Rigged mesh failing to upload

[Nacy Nightfire]

Thanks again Ashasekayi,  I'm learning the hard way! :matte-motes-shocked:

This bone inclusion thing is so confusing.  I'm then assuming from what you wrote that you don't need ALL the bones, but if you're mesh covers a bone..and or the mesh overlaps and is paint weighted to a bone, that bone better be on the list?

[Ashasekayi Ra]

If you use the "bone weights copy" script, I highly suggest that you do as I did in my video and duplicate the SL Avatar and then join it into one mesh with Ctrl+J. This makes that process go far smoother because all the vertex groups and weights are in one single mesh. Then, you don't have to worry about missing any needed weights no matter if you are doing a shirt or a pair of pants. Afterwards, you can add mFootLeft and mFootRight to be safe. These two groups do not need to have any weights or vertices assigned to it. (Now, if you followed the video on preparing the SL Avatar, these two missing vertex groups are added to the SL Avatar and  will be transferred with the bone weights copy script also. That way you don't ever have to worry as long as you use your prepped file each time.) 

As for what bones you need, *IF* the SL uploader supported a partial list of bones, all you would need are the bones that actually affect your clothing items. For example, a shirt wouldn't need the bones in the lower body if partial lists worked all the time. However, the uploader goes back and forth. The viewer might support it one day, then it doesn't on the next viewer update. That is why I stated that you might as well always include the crucial 21 set of bones. That way you can't go wrong.

Preparing the SL Avatar: 



The Skinning Process: 



 

[guY Ralior]

I am on a mac and of course using the mac versions of the beta viewers. I have not under any circumstance been able to upload a partial bone list. If the 26 are not there it will not upload. I work in Maya mostly but use blender also, I haven't tried blender recently on upload which I am going to do now to see if things have changed but when first testing mesh with maya to make sure I used blender as well and never for a partial bone list could I get the upload button to not grey out. I have installed most new viewers the day they came out or within two days at worst so I have tried most of them and none have worked for the mac version at least. I will add my findings from trying blender today, I am excited it may work now

So my question is what am I doing wrong if indeed you can upload partial bone lists and always have been able to?

ETA: One thing I have found in trying "everything" is, I can add the missing bones to the two spots in the .dae file and it will allow me to upoad, but at that point the skin wieghts are all funky so it seems the uploader is just looking for the 26 and that is all it doesn't care about anything else.

[Nacy Nightfire]

Thanks.  I watched both video series straight thru yesterday, and there is so much great info in them, clearly I need to take notes and not try keep it all in my head.  This whole thing is a tough slog for those of us who are organizationally challenged!  :matte-motes-nerdy:   (but it's worth it!)

[Ashasekayi Ra]

That's interesting. I have never had to use the whole 26 list of bones. I'm on Windows 7 64-bit, and I use Blender 2.49 and 2.59. I wonder if your OS makes a difference? That would be odd though. Maybe it is worth asking the developers about. As for seriously partial lists like just the upper body bones, that has worked on and off over the last year and a half of my beta time. That is why I don't even bother with that type of partial list anymore.

[guY Ralior]

Thanks for your reply I am going to do some specific testing (like how Gaia did earlier in the thread) this may be in need of a jira. 

[Ashasekayi Ra]

Yea, it is a lot of information to take in, no doubt. Plus, you add in the randomness of beta software. Oi. -.-

[Eryn Curie]

Following Gaia's tips, I installed Second_Life_3-0-1-238249 mesh test client she linked to earlier AND added vertex groups mFootLeft & mFootRight to the avatar.blend file I'd been trying to use...and YEP, that did the trick.  The test client was happy, the calculate button stayed put and my rigged mesh uploaded and functioned just fine.  SO relieved!

THANK YOU Gaia and all!!!  This has been quite the learning experience and I still have so far to go. 

 

Edit 8/13: My working .dae file fails (the vanishing Calculate button) on the new beta SL Viewer 3 (build 238157) which was just officially released by LL, but that's probably just because Viewer 3's build is earlier than the one I tested with above (which was 238249).  So, I guess I've just gotta wait a while for the live version to catch up before I can upload my rigged meshes.

[Mijn Seoung]

really i tryied everything. I create and rigged my cloth in BLENDER, C4D and Maya 2012 and 2010 and NOTHING! (with Maya 2012 because i cannot find a way to export in collada). 
When i try to upload the mesh with skin info the calculate weight and fee disappear ( i also uncheck the thing in Maya as they tell here: http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Mesh/Exporting_a_mesh_from_Maya#Bones_and_rigging (for Maya).

I want to add that my mesh is rigged because in all 3 software it MOVES and DEFORMS according to bones (if i move-rotate bones the mesh mvoes rotate etc.) so i really cannot understand what i'm doing wrong.

 

(plus i export in collada with all bones required, all perfectly workign in 3d software)

[Nacy Nightfire]

I'm guessing the single biggest reason this happens is due to vertex(ies) remaining unassigned to a vertex group.

Here's my double check list (since at one time or other each of these things was a "gotcha" for me"). 

1) Verts unassigned to a vertex group.  In blender Edit mode:  Editing Palette (F9)  Links and Materials section > Vertex groups, go down the list and hit select and then H to hide each group.  Anything left over is unassigned.  Assign them to a group that makes sense.

2) Interior faces/non manifold.  In blender Edit Mode:  CTRL ALT SHIFT M to find and correct them

3) Double faces.  In blender Editing Palette (F9) > Mesh tools > Remove Doubles

4) Material not assigned.  In blender Links and Pipeline (F5) . Make new

5) UVs not assigned.  Not sure this is mandatory if there is an material assignment. I make them anyway for good luck.

6) Unintentional extrusions.  Accidently clicking ctl and LMB when a vert is selected.  Can extrude a vert that you don't see and it's not assigned to a group

7) Accidentally duplicated entire mesh in place.  Right click once on your mesh and try moving it after pressing G.  If there is another mesh underneath delete it.

Edited to add:

8) Forgetting to "Make Real" the armature modifier.  Select just the mesh in object mode and hit the Make Real button.

9) Forgetting to select the armature after selecting the Mesh before exporting as a collada file.

If someone can add anything I've missed from their own check list, that would be great.  I'm sure I'm leaving something out here.