I need some help with Content Creation Toolkit

static

How do I access these tools?
Studio 4.6 Pro
I am trying to add bone to an existing prop, to make it a figure. I guess this is called rigging. How do I do this in Studio?
The prop I am trying to rig is the Staff from the Magus set. I wish to modify it for my own use, not to sell, and also to learn how it is done.

JimmyC_2009

First of all, you need to go to Window > Tabs > Figure Setup to get the FST pane.

There is this in the Doumentation Centre : http://docs.daz3d.com/doku.php/public/software/dazstudio/4/userguide/creating_content/rigging/start

I don;t know how much use it will be to you. Perhaps someone in this forum will be able to help more.

Richard Haseltine

Or you can use Edit>Object>Rigging>Convert prop to Figure, then with the Joint Editor tool active use the right-click option menu to add new bones as needed and the Polygon Selection tool and Weight paint tool to create groups (if you want to be able to select the bones in the viewport and not just the Scene pane) and to assign weights for bends.

static

Thanks guys, I will see what I can make of these and get back to you if I have questions (which I probably will, since this is going to be my first attempt to create my own object or modify another's).

static

Ok, I've got all the bones in place. What is it that I do with the Polygon Selection Tool and Weight Paint Tool?
You siad Polygon Selection, but I can't find that. Did you, by chance, mean the Polygon Group Editor?
Same for the Weight Paint tool, I've found a Weight Map Brush Tool...
I don't know enough about this to assume this is what you meant. I may just be looking in the wrong place.

Jaderail

I understand this is to learn how to make a Prop into a Rigged figure, I admire the need to know. But all you really need here is to add some Morph's to the bangles. Then your ready to render. It's fast and easy in DS. If you need to pass to Poser that's just a few more steps for a morphing prop.

static

Yes, the main point is to learn how. I have tinkered with a few morphs in Studio, and I have a tenuous grasp on how to work with them, but this exercise will give me insights into creating from scratch and how to modify something post-creation. i am working on a Carrara project which requires morphs made in Hexagon, which is giving me fits, but I'm getting help there as well. I am 100% self-taught in 3D (well, 95%). I haven't the money for art school, graphics courses, or even books on the subject, so I try to learn things as they come up and, well, rigging has come up.
It took me years, literally, to come up with the cash to buy Carrara on sale. I was able to get it this year and it opened a whole new chapter for me on modeling. So I try to come up with projects that can advance my knowledge and experience, and they help me best of they require more than is necessary to do the job. It sort of sticks with me better, if you get my drift.

Richard Haseltine

Is the prop you are rigging something with rigid parts, or bendy parts? For rigid parts, use the Polygon group editor (sorry for getting the names wrong, was going from memory) to select all of a part, such as a handle (there are commands to grow a seelction and to select all connected in the right-click menu), then switch to the Weight Map Brush, add the map for the rotation you want in the Tool Settings pane and make sure it's selected, then right click and use the Fill selected command to set the weight to 1. Bendy parts are a little trickier as you want varying weights across the area that flexes.

static

Richard Haseltine said:

Is the prop you are rigging something with rigid parts, or bendy parts? For rigid parts, use the Polygon group editor (sorry for getting the names wrong, was going from memory) to select all of a part, such as a handle (there are commands to grow a seelction and to select all connected in the right-click menu), then switch to the Weight Map Brush, add the map for the rotation you want in the Tool Settings pane and make sure it's selected, then right click and use the Fill selected command to set the weight to 1. Bendy parts are a little trickier as you want varying weights across the area that flexes.

This is the prop I'm playing with. The chains on the side of the headpiece are going to be "bendy" instead of their now rigid state. I want them to point at the ground when the staff is horizontal, or swinging around when the staff is "in motion".

I have also added bones to the staff in case I want to "break" it over someone's head or have it chopped apart by a sword. But for now, the focus is on the chains and dangles.

Each bone is about 5 chain links long (somebody told me that making bones for each link is unnecessarily excessive).

So I'm thinking the "dangles" (at the end of the chains) are rigid, but the chain itself is bendy.

Richard Haseltine

What you might do is select each link in turn for each bone, starting with the oen that lines up with the origin, and fill with increasing weights (so if there are five links per bone fill with .2, .4, .6, .8 and 1) - select connected should work for each link, just seelct one polygon on the link then use the command.

The idea of having bones to break the staff won't work unless the mesh is separate - assuming you wish to split it and not just bend - as when you move one bend the joining polygons will simply be stretched out..

static

Richard Haseltine said:

What you might do is select each link in turn for each bone, starting with the oen that lines up with the origin, and fill with increasing weights (so if there are five links per bone fill with .2, .4, .6, .8 and 1) - select connected should work for each link, just seelct one polygon on the link then use the command.

The idea of having bones to break the staff won't work unless the mesh is separate - assuming you wish to split it and not just bend - as when you move one bend the joining polygons will simply be stretched out..

Oh, I hadn't realized that.
Well, how do I remove a bone without having to start all over? Every time I select one in the scene tab and remove it from the scene, the entire prop deletes and I have to start over.

kitakoredaz

you can simply delete each bone,, select bone in scene tab or 3d view,
then must need to active joint editor, then use option,,by toolSetting tab,

(if you do not open the tool setting tab,, you better open the tool setting tab , when you rig figure)

then use the tab option menu. r-click the tab labell.
or left click option menu icon (every contena have square small bar icon,

delete>delete bone

or in 3d view window,, r-click anyware you want,, then access the option menu of current active tool.
delete>delete bone

it must remove the selected bone only. if it delete non selected bones,
such joint editor has no meaning to exist our world !

it may happen when you use top menu edit>Delete selected items. do not use it when tweak bone.
it work only assets. not node. as you have experienced,,

static

Thanks, that helped a lot. I had to start over, I don't know, maybe 12 times because I made mistakes placing bones. This is great information.