Is it possible to copy character components from one character to another? I’m using the Advanced Quadruped Rig and it doesn’t have an Eye Controller. The Biped Rig does. Is there a way I can copy the Eye Component from the Biped Rig to the Quadruped one?
Just eye-ball-controller, or anything that is needed for eyes, to create an expression? It is a wider theme. Eyeballs only could be also just be based on a Texture animation, while the geometry is fixed with the skull.
The components, which holds all the parts needed, shouldn’t be copied, as each part was designed to work as an integrated part in a specific rig. All the controllers and XPresso, Constrains as well User Data are individually created.
For a single use, you could just add two joints for the eyes and constrain those to the Head_jnt. Since these joints nor the eyeballs should be bind to the rest of the rig/mesh, this sound the fastest way to do.Which would be also the simplest way to do it, besides a texture based solution. Set the priority to a step later +10 or so.
Thanks for the response! I was working my way through the Create a Custom Template as we speak. I have been experimenting with adding the bones to the head_int as well. I think that works if I am just animating it in C4D, but the problem I have is when I use CV SmartExport to save the animation out to FBX for integration into Unity. When I do I lose my eye joints. Maybe I’m not doing it right. or maybe I just need to bake out the animation seperately. I don’t know exactly how CV Export works, so my initial thought was I needed to incorporate the Character Components into the rig. And yes, what I’m after is control of the eyes to make expressive. I’ll try adding the bones to head_int again and see if I can get it to work.
When I place them inside the rig, I can export them. (…which leaves me with a weird feeling, as it seems more like a hack.) Anyway: I imported tehm into a new scene and my “simple” rig and the Eye_jnt[s] were included. I have not bind them, but I guess the Eye_jnt[s] need to be zero’d if they have any influence.
Thanks again Sassi. OK it seems to be something to do with using the IK neck in the Advanced Quadruped Template. When I parent the Eye Bones to the head_int using the FK neck I get results similar to yours, but when I use the IK neck and do the same thing the bones don’t export. Maybe I need to parent somewhere else when using the IK neck?
If I parent the eye controllers to the tip of the neck it seems to work. Must be something to do with the fact the head is seperated from the neck in the IK version. But this may work for what I need it to do. I was going to try to use Cmotion for a walk cycle, so maybe this won’t work. I’ll test it and see.
Yes, please give me all the options that you need for that rig, so I can see if I can come up with an idea. It is a large area, if all options are open.
Thanks again for the extra info, Michael. Yes, I didn’t test the animation, and to set up a character and go through all the controllers and options is quite a task, with each time exporting importing.
IF you prepare a template for your very own needs, open the one that comes closest to your needs, save it with a new name, as specified in Bret’s series. Then only add the parts you need, including controllers and tags. He goes through that process in detail. Check your progress in a new scene. After all steps are done and the rig can be built along your needs , you have gained all the knowledge to refine or extend all the templates you use and there is no dependency anymore on presets. This is certainly the way to work, as Bret tells, because all the cool kids do it that way. Yes, the first time through is certainly some effort, but certainly worth it.
Thanks Sassi! Thats awesome! As usual I’m working/learning this stuff under a deadline for a project and your assistance is greatly appreciated. I’ve been pleasantly surpised at the capabilities and ease of use with the Character Tools in C4D and Brets tutorials on using them are certainly top notch. Thanks for going the extra mile with the clip you made showing the settings you used to setup the eyes!
Part of my problem with being new to character animation, is that I don’t know the right questions to ask. So my initial question did not lead me to a solution for the issue I was having. For the benefit of other users, I’ll put my problem/solution here.
The project I’m working on is a character animation of a dog that will need to be exported to Unity for use in an AR application. The issue I ran into, was when I started messing with the rig (ie adding the eye controller) it was breaking the export. After I added the eye controller the animation would no longer export to FBX. I tried using both CV Smart Export and just baking out the animations manually. I had a tough time figuring this out as I spent I couple days scratching my head over this. But I stumbled upon a solution last night. I still don’t understand exactly why this solution fixes my problem, but I’ve gone back to scenes that weren’t exporting and now they do after this fix, so I;m keeping my fingers crossed that I don’t somehow find another way to break the export. Anyway here is the solution.
With the Character Object selected in the Object Manager select the Display Tab and then expand the Managers and Change Object Manager to Full Hierarchy. THis will then give you access to all the parts of the rig. Then select the Character Component Tag. In my case its the Tag associated with the Quadruped rig. Select the Advanced Tab and you will see a Generate button. Click that button and you are now able to export the baked animations out to FBX for use in Unity. I’ve attached a screencap of where to find the Generate button.
I’m not sure what this does, but it appears that any time you make a change to the rig you need to press this button to be able to export the baked animation. It was weird because it didn’t break the rig inside C4D. If all I was doing was rendering out an animation then I would not have experienced this issue. Hopefully this post will help someone else out in the future.
Thanks again for your help. I imagine this probably won’t be the only issue I run across in my journey into character animation, so its great to know there is someone out there that “has my back”! Thanks for all you do for the animation community
I guess the results of not getting the adding parts is, that the Identifier leads to a search in the original ID source and can’t find it. With the new number, it will.
However, this shouldn’t be there, while you create a new rig. Open an existing Template, and as Bret mentioned, never save it to the default templates. Use a new name and ID.
This will then show up, as Bret checked his work, in the Character list.
All the parts created are then able to be exported. If not, that would be a case for the support.
Please not there are more short cuts, as in holding down the additional shift key to keep the last element as entry point, e.g., the spine. My habit of using only the cmd key (and have to click on the e.g., spine again) is just my way.
In short, during the development time, the idea is to create all parts needed a push button (as in ears, spine, root) later on when the character template is saved.In this state, often only the Left side is created, as in one eye only and the mirror option is enabled for the joints as well for the controller. It is a one time set up, to allow for endless re-creation of the rig.
After the template is saved, the rig is more like “Lego”, just click things together.
These two states are separated, and should stay that way. Somehow your screenshot shows that you have managed to mix this. I know during deadlines things are not as they should be.
My tip, load a template like the Quadruped , generate a new ID, then compare the ears with the elements of the “new” eyes, or check the leg component, the needed parts are similar, of course not identically.
Sassi, you’re a genius! for that version I wasn’t actually working with the template, I was just trying to “hack” it together, but I see now how the whole template thing works. and I have to say its amazing. Once you wrap your head around it I can see many possibilities for this, even beyond character animation, and I think that is how it was intended. Really a solid an approachable system.
So last night I tried my hand at making my own template. I copied the advbiped template out of the program library into my personal library in preferences. I added the eyes and a tongue. Amazingly it works. I was able to rebuild my rig fast and easy. I saved the weights from the previous model so weighting was fast and easy. Mirroring works. I can adjust everything in the adjust tab. Binding and animation works in C4D.
...but when I go to export the baked animation I am still having an issue. I noticed this with the previous rig as well. Most of the animation is exporting, but when the neck moves, I get some weird results. It looks to me like maybe some of the joints in the neck are working and some are not. The neck isn’t deforming properly. It looks good in C4D before the export.
Maybe it would be easier if I sent the template I’m using. I’ll attach it to this message. Can you take a look at it and see if there is anything wrong with it? I could send you a link to the FBX export with the issue as well, but its larger and I’ll need to find a place to upload it.
Thanks again for your help.
PS, You are safe from the fires in CA currently? I saw Maxon was closed the other day. :(
Thanks a lot for the feedback. Yes, those Components have a lot of potential.
I got your file, and I just clicked on it see if it loads. I got an FBX file and the template. You can delete the link if you like. If the work is more “non-public” you can use my Cineversity PM to send those links.
I’m on my way to the annually Maxon Event, so I have to take a look into that later today.
About the fire, I haven’t checked this morning, but where I’m, the evacuation-zone was a mile+ away from me, which had been been mostly lifted yesterday. In Summer the fire perimeter was a mile away. Interesting times…
This might be a CV-SmartExport issue. I just saved the files with the “regular” C4D FBX exporter and the file looks fine. I don’t know. I’ve restarted C4D a few times maybe something was “out of sync”. Seems to be working now. I’ll keep you posted if I run into any more issues.
I used the Files>Export>FBX 7.5 2016 exporter, and all is fine here as well. I have send you an download link, so you can compare, if needed at all.
In your non working-model I see that the first “Neck-Joint” rotates roughly twice as much as the head, and it shows. When you select that joint, the one after the spine, and press play, you can see it clearly (top view)
Thanks for the nice wishes, the party was excellent, it was just nice to meet even some people finally from outside the US. The leading team from MAXON US knows how to do that.
I took some 360s before the event from the area, I will post them soon.
