Mesh Avatars

[Tommi Waydelich]

I have uploaded a female-test-body mesh now but i don't know how i can use it as an avatar-shape. bones are in too.

I found it in my object and rezzed it and it looks pretty good as a statue, but how can I use the mesh as shape?

Maybe anyone of you can help me with that.

 

[Gaia Clary]

Just wear it. You can attach it to any attachment point you like. It will always snap to the correct position and rotation on your avatar-skeleton.

caveats:

The mesh importer is realy missleading when it comes to importing the weight data.

 

• You must go to the modifiers tab and there you must check "Skin Weight".
• And if you use a modified skeleton, then you also need to check "joint positions"

 When you use a full avatar replacement then you must make your default avatar invisible. Simply create a new Alpha mask and wear it at any attachment point. this will make your default avatar invisible. Then your rigged mesh will work as you expect (if the weights are done right).

 

At least that was so when i tried it the last time a few weeks ago.

[Tommi Waydelich]

Thanks, I tried it as you wrote and with the manual i found in wiki:

http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Mesh/Uploading_and_wearing_a_rigged_mesh

but it still not works. the simplebot don't moved arms or legs, it's just like a statue.

 

[Tommi Waydelich]

Now it works! :-)

Next problem is, when i want to load up my first Test Model with Skin Weight and Joint Position the Calculate weights & fee -button hides and i can't use it.

 

[Ashasekayi Ra]

Are you using the complete bone list? Partial bone lists aren't supported at all when "joint positions" is checked. And, I have used the complete list of bones when uploading with just "skin weights" checked as well to avoid issues.

 Edit: I just tested the latest viewer (237321), and it allows you to use a partial list with the "skin weights" option.

Complete List of Crucial Bones (21)

 

mNeck

mHead

mChest

mTorso

mPelvis

mCollarRight

mCollarLeft

mShoulderLeft

mShoulderRight

mElbowRight

mElbowLeft

mWristLeft

mWristRight

mHipRight

mHipLeft

mKneeRight

mKneeLeft

mAnkleRight

mAnkleLeft

mFootRight

mFootLeft

[Tommi Waydelich]

Oh thanks so much for your help and list :-)

Yes this is the list usually used for SL, i know that (I am creating poses too).

Well i think i have to check it inside the software i used for my model (makehuman).

I thought it could also be an issue with too much data (like polygones and so on) too.

 

[Tommi Waydelich]

And now I see you are definatly right. The Makehuman-skeleton has too much bones^^

Looks like i can't use this software for SL-Mesh-Avatars :-(

Or I have to use blender or something like that to convert it.

 

[Gaia Clary]

It is very easy to make a MakeHuman avatar working with SL. Yoo "only" need to rigg the Mesh with an SL compatible set of bones and weight this set accordingly. The general approach is shown in Rigg your Avatar . Although there i used the SL mesh itself, the principle also works perfectly for the MH character.

A new tutorial about that is currently developped ;-)

Note: The MH character is very polygon heavy. You should reduce its polygon count dramatically. I was able to create an SL compatible avatar with about 7500 triangles which is about the same number like the default sl-avatar but looks much better. You can even get good results with less polygons.

[Gaia Clary]

---

Ashasekayi Ra wrote:

 Edit:

I just tested the latest viewer (237321), and it allows you to use a partial list with the "skin weights" option.

---

So it is again like it was at the end of last year. I just checked that importing the weighted character from avatar.blend works again. That's great news ;-) Thank you for that hint, Ashasekayi !

[Tommi Waydelich]

Great tutorial!

I will try it Gaia, thank you very much :-)

 

[Ashasekayi Ra]

Welcome.

---

Gaia Clary wrote:

---

Ashasekayi Ra wrote:

 Edit:

I just tested the latest viewer (237321), and it allows you to use a partial list with the "skin weights" option.

---

So it is again like it was at the end of last year. I just checked that importing the weighted character from avatar.blend works again. That's great news ;-) Thank you for that hint, Ashasekayi !

---

I'm happy about that change too.

[Ashasekayi Ra]

Guess I spoke too soon.

In the latest 237585 viewer, you can't use partial names anymore with skin weights. I wonder why it keeps switching back and forth.  Hopefully, it is just a bug.