Rigging a mesh with non-human proportions?

[nogsmcdogs]

Hi!

So I'm fairly new to the whole avatar creation thing, but decided to go ahead and make my own mesh model + textures. Now I'm at the point where I need to rig it to the SL skeleton, but I'm having some trouble figuring out how to do so since the proportions are not perfectly humanoid (namely the position of the head + neck) and the skeleton would need to be deformed to fit it. Especially since I want to rig it with a bento tail and hands...! I also don't know how to create a talkjaw (or even close the jaw since I modeled it with the jaw open...), blinking eyes, twitching ears + the like, so any help and/or advice would be super appreciated!!

In case it helps, the tail, ears, and mane are a separate object.

Here's the model I'm working with:

I honestly don't mind if I have to specifically buy another version of Avastar or something, I just really want this to work ;____;

Thanks!

Edited July 2, 2017 by nogsmcdogs

[arton Rotaru]

Since nobody has responded as yet, I'll try to give you just some pointers to how it works in general, in the hope someone with real experience will jump in.

The joints will have to be repositioned to match the models proportions before you skin it to the skeleton. During import there is a checkbox Include joint positions which will have to be ticked then.

The Bento skeleton has jaw, ear and tail bones included as well. So you will have to rig these parts to the appropriate bones. To make these bones move, you will have to create custom animations for them. The systems avatars lip sync is done with morph targets, which aren't supported with custom meshes. So everything needs to be bone animations. Be it the jaw, ears, or tail.

 

Edited July 3, 2017 by arton Rotaru

[Medhue Simoni]

https://www.youtube.com/user/medhue/videos

I don't have a video on doing a full custom avatar yet, but I will eventually do a tutorial on the topic. In the meantime, maybe some of my others will help also.

[nogsmcdogs]

On 7/3/2017 at 10:57 PM, arton Rotaru said:

Since nobody has responded as yet, I'll try to give you just some pointers to how it works in general, in the hope someone with real experience will jump in.

The joints will have to be repositioned to match the models proportions before you skin it to the skeleton. During import there is a checkbox Include joint positions which will have to be ticked then.

The Bento skeleton has jaw, ear and tail bones included as well. So you will have to rig these parts to the appropriate bones. To make these bones move, you will have to create custom animations for them. The systems avatars lip sync is done with morph targets, which aren't supported with custom meshes. So everything needs to be bone animations. Be it the jaw, ears, or tail.

 

Yeah I thought as much! I've been trying to edit the SL skeleton to fit the proportions, but whenever I try to rig the mesh to the skeleton the entire mesh deforms kind of hilariously.

[nogsmcdogs]

On 7/4/2017 at 2:11 PM, Medhue Simoni said:

https://www.youtube.com/user/medhue/videos

I don't have a video on doing a full custom avatar yet, but I will eventually do a tutorial on the topic. In the meantime, maybe some of my others will help also.

Oh thank you! I'll definitely take a look at these and see if anything helps!