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Kitsune Shan

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Posts posted by Kitsune Shan

  1. No I think you got it wrong or maybe Im missunderstanding here.
    You are totally able to use bone offset with the custom joints position just like always. What it looks like will be removed will be the possibility to animate them through anim files. So you can still create custom avatars just not animate the offset. However, I do agree that they should be supported and not just on anim files which you can only make with Blender but as an official feature with BVH support (whish the day we can upload animations as DAE files...) because facial animations seems quite hard with those. Facials animations rarely rely on rotations asides of jaw. The rest are usually moving bones. Not like there arent workarounds but we wont get exactly the same.

  2. If scripts cause lags when using physical vehicles you should contact the body creator for a low lag optimization on script. The avatar having more bones have nothing to do with you getting lag. Asides of that, SL isnt really designed with that purpose of moving between SIMs with vehicles as that have been always problematic.

    • Like 1
  3. Tengo muchas dudas sobre como hacer de SL un trabajo, pagar impuestos, IRPF, formalizar todo como autónomo, etc.
    Si alguien tiene experencia en el tema, tiene negocios en SL y es de España preferiblemente (más que nada para tener un ejemplo de tasas a pagar en mi país) me gustaría contactar con el/ella para que me aconseje y me resuelva un par de dudas muy básicas que tengo.

    Gracias.-

  4. They are in the original avatar files provided by LL.

    I guess TPV may have use another way of exporting them, who knows. But I have been using the original files for long before all mesh stuff comes around and they were there all the time. Then I realized that are right in the areas that you can shape diferently. I remember also on Phoenix you could export the morphs separatedly and even import new ones to customize your head or any other part lol. But of course, this only worked in a local way till you log off :P Still was funny yo play with.

  5. The splitted edges are really in the mesh. The avatar is old and they way used to be made it is as well plus each different part represents the morphs so technically they are separated even in world. This is really a common technique for 3D models using morphs that doesnt use bones for shape customization.

    And for the rest, yes, MaxSLAV really sucks and is NOT well made. It doesnt even import the lenght of the bones and if you look at the neck, you will find a lot of wrong rigged vertex lol. But well, I guess that this is the only thing that we have at time to import our own avatar :P

  6. So far, the way that PixelPerfection mentioned is the best, easiest and faster way of doing it.
    Editing normals is pretty easy and fast. You dont need edit them one by one, just select all around the edge and use the Unify button. It takes 2 clicks really...

  7. Its kinda sad that most people here are more concerned about how the avatar looks on the DEMONSTRATION video rather than the feature itself. And this is why we cant move forward...


    Personally, I want to see this project released as soon as possible. But I also noticed how some people takes so much time to calculate the deformations. Yes, it depends of the topology, but creators will still use as much as high poly they can. So doesnt matter how much effort you put on your clothes if near you will rez 2 avatars wearing 5 complete ZBrush projects without decimation. So I kinda understand if LL doesnt release the deformer due performance. The problem is that they dont even said if is due performance or something else and the hability for users to read LL minds isnt working as usual.

    So, if this comes out as it is, we will surely see a lot of people complaining about the performance and time that takes some clothes to load and deform properly. I am even sure that for some people it wont deform at all.

    I already suggested easy and simple ways to deal with this problem and make the project efficient. If someone is interested on see my last suggestion wich could fix forever the performance problem, just need to visit the Jira since I am kinda tired and bored of writing again and again while no one seems even to understand the benefits of it.

     

  8. I never tried to just put the same mesh in the same place and see if the results are the same.

    If the result is the same, well, nice. That makes everything easier for everyone.

    I never had intention of making this a new way of creating something impossible right now for SL. I just found it while trying to make multimaterial objects in Max 2012. Since meshes with that bug doesnt work correctly in SL, I just found it very similar to how channels works on 3D apps and decided to make those tests.

    I just invite everyone to test by theirself and see how many things could be done in that way :matte-motes-delicious:

     

    • Like 1
  9. The main difference with this method is to not get the glitchy overlappying effects on textures. And usually the alpha doesnt glitch about alpha sorting when you put something in front like hair. But this also varies lately depending of the size of the mesh and is one of the reassons of why I didnt post more info about it.


    Sorting the layers isnt either easy. Most of you may think that the layer 2 will be always over the layer 1. But this isnt always true. Making a layer full bright or glow, may vary the layers order to the inverse. Also using alpha does the same. Using alpha masked textures makes them to act as opaque textures, this means that usually they goes on top of the rest no matter what kind of texture they are. Also usually is easy to see a wrong layer that the rest cant see and you have to relog or clear cache to see really whats going on.


    I must say as well that is totally possible to have different UV sets in each "layer". Editing the DAE file you can copy the second row of material from the same mesh with different UVs. This result in a very similar effect on how channels on 3D apps works and is probably the best way to take advantage of it. There is also possible to do for example a single mesh with 4 material IDs, each material ID with each different UV like we do usually but duplicating them we get 2 layers for each material. Obviously, this also results in an increment in SL prim weight.

     

    I dont recommend either to import again the mesh into another 3D software. Some of them will act like they have 2 meshes together, others will result in buggy meshes.

     

    And yes, technically talking, the exporter isnt bugged, is just acting like you are telling him to. But is also "unexpected" and thats why they fixed it later. Anyway 3D Max isnt the only application who had this issues. A lot of others applications that started to manage COLLADA 1.4.1 had the same issue that 3D Max, thats why I always though that was a bug on SL side (but actually isnt).

     

    I cant either guarantee how long will this last.. but for those who want to test, there is a very easy way. Make a mesh, make its UV and assing different materials to the mesh. Dont change the UV for each material so the mesh will keep the same UVs across all different materials. Then just export as FBX (I know Blender can export as FBX as well, but probably can also export as DAE). Now just use FBX Converter 2012 to convert the FBX/DAE file into one with "layers" since this exporter doesnt support correctly materials and always mix them even when they have different UVs. In others words, this exporter always fuses all materials into all polygons making them always to look like "layers".


    I have been getting great success with this technique and I actually have made some 1 prim chairs and 3 prim desk with drawers that I can change the texture and color leaving the shadows and even others details. So the LI isnt increasing as much as you all could think. Others great examples are for example skins or shoes with foot wher you can change teh base skin color and leave the brights and shadows out of those changes. The usage is really unlimited as far as your imagination can make things from it.

    Would be nice if someone writes a simple "drag and drop" executable file to fuse the materials from 2 or more meshes into layers. Easier than editing the DAE file manually...


    Im glad you liked that "bug" :)

    • Like 3
  10. When you work with meshes and 3D in general, there are two types of "scaling" meshes.

    One is transform and the other are the real size. When you use the common scale tool, what you are doing is a virtual transform on your screen, but the size of the mesh still being the same. If you resize a box and make it bigger, then while you have selected the box, do right click on the scale tool button. You will see a little dialog that display the size in %. You may notice that it shows more than 100%. This means that the actual size of the mesh is lets say 200% (for example) but if the mesh was 1 meter high, the mesh will still being 1 meter for 3D Max and also for SL instead of 2 meters. We could say that there is a difference between the world scale reference size and the local real size.

    So, when you make rigs, you cant resize them just selecting all bones and changing the size. You can change the size just changing the position of the bones. Or you can use the scale tool, but then you need to do an resset X form on all dummies/boxes that are part of the skeleton. And this need to be done before they being linked and converted to bones.

    First check what kind of measure are you using in 3D Max. You cant just put the bones as they are. Make sure you work with meters. Go to units setup and set meters, then in advance set 1 unit = 1 meter. Your custom skeleton or the one made by Max SLAV should looks very small in this way. This mean that the skeleton is correctly made.

    Second, take in account that you are making a mesh for an avatar that already is using custom joints positions. This means that the skeleton needs to have the EXACT position than the one done for the avatar, otherwise your mesh will change the joints overriding the ones that the avatar already have set.

    If you have the original skeleton used for that avatar, then just place your joints and align them to that skeleton. Then you can mimetize the same structure of that custom skeleton made for that horse. You can even check their rotations so you make your skeleton exactly as the horse one. Then you should be able to build your mesh properly.

    Also, I never used, but there is a tool to resize rigged meshes in 3D Max. I think is under the animation menu or something like that, I cant remember exactly. But you may be able to google a little about it in case you can find it.


    What you are trying to do is kinda tricky if you havent the original avatar and skeleton. Even if you have them, if you are importing them from Blender, still kinda tricky due the differences on measurements.

  11. First, dont use an imported skeleton from another application. Even skeleton imported from exported 3D Max files like DAE or FBX trends to get buggy.

    The first that you need to do is to reproduce the default SL skeleton. Dont start making it for a quadruped. Just start making it as a normal avatar. Then, without changing anything like can be size of the skeleton or rotation to face the front viewport, try to rig something simple like a copuple of attached boxes to see if the skeleton really works.

    Once you know that the skeleton really works, then you just need unlink all bones that you made with dummies or boxes, and move to each joint location in your cuadruped. Then link all bones again following the same hierarchy.

    You just need move the dummies/boxes (in my case, I always use spheres with the minimum quality, then they looks like a "diamond" which makes easier to understand, but this is upt to each person).

     

    So first make your own SL skeleton, check carefully the name of each bone and link them using this hierarchy:

     

    2013010900001443.png

     

    Then select all bones/dummies, go to Animation > Bone Tools, scroll down and check "Bone On". This will convert any kind of mesh, dummy or helper into bones. Your skeleton should look like this. Remember that you are just building the skeleton over the MaxSLAV one so you get the position correctly. For this just make a default skeleton using 1.0 as size and not 40.0. You will get a very tiny skeleton facing to the right viewport.

    20130109000243344.png

     

    Now test your skeleton rigging something simple. If works, then you just need select all bones again, uncheck "Bones On" and unlink all them. Now you can manipulate each joint freely as you want. Just make sure that you dont rotate/scale them. Just move to each position of the cuadruped. Then link all again and turn ON bones as you did previously.

    Of course, this kind of avatars may require custom AOs to work since is a cuadruped you cant expect it to work correctly with default animations. It should end looking something similar to this:

    20130109002025239.png

     

    As you can see, I just moved the dummies to where each joint was supossed to be.

     

    PS: Try to make each bone with zero rotation. I think isn't necessary to have -90 on the Y axis. Just test by yourself and see if both ways works.

  12. I updated the wiki and added the whole process to the section of "Gotchas and workarounds".

     

    https://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Mesh/Exporting_a_mesh_from_3ds_Max#Fixing_number_of_bones

     

    Let me know if that makes it more clear or still needs some explanation. Anyway, answering your question, you just need select a bone in the skin modifier after you added all of them and use the Weight Tool for that. The process is really easy and simple. Can be done in few seconds. Is just a bit confusing to explain for those that aren't really used to the name of tools and options in 3D Max (which I really understand :) )

  13. The problem with bones is mostly that you cant edit them correctly without messing them.

    Since they have already an resset xform modifier, if you unlink, enter in edit bone mode and move them, they will get weird rotations after relinking them. This is just because they always look at their child bone, which is really what they are supossed to do, just that SL doesnt works well with rotations on bones.

    So yes, maybe just to shrinki an avatar is fine, but when you start moving bones around, is hard and "weird". Making a custom skeleton with few dummies or meshes is just really simple, you only need to do it once and you can reuse everytime you want. Is really perfect for custom avatars since you can move them freely without even using resset xform.

    I will write that on wiki, thanks for the reminder ^^

  14. Ok I got your email so ill help you but in the forum so I think is better for we all :P

     

    First thing. You CANT modify as you want the defaut SL skeleton. I see you made a cuadruped from it but technically you cant rotate bones or the skeleton will be wrong. But lest talk about this more indeep later.

    Second thing. DONT EDIT MANUALLY the bones set using the notepad. That method doesnt work most of time (used to work before, but not now, you end with bones rigged to different parts and all messed....), also dont use that executable file recommended in the website, mess your mesh just like when you edit manually.


    I'll teach you a different way of fixing bones.

    This apply to every mesh, so once you know how to fix the bones, we can look into others problems in your rigged model.

    First rig your mesh as you could do always. Make sure that the max bones influence in the skin modifier is set to 4, so you dont rig the same vertex to more than 4 bones which is not compatible. Once you have done the whole rigging process, now add to the skin modifier the rest of bones that you didnt use. You rarely will use all bones even when you make a full avatar so now is time to add those bones that left.

    Ok, now you should have all bones in the skin modifier. Now set the max bones influence to 26 or higher.

    Select one vertex that is weighted to a single bone (a vertex with 1.0 of weight, this will make easier later to revert to its original weight). For example, lets say that we choose one vertex from the head that have 1.0 weight to the mskull bone.

    Now select a different bone, and rig that vertex to that new bone. For example, start weighting it to the right eye, then select the left eye and weight to it too, then to neck, torso, etc...


    When you finish with all bones, weight again to its original bone (1.0 to mskull). What we got with this? We got a single vertex that shows in the edit weight panel all bones with 0.0 weight except the mskull one that shows 1.0.

    If you export your mesh now, it will contain all 26 bones/joints info, so you dont need edit your mesh wit notepad anymore and you also make sure using this method that everything is perfectly in its order and place.

     

     

    ok, now the other problem. As I said before, you cant rotate your bones (asides of the pelvis in case you want make it to face the front viewport). You CANT either use resset Xform. SL bones need a special setting, and is that all of them need to be with <0.0, -90, 0.0> rotation (if I remember correctly). When you apply resset xform, you make your bones to be <0.0, 0.0, 0.0> which doesnt work with SL.


    So, how can we edit the bones? I can tell that editing the bones will be a pain if not impossible. But there is a workaround and is using meshes as bones. Is very easy and I used this method to build my own skeleton while mesh was on beta before when MaxSLA didnt exist yet. I build mine using the default coords that there are inside of a file in the SL client, but you can do your own one using MaxSLAV as reference.

     

    First make a skeleton with MaxSLAV. Dont change anything, just make the skeleton. Now make for example a box or a dummy if you want. This will be our joint, so dont make it too big and either too small so you can select them correctly later.

    Select that box/dummy, use the align tool and align with mpelvis bone (just the position). Then rotate the box/dummy -90 on its Y axis so we get our <0.0, -90, 0.0> rotation. Name the dummy like the bone (mpelvis).

    Now do copies of the box/dummy, align with the rest of bones (you shouldnt need rotate them anymore since they are copies) and rename all of them to get the same name of the joint that is aligned with.

    After all this, you should save your "skeleton" made of boxes/dummies for later usage so you dont need to remake it everytim.


    Anyways, it still being boxes or dummies, not bones. So go to the edit bone panel and check the box "bone" so that mesh or dummy acts now as a bone. Now you just need start linking them together in the same hierarchy than the default SL skeleton.

     

    Now, when you want rig your cuadruped you need to do the following. Unlink all bones (the ones we made out of boxes/dummies). Now edit them but only moving them, remember that you can rotate the bones. Place each bone on its place. After you are done with this, link again all bones together (I recommend you that, before unlinking them, go to hierarchy view and save the position of the hierarchy so you can later use the hierarchy view to link them again more easilly).

    After you have done this, you can rig your cuadruped or whatever you want and export (remember to do the trick of the vertex with 26 bones).

     

    Things to keep in mind: Never rotate the bones, check carefully that the bones are in the proper original hierarchy, dont forget to add all bones with the trick of the vertex and dont forget either to check "skin joint" on the uploader.

    I did a custom small avatar with this method and worked fine. Dont try to make with MaxSLAV skeleton, isnt even correctly made at 100% (have wrong rotations on the neck, but still works for clothes and such).

     

    Sorry for the long text, but isnt easy to explain and english isnt my main language. If you still dont understand something or you stuck at some point, let me know, ill subscribe to thread.

    • Like 3
  15. That price looks more reasonable. Isnt like before was too expensive either, but that can make a REALLY expensive products at time to sell them.

    That about a Linden that gives you money sounds funny lol. I always wonder, if the beta grid is just for tests purposes, why there arent any "box" or "machine" where you click and get money. It could make all more easy for everyone.

    Thanks for your comment ;)

  16. The first pic is from an old viewer (cant remember exactly), the second pic is from 2.7.5.233867.

    I updated the viewer to the latest version 2.8.1.235907 and that problem about lowering the PE using better LODs and phys shapes is fixed.

    Anyway, the viewer still have issues with COLLADA v1.4.1, only files of v1.4 works perfectly. The UVW are messed with 1.4.1.

    BTW, the displayed price is near to the real one? I heard that the minimum price will be 150 L$, but I uploaded somes meshes for just 11 L$ and even that dragon is just 23 L$. Just wondering if are random numbers there or they will be similar to the oficial ones.

    Oh, didnt like too much paying in the beta grid :/, thats really bad for testing purposes. Even if the price is displayed, should be free, or at least someplace to get money -_-.

  17. My meshes still having the same high cost than few weeks ago in other sims :/

     

    This is before, when meshes were nice lol...

    This mesh was 32 prims at 64x64x64 :D , 11 at the default size.

     

    snapshot003[1].jpg

     

    And this is now, when meshes arent so nice and dont change too much the PE whatever you do (optimize LODs or Phys shape)...

    Now is 76 prims at the default size (about 160 at 64m o.O) LoLz!

     

    Snapshot_025.png

     

    Conclussion, the PE is now about x5. I should say too, that the second pic have a phys shape of just 1 triangle, while the first one have a nice basic but more complex shape and the LODs of the second pic are also lower than the first pic.

    So maybe Im missing something, but I still getting the same PE no matter what region I rezz the mesh. Maybe something went wrong or is a bug in the viewer, I dont know, I just still seeing this really unfair :/.

    Anyway, what worries me more actually are that dont matter what I try the PE never goes down. Why if I lower the polygon count on the LODs (not the higuest one of course) using the automatic LODs generator the PE never goes down? And why I get the same PE with a simple triangle as phys shape than using the whole highest LOD? It have no sense.. D:

  18. Im with you all.

    Prim cost is raised to the sky in the latest days/weeks.

    I was able to upload my mesh with a cost of 30 prims at 64 meters, now is 75 at 13 meters n_n.

    I know the prim cost wasnt finished, but increase the prim cost about x3 or x4 isnt really to give some "retouchs" to prim cost.

    Lets continue doing impossible sculpts, yay!...

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