bernie14
Filter Manipulator
OK...this is my first tutorial so be kind.....the necessity came up when, while i was making fidel LH, i noticed that the left shoulder strap was not animating correctly in game...
the opportunity came when i noticed CRoland and Chugginator, along with dutchking and GarretSidzaka commenting on "rigging" body parts, so i looked up some blender tutorials and here we go...thanks to those mentioned above for their guidance.....
Here is fidel in object mode. first, i want to center my cursor over the object in question and zoom in a bit.....
Switch to EDIT mode and highlight the mesh part in question, in this case, it is the left shoulder strap.....
Maintain the 3D window view on top, but on the bottom window, go to the Buttons Window.....
DESELECT the mesh with the A key in 3D window and notice the "link and materials" box in the buttons window. you will see the heading "Vertex Groups". click on the button (in my example, it says "gerL_5thumb_03" on the right side).
When you click on that button, you will see the names of the bones in your LH, more importantly, each of these bones are associated with vertecies on your mesh!! click on b_clavicle_R.....
Now, click on SELECT, see how all the vertecies associated with that bone light up!, notice that since i duplicated the RIGHT shoulder strap to make the left one, the left shouder strap is associated with the right clavicle bone, that is what i need to change.....
Now, make sure you DESELECT all your vertecies in 3D window again, and click the b_clavicle_L.....
Press SELECT to see the associated vertecies (that step is not really necessary, but i wanted to show how the left shoulder strap was NOT associated with the left clavicle).....
OK, now we will make the appropriate assignments, so the left shoulder strap is correctly "rigged". In the 3D window, UNDO a couple of times, or RESELECT the vertecies corresponding to the area you want to rig (1). in the Buttons window, click on the vertex group that you want to UNassign, in this case, the b_clavicle-R (2), and press REMOVE (3). this action removes the selected vertecies from that bone.....
Now, go to the vertex group that you wnat to associate the selected vertecies, in this case the b_clavicle_L (1) and click ASSIGN (2). this action assigns the selected vertecies to the appropriate bone.....
THATS IT!!!!
You can verify that the vertecies are in the proper bones by DESELECTING in 3D window, clicking the appropriate bone vertex group button, and pressing SELECT to see the vertecies that now correspond to the bone.....
Now, fidel has the right (and left ) straps where they belong!!!!
To recap, in the buttons window/vertex group, use the SELECT button to view associated vertecies and the ASSIGN and REMOVE buttons to associate and UNassociate vertecies to the bones.
THis method brings up two other interesting possibilities.....one is distorting features, for example, you can select the cheeks on both sides, or the eyelids, etc., and make them bigger or smaller, changing the "look" of the leader (i may try this on my next one), the other possibilty, which seems more difficult and tedious (but possible) is assigning or rigging not JUST a different arm or body part, but exchanging the mesh of ONE LH to the bones of ANOTHER (by duplicating vertecies associated to each bone group and assigning them to the corresponding group on the other leader!), i don't know if all the leaders have the same bone groupps, but if they do, this could be a way of giving any leader any animation without distroting the mesh (MAYBE)..
well, that is it hope it helps....
the opportunity came when i noticed CRoland and Chugginator, along with dutchking and GarretSidzaka commenting on "rigging" body parts, so i looked up some blender tutorials and here we go...thanks to those mentioned above for their guidance.....
Here is fidel in object mode. first, i want to center my cursor over the object in question and zoom in a bit.....
Switch to EDIT mode and highlight the mesh part in question, in this case, it is the left shoulder strap.....
Maintain the 3D window view on top, but on the bottom window, go to the Buttons Window.....
DESELECT the mesh with the A key in 3D window and notice the "link and materials" box in the buttons window. you will see the heading "Vertex Groups". click on the button (in my example, it says "gerL_5thumb_03" on the right side).
When you click on that button, you will see the names of the bones in your LH, more importantly, each of these bones are associated with vertecies on your mesh!! click on b_clavicle_R.....
Now, click on SELECT, see how all the vertecies associated with that bone light up!, notice that since i duplicated the RIGHT shoulder strap to make the left one, the left shouder strap is associated with the right clavicle bone, that is what i need to change.....
Now, make sure you DESELECT all your vertecies in 3D window again, and click the b_clavicle_L.....
Press SELECT to see the associated vertecies (that step is not really necessary, but i wanted to show how the left shoulder strap was NOT associated with the left clavicle).....
OK, now we will make the appropriate assignments, so the left shoulder strap is correctly "rigged". In the 3D window, UNDO a couple of times, or RESELECT the vertecies corresponding to the area you want to rig (1). in the Buttons window, click on the vertex group that you want to UNassign, in this case, the b_clavicle-R (2), and press REMOVE (3). this action removes the selected vertecies from that bone.....
Now, go to the vertex group that you wnat to associate the selected vertecies, in this case the b_clavicle_L (1) and click ASSIGN (2). this action assigns the selected vertecies to the appropriate bone.....
THATS IT!!!!
You can verify that the vertecies are in the proper bones by DESELECTING in 3D window, clicking the appropriate bone vertex group button, and pressing SELECT to see the vertecies that now correspond to the bone.....
Now, fidel has the right (and left ) straps where they belong!!!!
To recap, in the buttons window/vertex group, use the SELECT button to view associated vertecies and the ASSIGN and REMOVE buttons to associate and UNassociate vertecies to the bones.
THis method brings up two other interesting possibilities.....one is distorting features, for example, you can select the cheeks on both sides, or the eyelids, etc., and make them bigger or smaller, changing the "look" of the leader (i may try this on my next one), the other possibilty, which seems more difficult and tedious (but possible) is assigning or rigging not JUST a different arm or body part, but exchanging the mesh of ONE LH to the bones of ANOTHER (by duplicating vertecies associated to each bone group and assigning them to the corresponding group on the other leader!), i don't know if all the leaders have the same bone groupps, but if they do, this could be a way of giving any leader any animation without distroting the mesh (MAYBE)..
well, that is it hope it helps....