Nurbs curves instead of bones

[Dhar]

Is there a way to create targets (like the nurbs curves in the pic) instead of bones? 

[robcat2075]

"Target" must mean something different in Maya than it does in A:M.

What does that target do for you?

(You are talking about the thing with the RGB arrows, right?)

[robcat2075]

By "Target" you mean an IK target?

[Dhar]

So instead of using bones, use a target the bone is constrained to, it follows and points to where you place the target?

[robcat2075]

That sounds like Null in A:M?

In Bones mode, RMB>New>Null

You move it and place it and Hierarchy it like any Bone but it has the three-axis appearance and you don't assign CPs to it.

(Don't tell anyone I told you: you can change a Bone to a Null in a text editor and it retains its CP assignments.)

[Dhar]

2 hours ago, robcat2075 said:

(Don't tell anyone I told you: you can change a Bone to a Null in a text editor and it retains its CP assignments.)

That would be better. How?

[robcat2075]

 

I'm afraid I'll have to retract that. It had worked in a previous version but not now.

You can still change a Bone to a Null by changing it's <SEGMENT></SEGMENT> tags to <NULLOBJECT></NULLOBJECT> but it will not retain its CP assignments.

[Dhar]

I found one of the old models and it's the IK control.

[robcat2075]

After using TSM2 for so long I'm fine with animating bones, but Nulls are there if you want them.

[Fuchur]

I think he is just asking for an IK chain and blend out bones, isn't he?

Best regards
*Fuchur*

[serg2]

Можно подставлять произвольные фигуры вместо Control Bones и Nulls, но в AM это не так удобно, как в других программах.

 

[Wildsided]

 

7 hours ago, serg2 said:

Можно подставлять произвольные фигуры вместо Control Bones и Nulls, но в AM это не так удобно, как в других программах.

 

 

translation - You can substitute arbitrary shapes instead of Control Bones and Nulls, but in AM this is not as convenient as in other programs.

[robcat2075]

@DharIn TSM2, the bone that is presented as the arm IK controller is not one that should have CPs attached to it anyway, so it should be safe to convert it to a <NULLOBJECT> with the text editing process.

Likewise for several others...

 

I recommend this change be the last thing you do in rigging your character, after you are satisfied with all the previous parts of the process.

[Dhar]

Is anyone else having a problem when saving rigging steps (ie Model_Boneless > Model_TSM_Builder > Model_TSM_Flipper > Model_TSM_Rigger etc..) that your last save also affects your first save?

What I mean is Model_Boneless is where the model has no bones, then you begin to add the bones and save it with different names, make a mistake, go back to Boneless and yet the bones are in there!

[robcat2075]

Is Model_Boneless a PRJ or an MDL?

If you are saving PRJs but the models are not embedded, then when you save you are overwriting old models. When you load an old PRJ you just get new models... and the old ones are gone forever!

I always save PRJs with everything embedded when I am developing anything. That way I can revert to a previous state of my work with none of it having been overwritten by later work.

[robcat2075]

BTW, if anyone is a new Windows user, I recommend that it be set so that the dot-three extension shows for ALL files.

That way you don't get trojaned by a file named sexybabe_jpg.exe