Can't upload with with skin weights. Please help

[HarrisonMcKenzie]

Here's the 50 cent tour. All the bones are there, and the object is rigged. When I export from Max, Animations and Deformations > Skin are checked. When I try to upload in SL, The Skin Weights box is greyed out.

I did a forum search already, but it didn't help. Can someone please explain how to fix this? If possible, sooner than later, since I am trying to upload something for an even on Sunday (tomorrow), and it's taken me a few weeks to get this far.

Thanks.

[Cathy Foil]

Unfortunately I am a Maya user not a Max user so I don't know how much help I will be but I will give it a go.

Open up your DAE file in a world processor program like Notepad.  In it scroll down till you see a list of bone names.  Make sure all the mBones are there and that they are all spelled correctly and the upper and lower cases are correct.  

Here is the list of mBones:

mPelvis
mTorso
mChest
mNeck
mHead
mCollarLeft
mShoulderLeft
mElbowLeft
mWristLeft
mCollarRight
mShoulderRight
mElbowRight
mWristRight
mHipRight
mKneeRight
mAnkleRight
mHipLeft
mKneeLeft
mAnkleLeft
mSkull
mEyeRight
mEyeLeft
mFootRight
mToeRight
mFootLeft
mToeLeft

If you are doing FITTED MESH you must have all the mBones in the DAE file along with any COLLISION Bones that your mesh is weighted to so if your mesh isn't weighted to the HEAD collison bone then that bone doesn't need to be in the DAE file unlike mBones which all the mBones have to be in the DAE file even if they don't have any weight to them at all.

Here is a list of all the COLLISION Bones:

HEAD
NECK
L_HAND
L_LOWER_ARM
L_UPPER_ARM
L_CLAVICLE
R_HAND
R_LOWER_ARM
R_UPPER_ARM
R_CLAVICLE
CHEST
LEFT_PEC
RIGHT_PEC
UPPER_BACK
BELLY
LEFT_HANDLE
RIGHT_HANDLE
LOWER_BACK
R_FOOT
R_LOWER_LEG
R_UPPER_LEG
L_FOOT
L_LOWER_LEG
L_UPPER_LEG
PELVIS
BUTT

You shouldn't need to export animations in your DAE file so I would turn that off in your export settings just to be safe.  

Have you been able to upload any mesh that is rigged?

Try startring off fresh and in new scene with nothing but the skeleton create a cube and rig it to the mBones but then adjust the weights of the vertex to be weighted only to the mHead bone and export it as a DAE file and try to upload it to SL.

When having trouble uploading mesh it is always best to use LL's most current default veiwer instead of a 3rd party viewer.  Sometimes LL makes changes and it take takes the 3rd party viewers a little time to update their viewers.

If Max can let you export out as FBX you might want to try exporting out as a FBX file and using AutoDesk's FREE FBX Converter program to convert your file into a DAE file.  Here's a link to where you can download it:
http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/pc/item?siteID=123112&id=10775920

I would try FBX® 2013.3 Converter.  A lot of older converters work OK except I believe someplace around 2011 2012 the converter's DAE file became incompatible with SL until 2013.

Lastly and maybe I should have done a YouTube search first watch this video I found on how to use 3ds Max for SL:

I hope that helps.
Cathy

[HarrisonMcKenzie]

Thank you. I'll have a look at everything when I'm back home.

 

Where in the file do I add the m and collision bones?

 

I haven't been able to upload anything of my own creation with rigging (even a box). I do use the Linden and I do use the FBX converter.

[Chip Midnight]

Are you getting any specific error message? If not then problem is likely with missing bone names in the name array. If you're getting an error message it may be something else, like a texture map name that has a space in it. The easiest way to do the name array is just keep a complete bone list in a text file. After you export your DAE, copy and paste the full list after the last bone name that's listed. It doesn't matter if bones are listed more than once. Don't overwrite the bones that are already there. That can cause your rigging to go haywire if you're doing fitted mesh.

[HarrisonMcKenzie]

Thank you two so much. I need to do some more testing (there are a few things that are still wacky), but the upload included skin weights and correct movement.

[Babette Ultsch]

mostly this happens when not all bones are included in your rig. If you search the resulting dae file for 'joints-array' you will see a list of the registered bones. SL requires at least the 26 m bones being named in that field, no matter whether they actually take part in the skinning process or not.

So if you have something like <Name_array id="Blabla-Joints-array" count="2"> mNeck mHead </name array> you should raise the count value to 26 and add all the rest of the mbones to the array. The 2 bones that are in the first place here may not be changed in position in this list, so you have to append the other bones at the end.

[VirtualKitten]

I tried too . As I was trying to animate the SL basic female mesh with animesh . This is what happened it mmessed it all up too

 

[VirtualKitten]

This is what it uploads

The wieghts look all wrong as the model is thinned out  does anyone know how to get round his?