that Mark, but I want to understand why. I don't understand "Z Singularity" or "Roll History" that well, even though I've read their descriptions in the help file. Thanks.

Arms fixed. Updated LiteRig and RobbyLite are in the first post. Thanks guys

That's great Steve392. Thanks for posting a picture and providing feedback.

Done. Updated project is in the first post. Also updated RobbyLite in the first post. For those who have already rigged a character with a fairly recent version of the LiteRig and would like to have this fix, its very easy. Open the folder for your rigged model and expand the "Foot Control" hierarchies. In the PWS, drag the "Foot Roll Target" bone down the hierarchy so it is a direct child of the "Heel Controller" bone. That's it! There's nothing more you have to do.

You shouldn't be manipulating the calf bones (shouldn't even be seeing them) unless IK Legs is turned OFF. That one is a mystery That sounds like you best bet. Think of all the great practice you are getting!

I think the topic was started by Entity. He was using Distortion Boxes to animate treads. Also worked with asymmetric treads.

I don't know what you mean by "there is no hand control targets" , but you must have done something to them. Deleting a Thigh bone won't affect the hands. I just did a test in a Pre-Rigged model. I imported the bones. I deleted the left thigh bone. Then I created a new bone and named it "Left Thigh". Then I made it a child of "Lower Hips" (just like the Right Thigh bone). Then, in the PWS, I dragged the "Left Calf" bone onto the "Left Thigh" bone, so it and all its children were now children of the "Left Thigh" bone. Then I made sure the "Left Calf" bone was *attached* to the "Left Thigh" bone. Then I saved the model as "TestModel_boned". Then I opened it up in the Install action and exported as "TestModel_rigged". (Make sure you Shift-click on the Force Keyframe button, and then save the action first!) And everything worked fine. Go back to your boned model and try the steps above. If you haven't messed with any bones other that the Left Thigh hierarchy, it should work. (When you are done rigging, you should have three versions of your model: Model_mesh, Model_boned and Model_rigged)

Doh! Don't know how something like that slipped past us Thanks Nancy. Updated LiteRig is in the first post. Save a copy of your boned model, for backup purposes. Do the installation normally. Then, with your rigged model, open the Rigging -> Limits relationship. In the list of bones under the Limits relationship, find "Left Forearm", it will have a Euler Limits constraint. Set the Euler Limits as follows: ---------- Minimum: x = 0 y = 0 z = 0 ---------- Maximum x = 180 y = 0 z = 0

I don't know the 2001 rig, but the disappearing bones may be geometry and non-tweaking bones you aren't supposed to touch when you are animating. Often, a rig designer will turn off the visibility of certain bones either under the model's folder or in a pose named "Hide Bones" or something like that. But, again, I am not familiar with the 2001 rig so I am just guessing.

Yep, it works now. Thanks. Updated LiteRig project and RobbyLite model are in the first post.

Excellent suggestions Mark, and elegantly implemented too! I didn't even have to change the installation instructions. (though I uploaded a new version of the instructions because I updated the image of the Force Frame dialog box) I made all the changes, but I'm having an issue with the lower spine. When I added the Translate to Lower Hips constraint in a prerigged model, it stretched fine when I pulled the lower hips around. But, when I ran a fresh model through the installation process, the stretching gets ... stuck ... when I pull the lower hips around. When I turn the Main Constraints Off, then On, the bone updates and it does what it is supposed to do. I looked at your model and the freshly exported model side by side and I can't see anything different. I don't know what's going on. Squetching the lower hips is a relative minor feature though, so I'm not going to worry too much about it. Thanks for your suggestions. Updated LiteRig and RobbyLite are in the first post.

That's great Mark. Its quite a nice presentation or your molecules.

Way to go Kat! Keep 'em coming. A (relatively) easy way to get 80% of your animation done pretty quickly is to: on frame 0, set keyframes for all the bones you think you _might_ want to move at some point in your animation. pose the character in its first significant pose (I'm defining a significant pose as a pose which involves moving at least three separate bone hierarchies, such as both arms and the torso. go to the time when the character transitions to its next significant pose and copy the previous keyframes to here as well. advance 6 frames in the timeline. copy the previous keyframes to here(again) and then pose the character in the next pose. (all on the same frame) go to the time when the character transitions to its next significant pose and copy the previous keyframes to here. advance 6 frames in the timeline. copy the previous keyframes to here(again) and then pose the character in the next pose. (all on the same frame). Etc...

OK, I think I fixed all the issues mentioned so far. Updated Project, Instructions and RobbyLite are in the first post. I took out the knee pointers in order to make the rig behave in a more reliable way and to get rid of the circular constraint Mark found. As a result, the legs may sometimes bend backward. If that happens, just grab the Thigh bone and yank it forward. There is now a pose in the Rigging folder named "Show Lower Spine". If you turn it On, you can rotate the lower spine. If you leave it Off, the Lower Spine rolls like the Torso (30%). I didn't change the way the Lower Spine bends though. If you want an arc instead of a straight bend when you rotate the Hips, you can just move the torso back a little and that will cause the Lower Spine to bend.

Thanks, Mark. I fixed it.

Mark I'm having trouble reproducing the problem you are having with the toes. Would you please tell me how you are positioning the model? Edit: Never mind. I figured it out. A fix will be in the next version. Thanks.

Thanks for taking a look Mark. I'll see what I can do.

That's what I want to hear You can try to modify it yourself, but re-rigging from a boneless mesh would probably be easier in the long run. Delete all the Control Bones ie. all bones which are not under the Root bone. Delete the Relationships -> Bones container (the Bones folder under the Relationships folder). Do Not delete anything in the User Properties Relationships container. Detach the feet bones from the Calf bones and move them, along with their children, up in the hierarchy - directly under the Root bone, Add a bone called "Left Foot Placer" as a child of the calf bone, attached to the calf bone (size and orientation are not important). Do the same for "Right Foot Placer". Import the model into the updated LiteRig project. Open the action with your model - and follow the normal procedure from there. Thanks. The Carpal Controller moves the Carpal bones in the X AND Y directions. I changed the manipulater options to allow X and Y rotation, but not Z roatation. I have never rotated it using the rotate manipulater before. I would just drag the end of the bone around - and when you do that, it rotates freely for some reason. Anyway, it should be fixed now. Updated project and instructions are in the first post.