Cineversity

Hi,

I recently purchased a crab monster model from CG Trader.

https://www.cgtrader.com/3d-models/character/fantasy-character/crab-creature-773a00a1-c008-4498-85b1-ad584a05c1cd

It has an FBX base mesh model, as well as a variety of FBX animations. However, the FBX animations are not like from Mixamo where the skins/textures/etc are all included in the FBX animations (which I’ve worked with before in C4D). It’s just the animation of the skeleton/armature, which needs to be applied to the base model.

However, after searching tutorials in the web, it’s not clear to me how to do this.

Here’s how it looks when I import the FBX “rage” animation. In the objects, there are the roots and character control references.

https://1drv.ms/u/s!ArAeOyCnJTp-j6BszzC_pQNoqnzcuA?e=ZelOF8

Here’s how it looks when I import the FBX base+mesh. In the objects, I got a body/skin, the same root and the same character control references.

https://1drv.ms/u/s!ArAeOyCnJTp-j6Br658h2Yo_PiYWPw?e=uiMWds

It’s not clear to me how to combine these so that the creature gets the “rage” animation.

Finally, I haven’t quite been able to figure out where the textures are applied in the crab body material. The textures have an albedo skin file (3 different ones for the option of 3 different colors), a “gloss skin all” texture, a “metallic skin all” texture, a “roughness skin all” texture, a “metalness + gloss skin all” texture, and “occlusion skin all” texture, a “normal skin all” texture, and a “specular skin all” texture.

https://1drv.ms/u/s!ArAeOyCnJTp-j6Bq2X3cKlTKi0msgQ?e=A13HgD

In the base mesh FBX, there’s only one material (M_Crab_Body), and it’s not clear to me where to place some of these textures (for example, I’m assuming the albedo would go under “Color”, the normal would go under “Normal”, the specular would go under the “Reflectance” Specular layer, etc.

Hi yngvai,

All your “1drv.ms” lead to a #404. I will check again later if that is a temporary problem.
(I prefer Dropbox, Apple, Amazon, Adobe, Google, and Wetransfer. For security reasons, I typically avoid all others.)

The first link offers a “request format conversion”; Check with him.

I don’t have this file or enough information, so I don’t know what to say. Have you checked the UVs? Are there any?

All the best

Thanks for your response.

I’ve moved the screenshots to Google Drive.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/10db0lPxbgQguW9lECtDsyejwBWiDqfPV/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/10drRdQgq3S1vTxAZk4klFMLFkYUNVtDj/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/10cNYP3eJ2SldyEihGfaNJDkLSzs-yq3n/view?usp=sharing

I know you’d prefer original files but I don’t want to put the FBX files out in public domain since I paid for them. Hopefully the screenshots at least can give you an idea.

I’ve also submitted a request for C4D files from CG Trader.

Thanks for the extra work, yngvai.

What I can see is that something is missing. Several texture files need some separation, e.g., with Polygon selections, as I can see only one object and only one UV tag. Something is missing. If it would be UDIM the names should be different.

As mentioned in other forum threads, screenshots or captures do not tell me much.
I understand you signed a license not to share that object, which makes it hard for me to say anything more. Project files have all the available information, and I can search for those.

I hope that CG Trader will give more insights into what needs to go where. If he grants me a demo version (which I will delete after that) or allows you to send it to me for an examination only, I will be happy to look into it.

All the best

OK, I found this video which was helpful.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIYGSrigJzs

Following those steps, I was able to get the crab monster to do the rage animation. The only thing now is that the feet aren’t stationary (it’s like the monster is doing a tiny jump) unlike the demo video on CG trader (I’ve asked the author for permission to share privately with you for help…haven’t heard back yet.)

Still trying to figure out where the textures go in the “M_Crab_Body” material. I’ve placed the albedo texture in “Color’ and added the normal texture to “Normal”. I’m getting closer but still not there. Here’s a quick render in PictureView.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/10w19HM5nofThu_t2sRA4vRygrzhGDApg/view?usp=sharing

Still not sure where to put “gloss skin all”, “occlusion skin all”, “roughness skin all”, “specular skin all”, and “metallic skin all” textures

OK, I think I got the textures right or at least close.

In the “M_Crab_Body” material, I had “Color”, “Reflectance”, “Normal”, and “Diffusion” selected.

Under “Color”, I assigned the albedo skin texture (there were 3 choices, I chose the reddish color).

Under “Diffusion”, I assigned the “Occlusion All” texture.

Under “Reflectance”, I added a new layer, gave it type “GGX”, and put in the “Roughness All” texture.

Under “Reflectance” and “specular” layer, I added “specular all”.

Finally under “Normal” I added the “Normal” texture.

Here’s a quick render image.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/111GnZcERuIf28jiHkwITizUTz81I_sni/view?usp=sharing

Now I just need to figure out the foot issue and why they don’t stay in place.

OK, I got the OK to share the files with you privately. Please let me know how (perhaps through PM on this forum?)

I’m having two issues now:

1. Monster’s feet not staying in place

2. When I bring the animated creature .C4D file into my live action camera tracked project using “Merge Objects”, I lose the animation for some reason. The textures also get broken (although that’s easy to fix…I just re-enter the textures).

Hi yngvai,

I have sent an upload link. I get an email from dropbox, no further action needed.

If you replace the FBX setup with an object (not animated), is that sitting well? If not, you need to improve the tracking. If that is the scene you had to send me before, there was minimal parallax. If that is not stable and you have a “floor” that matches the ground 100%, it will not work.

All the best

The issue isn’t the tracking. The feet aren’t staying in place in the original animation after I applied the animated FBX to the base mesh…not sure how to get them to stay

So, an object sits stable in the scene?
I will have a look into this evening.

Cheers

Yes the object is stable in the scene

Good to know.

Hi yngvai,

I have sent you the file back. If I understood correctly, you wanted the character to stand fixed with the foot. Characters have pretty much always a standing foot (the one closer to the Center of Gravity) and a “play” foot, which means one is resting and the other one is lighter on the floor. (supporting leg vs. free leg) I hope I picked the right one.

I took a point from the foot, placed a Null on its position, and used Cappucino to get that motion, then countered that movement via Xpresso as well.
Is that the right way to do it? For this single pose, it is working (I hope for you as well).

The figure clearly shows many parts that tell me about a previously used IK animation, but all I can see are joints and Controllers that are not in use. NO IK in the file.
The legs/and feet were (so far I can tell) purely based on IK, and that didn’t survive the FBX “shipment”. Since this is a unique setup, you need to get instructions from the creator which group of joints will hold the IK.

The character is stable and should work now, based on your information that an object is stable.

All the best

Thank you so much! Yes, that worked for me. And thank you for describing to me how you did it.

I think the creator created the original animation in Unreal Engine, and my guess is that he then just exported the FBX from Unreal.

Forgive me for all the questions, as I’m new to rigging/animation. I’ve been mainly focused on learning tracking/compositing/lighting, which is why I’ve been picking pre-made/pre-animated assets…hence the hard time sometimes figuring out why something isn’t working when I try to put it in.

Thanks again. That will also help me with future animations of the same asset.

You’re very welcome, yngvai.

The model and the rig you got were certainly not bad at all, but the missing part from the original use created some challenges.

You might benefit from the character-based assets you get for free in Cinema 4D. Type “Character” in the search field of the Asset Browser. Or just set up a Character Object; perhaps check out this series:
https://www.cineversity.com/vidplaylist/hands_on_with_maxon_-_intro_to_rigging_in_c4d/

My best wishes for your project