Breaking up a very large model

[irscottie]

Hello, can someone please help me.

 

I have been trying for a month now to model a robot. I have the robot compleat but I had to break it up in several model files. My original idea was to import all the models into a single model but it is just too complex and was taking hours to drop in a model.

 

I heard you can use Choreography and Actors to get these same results. Something about a hook bone? I'm really not sure, I have been searching the forums and testing it out on my own but I can not get bones created in separate models to interact with each other in the choreograph, please help if you can.

 

-irscottie

[John Bigboote]

It must be one hi-patch robot...lotta detail! Using separate models and assembling them in an action (action objects) is a common method for large models. HOWEVER, if it is a CHARACTER with a common rig- then the optimal place for all the geometry would be within the SAME model for rigging and animation purposes.

 

To use 'action objects'...make a new action and choose your main model, then simply drag and drop the other models onto the action...pose, scale and position as needed. NOW, in a choreography- you can just drop that action onto the main model and it will become 'built'.

[irscottie]

Thank You very much John,

 

i will try that now. if this works i owe you big time.

 

I spent a good 6 months every day modeling this robot, it is very very high detail. I actually had to tone it down about 60% to try and get all the parts within one part... but it is still too detailed.

 

Thank you

[John Bigboote]

We are suckers for hi detail models here...show us an image!

[irscottie]

Hello again,

 

So I tried your steps and I get error #033..

 

I could be doing something wrong, SO I put all the parts into an action and saved it, I then made a new choreograph and put one of the parts of the robot into it and then imported the action into the part within the choreograph.

 

Did I do something wrong?

[irscottie]

[John Bigboote]

AWESOME! Thanks for posting! Is that a toon render? I like the 'face'...and the neon-greeon. WOW! What kind of a rig do you use? Is that an actual toy (available to buy?) Too bad we don't have image contests anymore...that might win a 'mechanical' contest. GREAT WORK!

[irscottie]

IT WORKED!!!!!

 

Wow, ok I'm going to play around with this for a bit but so far so good.

 

So are you saying all the bones should be in the main model? or should the bones be in each model and link them together within the action?

 

Thank you for all your help I'm doing this for an animation contests. the model was due Aug 1st and the animation is due Nov 1st so im in a bit of a time crunch.

 

If you want to see my entry video for the Aug 1st model its at the link below. Its not much animation, just showing off the model.

 

http://awp3d.com

 

Regards,

Scott Woods

[irscottie]

Yea its a toon render, mostly just the outline. I made this sucker up as I went. so unfortunatly no toy..... YET =)

[jakerupert]

>So are you saying all the bones should be in the main model? or should the bones be in each model and link them together within the action?

 

 

I m afraid, if you want to use one rig (like TSM2 for instance) for the whole model , you will have to put all your model parts into one model.

But a model gets "hard to handle " at about 15.000 patchcount (right click in model window see "file info" )

You could make a simple stickfigure proxymodel to test your mechanical rig before you implement it into the "real thing".

 

If you are forced to use the assemblymethod with actionobjects you could still add a rig to your mainmodel (mabe just your mainsceleton) and move the parts in the actionobjects with posesliders for these specific actionobjects/models which you can accsess in the chor window.

Or maybe animate the whole thing with posesliders for arms legs etc., just a workaround and no rig but might be enough for your purpose.

[jakerupert]

>If you want to see my entry video for the Aug 1st model its at the link below. Its not much animation, just showing off the model.

 

http://awp3d.com

 

 

[HomeSlice]

Great model! While it would be possible to create that particular model with fewer than 10,000 patches, you have already made it you may not want to go back now and cull patches.

 

In that particular model, it may be possible to break some of the parts out into separate models/rigs and join them in an Action.

I don't know for sure if this will work, but it is worth a try.

 

Make a new model and paste the geometry for the right leg into the new model.

Make a new model and paste the geometry for the left leg into the new model.

Rig the legs however you like.

In the main model, place a bone at the "hip" joints where you want to attach the legs. make sure the *base* of the bones is at the exact location where the legs should be attached.

Make a new Action. Name it something like "Robot Assembly". Use your main model as the base model for the Action.

Bring in each of the leg models as an Action Objects.

Constrain the "Upper Leg" bone in each of the leg models to "Translate To" the hip bone in the main model.

Make a new Choreography.

Bring the main model into the choreography.

Drag the "Robot Assembly" action onto the main model in the chor.

Try to animate the legs and see if it works.

 

If that doesn't work, close the choreography window.

Go back to the Action window.

Delete the "Translate To" constraints on the Upper Leg bones.

Select each of the *Hip* bones in the main model and apply a "Kinematic" constraint, with the Upper Leg bone as the target.

 

Open the choreography window and hit the space bar to refresh it with the changes you made to the Action.

 

See if that works. If it doesn't, maybe one of the rigging gurus will have other ideas.

[itsjustme]

You should be able to use whatever rig you want...I would use TSM2 to make things easier. If you put bones in each separate section of the model, then drag/copy each bone into a "rig" model so that they match, then use TSM2 to rig the "rig" model, you can then use an Action to assemble the model in the Chor and another Action to tie the bones in each section to the "rig" model (you could even put all of that into one Action if you want). For animating, you will probably want to make a proxy model with very simple geometry so that things don't bog down and then change it out with the actual model when it comes time to do a final render.

 

Hope that helps. Great looking model!

 

 

---------------------------

EDIT

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I just realized, it would be better to assemble your model in a Chor (with the bones in each section of the model already), delete the geometry and then export it as a model to make the "rig" model...that way the bones would be where they are going to be when assembled.

[robcat2075]

Post some wireframes of it and you'll probably get some tips on where you might economize the splineage without losing detail.

 

If you do use TSM2 to rig it , do not do it without reading the pdf manual that gets installed with TSM2 and doing a practice run on the sample character they provide.

[irscottie]

Hey thanks everyone,I will give your suggestions a try. I assembled the entire model in a chor and then exported it as a model... it has been 3 days now and im still waiting for it to finish. I'm thinking this is not going to be the best solution. I will try all 3 of your suggestions.

 

As far as how the video was animated I had to export each part as an OBJ and import them into 3Dvia, it is not very good at animating but I had to produce something for the first deadline. I'm really hoping to get this to work in A:M so I can make some cool animations.

 

Thanks Again

[itsjustme]

Hey thanks everyone,I will give your suggestions a try. I assembled the entire model in a chor and then exported it as a model... it has been 3 days now and im still waiting for it to finish. I'm thinking this is not going to be the best solution. I will try all 3 of your suggestions.

 

As far as how the video was animated I had to export each part as an OBJ and import them into 3Dvia, it is not very good at animating but I had to produce something for the first deadline. I'm really hoping to get this to work in A:M so I can make some cool animations.

 

Thanks Again

 

You could try putting the bones in the separate models, saving those, delete the geometry in each of them and save them as "guide" versions, assemble the "guide" versions using the same Action you use for the actual model, export that model as the "rig" model and then use TSM2 to rig it. That would speed things up considerably.

 

Hope that helps.