Project Pinocchio

[John Bigboote]

http://projectpinocchio.autodesk.com/

 

Chatting with Joe McPeek (Mr Bones) and he's pretty excited about this new PP thing free from Autodesk. Also, asks that we look into the new version of IKINEMA

[Rodney]

A pretty decent way to create some fast decals...

 

I see the export allows for Quads only. That should be useful.

[Rodney]

All in all a pretty quick trip from the Project Pinocchio site to A:M splinage.

Obviously not optimized but...

 

Converted Models with decals attached for reference:

(main female decal attached in previous post)

MaleTest.mdl

Femaletest.mdl

[Rodney]

Skull and Bones guy....

SkullnBonesGuy.zip

[higginsdj]

Shame there is no way to import fbx format models!

[Rodney]

Shame there is no way to import fbx format models!

*

 

It's a shame the models don't build themselves!

In the good news dept., it takes less than a minute to convert from FBX to OBJ for importing into A:M.

 

Now I just wish I knew more about rigging because that's the area I'd like to investigate here (the conversion that is).

It's times like these that I wish the world was more spline-centric.

 

Here's a crew of a few different styles of characters converted to A:M Models (unrigged of course).

As rough as the splines are this sure does make short work of the creation of basic characters.

 

 

*If there is anyone that currently does not have the FBX converter from Autodesk installed... what the heck are you waiting for?

[Rodney]

A:M is such a fun program to play in...

 

This is a rendering with Project Pinocchio characters and a filmgrain/ambience/tint effect produced by layering patch images:

 

(I really need to learn how to rig)

[Xtaz]

*If there is anyone that currently does not have the FBX converter from Autodesk installed... what the heck are you waiting for?

here are the links:

 

Windows 32bit

http://images.autodesk.com/adsk/files/fbx2...nverter_win.exe

 

Windows 64bit

http://images.autodesk.com/adsk/files/fbx2...ter_win_x64.exe

 

Mac

http://images.autodesk.com/adsk/files/fbx2...ter_mac.pkg.tgz

[Dpendleton77]

Looks like I will have to download this when I get home.

[John Bigboote]

(I really need to learn how to rig)

 

Rodney, I've been meaning (for the past 5 years) to make a 'quick rigging with TSM2 in A:M' tutorial... maybe someone already has? I had to cut my chat with Joe McPeek short yesterday because I had to run... but at the end he was INSISTING that we could export the rigged characters from Ikinima WebAnimate into A:M- I think he may be overly optimistic- but if you COULD... wow. WOW!!! It was only a matter of time before all these 'free utility' 3rd party application options were made available to the general 3D population...

 

Thanks for demo'ing the Project Pinocchio to A:M workability... I need to get that FBX converter- didn't even KNOW about it.

[John Bigboote]

Whoa! Thats a DENSE model... did you choose triangles on this one? I suppose it would be useful for retopo'ing at best...

[Rodney]

Whoa! Thats a DENSE model... did you choose triangles on this one? I suppose it would be useful for retopo'ing at best...

 

That looks like it was my first attempt (before I saw that you could use quads... AND off-checking 'create tris' in the FBX converter.

I subsequently exported that female again with much better results. Fortunes of chronicling all of my adventures with Project Pinnochio both the good and the bad included.

 

One of the last models I created (the guy in the background who I am calling Big Bob) the mesh came through almost at the standard density for average meshes in A:M. There are some nasty intersections of course where five pointers could probably be utilized but in a pinch they'd work for rendering. Also, it would help if the Project Pinnochio folks realized that Models wearing TShirts don't have to have nipples... in fact, it is very rare that they could ever need them to be modeled in.

[John Bigboote]

Thanks Xtaz!

 

here are the links:

 

Windows 32bit

http://images.autodesk.com/adsk/files/fbx2...nverter_win.exe

 

Windows 64bit

http://images.autodesk.com/adsk/files/fbx2...ter_win_x64.exe

 

Mac

http://images.autodesk.com/adsk/files/fbx2...ter_mac.pkg.tgz

[John Bigboote]

Here's an IK tut on using IKinema and PP(project pinoccio) together:

 

!

[Roger]

Forgive my ignorance, but what is an .FBX and why would one want to convert it? I'm assuming it is an AM file format?

[Rodney]

Forgive my ignorance, but what is an .FBX and why would one want to convert it? I'm assuming it is an AM file format?

 

FBX is a proprietary format now owned by Autodesk (it has changed hands many times while in development over the years).

It's an attempt to move models (and other resources) back and forth between programs with as much fidelity as possible.

It's primary focus is one of accuracy and as such so it has to sacrifice in other areas.

Fortunately, once you get away from the tris/polys the FBX format works rather well with A:M.

 

[url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FBX]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FBX[/urly

[John Bigboote]

Does the FBX file format support or carry with it any motion?

[Rodney]

Does the FBX file format support or carry with it any motion?

 

It is my understanding that it can but currently doesn't.

It does currently store rig information.

 

The Python bindings associated with the FBX SDK are intriquing.

If I had to convert a lot of resources I'd be looking into that angle for use with A:M.

 

Without knowing the answer to your question at a guess I'd say that BVH or MDD is the current solution for transferring motion used with these assets.

[thejobe]

for some reason when i try to import these models as OBJ the program freezes at 20%. any reason why?

[Roger]

So am I not understanding something here, or are these nifty tools more or less useless for our purposes, since they aren't able to export any motion or rigging data to a format AM can use? Or am I completely mistaken but there is a way to do it?

[Rodney]

for some reason when i try to import these models as OBJ the program freezes at 20%. any reason why?

 

There are two things this generally would indicate:

 

1. A:M only appears to have stalled but is still converting the data.

 

2. You've created the OBJ with too many tris/quads (or some other option) that has made the converter choke. (See item 1 to rule out the variable that the converter is still processing the data)

 

To test the first you could leave your computer running/converting and go to sleep. In the morning check to see if the model came through all right.

For the second, export a very Very VERY simple model first and once you have success increase the detail until you find the sweet spot.

 

 

are these nifty tools more or less useless for our purposes, since they aren't able to export any motion or rigging data to a format AM can use?

 

This is very useful for Modeling characters. (Although there is a limited amount of variables that can generate a character... so additional modification must be made in A:M. This is easy enough to do... such as resizing characters and adjusting meshes and textures.)

 

The jury is still out on how effective the conversion of rigging or animation would be. I see no way of getting that data directly converted but then again I'm not a programmer or a rigger. Someone with a knack for converting such things should be able to confirm where the obstacles exist. Of course, we could break this down into it's raw elements to discover where those obstacles are.

 

Assumptions:

 

Project Pinocchio files do not have any inherent motion of their own. They get this through other programs. Therefore the motion must be obtained via export/conversion from those programs.

 

Project Pinocchio files do have a rig. It should be possible to convert that rig to something A:M will recognize.

My first instinct is to suggest that BVH could be used as the bridge. (I would say that MDD might be used but I believe that is only motion data... not rigs)

A proxy model would have to be created in both programs that would align to the BVH bridge.

The proxy model in exporting program would drive data from BVH which would in turn drive the rig in A:M.

 

Something like that.

 

So... useless? Hardly.

It will however appear useless (and effectively be useless) until someone get a ground level view of what is actually there.

[johnl3d]

used process to get this model now just have to rig it

 

 

 

 

 

FEM1.zip

 

includes decal

 

if anyone gets it rigged please repost it here

[Vertexspline]

well and then lets see what eventually happens on to the price of using this tool or characters ---- I have over the years enjoyed and found useful some beta products that once they became ready for issue were unaffordable. But in concept this is a pretty amazing gizmo.