Ok, a newbie logs on to a software support forum.......

[MJL]

It seemed like a simple thing to do.

 

I needed a set of army men for a small bit in an upcoming project.

 

I decided to cobble together a primary model using a couple of existing models off of the Extra's CD, make copies in different poses for 6 different army men

 

 

I took parts of the costume from "Russian Batman" and put them on Dex. In order to keep the patch count down I deleted the parts of Dex's mesh that was now under clothes, but kept his "Rig". So far so good

 

I assigned the new mesh to the bones. I began to make a pose but when I moved the right foot target null, everything moved the way it was supposed to, but there were a couple of CP's that I had missed assigning and they stayed put when I moved the target null.

 

I deleted the pose. and went back to the model window and assigned my errant CP's.

 

When I started another pose the fool target null no longer moved the foot or controlled the leg.

 

I tries several constraints but couldn't get them to work right.

 

How do I get the Foot Target Null to control things again?

 

I've attached the model.

 

thanks, Myron

Army_Man.mdl

[itsjustme]

You have deleted all of the Poses that control the rig, Myron. Hopefully, you have a version that you saved just before you did that so that it will be easy to pick up where you were.

 

Hope that helps.

[itsjustme]

I added the Poses from the 2001 Rig back into the character...it should be like it was, as far as I know.

 

Hope that helps.

Army_Man_update.mdl

[Shelton]

Myron, good job putting the characters together. Project?

 

Steve

[MJL]

Thank you so very much, David.

 

During the time I was waiting for a response, it dawned on me what I had done. Periodically I get glimpses of how A:M works and flashes of understanding come upon me bit by bit. While I was waiting, I got caught up in fixing my mistake.

I opened Dex and did a save as "Dex2". I took the uniform from the bad Army Man model and "dressed" DEX2" with it. I then assigned the uniform's mesh to the rig corresponding to the colors from the Dex mesh. Then went back and deleted the original Dex mesh that was under the uniform.

 

I just now finished up and logged back onto the forum and low and behold, you had fixed the problem the right way, but by then I had already done my workaround patch fix. I'm sure your way was faster, David, But my understanding of A:M is a little more thorough now by fixing my mistake.

 

 

When I was first going through ToaA:M a year and a half ago I did the section on adding a rig to Thom. There was a small problem with an IK setting in one of the elbows of the 2001 rig and I couldn't get it to work right. The mystery of it all traumatized me so anything to do with rigging I approach with trepidation. (That squetch tongue rig you helped with had my head spinning for a week, and I still haven't quite figured it out.)

 

I will be working up to tackling rigging as time goes on. I LOVE this program. Thanks again, David.

 

Thanks Shelton,

My confidence in modeling grows daily. ('cept for that rigging thing ) Gene and I are collaborating again and I'm helping out with some modeling. I'm in the preliminary stages of a small project on my own, but it's a back burner kind of thing.

 

Did I mention that I LOVE this program?

[MJL]

This little modeling project has been quite educational and the inevitability of learning to rig is becoming apparent. I have gained a deeper appreciation for CP weighting.

 

The model is behaving as well as it can considering what I have put it through.

 

Here is the first attempt at the first of about 6 figured in the "Set" of Army Men, and the reference photo I used for the pose.

[steve392]

Nice job on the model Myron,it looks real good

[Paul Forwood]

You did a good job on your toy soldier, Myron!

Baptisms of fire sure make you learn fast, eh, but you've got to keep those little army men at a safe distance or they melt.