Rigidity Groups... what are they for and how do I use them? (solved)

wancow

Okay, Rigidity Groups...

I was under the impression that Rigidity Groups are designed so that a conforming figure does not deform with morphs....

Here's what I did:
http://www.sharecg.com/v/66143/gallery/11/Poser/V4-Honshu-Outfit

I exported the two earrings in this set to OBJ after placing them properly onto the Genesis Base figure, re imported, parented to the head, converted figure to prop...

I created groups for two new bones: earleft, earright, and assigned the weight mapping...

So, I tried assigning rigidity groups... but the things still deform...

Does anyone know what steps to go through to keep that from happening, or am I completely missing the point of Rigidity groups?

wancow

NM, found it: http://docs.daz3d.com/doku.php/public/software/dazstudio/4/userguide/creating_content/rigging/tutorials/rigidity/start

And figured it out... :D

DaremoK3

Hey wancow...

Even though you marked this "solved", I wanted to post to elaborate in case anyone reads this thread, and is curious about Rigidity Groups.

I, too, thought Rigidity Groups were going to be the end all of any distortions for non-cloth objects/figures. I was mistaken.

They are to help with (key words) distortion only in scaling, and not to prevent distortion introduced while posing/moving figures.

For this, reverse deformation morph target work has to be done, and ERC linked to the movement/pose controls, so when the movement takes place, the correction morphs supersedes the previous distortions. It needs to be done for every possible distortion (linked by pose/movement), and when done you will have a non-distorting model that behaves more realistically opposed to the ever bending metal buckles, earrings, bracers, and etc., etc., etc.

It's a lot of work, but well worth it in the end...

wancow

Daremok3, what your describing is not my experience. When I followed the directions in that tutorial I found that the distortion is completely negated.

DaremoK3

Interesting...

wancow, could you please post some images showing no distortions in your Rigidity mapped meshes while posed with Genesis (twisting, bending, side-side, pose-presets, and etc.).

I have found, in my experience, that even professional products from PA's here at DAZ that I have purchased have failed in this regard, as well as my own projects with default Rigidity Groups.

For my work I used the tutorial you referenced, as well as video tuts by Smay, and Allen's DAZ3D series. Maybe I am doing something wrong in my work-flow, but without anothers proof of success, I am hard pressed to believe otherwise. I would be happy if you could point out the error of my ways, and set me on an easier track.

*Cited from your linked DAZ document page:

"It is important to note that in its current implementation, Rigidity only applies to morphs that are dynamically generated and projected from the default figure to which the item has been fit. Morphs that are modeled into the clothing and joint rotations can still change the shape of a rigidly defined mesh if care is not taken to prevent it."

(Would love to know how the care is taken to prevent it; Convenient that this most important step/work-flow of great importance is left out. Maybe you know how this is accomplished, or what this is referring to.)

This, along with the accompanied images only showing a shape/scale change to a more rotund character illustrating the Rigidity maps held through the shape/scale change. Would love to see them show it on that character posed both twisted, and bent.

wancow

here are two renders which show this.

These are the V4 Honshu earrings I got from SharwCG and turned into a conforming figure.

The left has rigidity applied, the right does not.

One image shows Genesis default, the other Victoria 5 with her head turned.

DaremoK3

Thank you, wancow.

Nice examples. Yes, clearly it shows no deformation on the earring with the Rigidity map.

Do you find that there are no distortions testing different posing/movements?

Also, where did you place your Reference Group Polygons, and how many polygons used?

I haven't done any earrings, or anything that is not directly linked to conforming cloth (that's supposed to bend/distort). Maybe earrings, and solid one piece props-to-figures is a different ballgame. I will have to give this a go.

If you have time, please check your findings/work-flow against something like a belt buckle attached to a deformable belt. You can convert one of the free belts over at ShareCG like you did for the earrings. Would love to know if your results are the same, and how you achieved them.

Thanks again for your input, and help.

wancow

Eventually I will. The earrings are fairly high poly for what they are. I found that I had to make them two figures, one for each, in order for it to work for me.