What is the workflow to break up the model in DAZ and assign it to bones?

Bryson Jack

I have really tried to do due dilligence and solve this issue on my own but I am stuck. I have an obj that I imported into DAZ Studio. There is only one Face Group/Surface Group called default in the Figure Setup. My apologies if Face Group and Surface Group are not interchangeable...I am struggling to figure out what is what with the terminology. Anyway. I would like to crawl through the model, making selections and assigning each selection a new bone group in the Figure Setup as an alternative to setting up these groups in my 3D modeling program prior to import. I assume it is possible to do what I am asking. What is the workflow to make this happen? Some part of the manual hinted to being able to do this but keeps leading to dead ends for me and I can't seem to find a forum that can explain this.

Richard Haseltine

The Geometry Editor tool would be used for this - select some polygons, using various options in the right-click menu, and Geometry Assignment>create New Group from Selected (or do it piecemeal, adding to a group once created). You would probably want to add surfaces at the same time. When done export the OBJ settings Use Current for groups.

kitakoredaz

Then Usually "surface group" are assigned as material  group (in other aprication, or shader )

or shading domains (hexagon) ,

and face group will be assgined as vertex group when you improt the obj to another aprication.

 

And in daz studio,, one poligon can be assgined only one "face group" in daz studio.

eg in blender we can  set multi vertex group about same vertex.

 

it may somehow different which 3d  aprication,you import the obj (assgined group in daz studio)

vertex group = assgined each vertex,, but  daz studio face group assagine gorup by each poligon base.

then you may see some vertex are multiple grouped in other aprication.

 sometimes I need little tweaking,if  not hope so. it is same when I import obj to daz studio.

I may re-assgine face group again (if I need it,, because weight map for rigging no need to assgin face group about daz studio,

but usually use for selection in 3d scene assgined with node)

 

mjc1016

DesignAnvil has posted a basic rigging tutorial in this post and following...

http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/comment/841629/#Comment_841629

kitakoredaz

Yes it is good tutorial I think.

then I often think,,,,  when someone need help,, most of us  hope to clear know, what step cause difficultiy,

when someone try rigging with these tutoriall, or document, then feel difficulity (I understand,,actually it should be difficult for most

of new ds user)

 

the problem for user,  is sometimes about import exprot option setting,, or can not find tool option.

 sometimes,,it is caused by  new version ds change tool name,, and apply new option, remove option,,etc..

 

And which weight-map you may use will change,, setting of figure-set up tools, or not use it al all)

to tell from start to finish about rigging in daz studio,all detail, with each  exceptional case is difficult,

then hope to know, each detail of question.

 

Bryson Jack

Alright, to be clear, here is what I figured out on my own before I posted my question

 

Q. How do I split up a solid piece of geometry into bone groups in DAZ Studio?

A.

• Open DAZ Studio and the open Figure Setup

• RMB click in the Geometry List section and choose Add Geometry...

  • Import from Blender (meters) using Lightwave preset.

• Drag the Geometry in the Geometry List area over the Geometry in the Relationships area.

• Click Create

• Activate the Geometry Editor Tool (Alt+Shift+G)

• Select a part of your model that you want to be its own bone group

  • With the Geometry Editor Tool Active, select a face

  • RMB click in the Viewport and choose Geometry Selection>Select Connected (Ctrl+Shift+8)

• After your selection has been made, RMB click in the Viewport and choose Geometry Assignment>Create Face Group from Selected...

 

Now, this is where I am confused. Am I supposed to export this out at a .obj and reimport it? Really? Isn't there a way to complete all the steps in DAZ Studio?

If that is not what you were describing Richard, can you please elaborate on "When done export the OBJ settings Use Current for groups."

Specifically, the problem that I am having is that in my Tool Settings I am seeing the Face Group that I created. In the Figure Setup however, I don't see the new Face Group and no matter what I try, I can't get that new Face Group to show up in the Figure Setup>Relationships area as a bone group. This is where I am stuck in my workflow and this specifically is where I need help moving forward.

Thanks to you guys for taking the time to help me.

 

kitakoredaz

Ok,, thanks now I can follow what actually you are doing.

After you generate the Figure by Figure set-up tool,, then re-assgin face group,,

then  you hope  to retrun the figure in Figure set up tool, and  edit bone hieralchy.

 

Seclect generated figure in the scene, (which you change or ecit face group  by geometry editor)

then go to  Figure set up tool option menu>copy from selected Figure.

 

Now it can keep all your edited face group.  then you can re-edit hieralchy with face group, and re generate nodes.

I usually clear hieralchy, and obj from fgiure set-up tool once,,  then from scene, copy it  to figure set up tool.

kitakoredaz

Then my recommend way,, is anyway you import obj from other aprication, then assgin face group, surface group

by geometry editor,, then turn it as figure (so that you can copy figure form the scene to figure set up tool)

select the obj, in scene tab , go to top menu >edit>object>rigging>covert prop to figure.

 

usually it set only one hip bone for the obj, ,then now it trun Figure,, then you can import it to the Figure set up tool,

with your face grouop. then you can re-generate node with your new face group.

( clear hileralchy to delete the hip,,, then drug the new copied obj from right pane to left Geometry icon,

then it re-generate nodes with your new assgine face group)

Bryson Jack

Alright, so I continued with the workflow as I understand you are suggesting

 

• Activate the Node Selection Tool (Alt+Shift+V)

• Select your object/node from the Scene Pane

• Open Figure Setup and display options for Active Pane by clicking on the menu and choose Copy From Selected Figure

 

So now where do I go from here? I am not getting any additional "Selection Group" other than what was originally there, which is called default, and this is where I am stuck. No matter what I try, I can't find the solution to getting my Face Group to show up in the Relationships area of Figure Setup

 

kitakoredaz

1. remove obj from FIgure set up tool , clear  hieralcy too.  now your Figur set up tool reset.

2. Copy From selected FIgure

3 clear  hielrachy again. (delete hieralcy from left pane)

4 drug obj form left pane to right pane again.

 (sorry not to discribe clear all step, I edit now)

kitakoredaz

THen if you hope to remain your bone  set- up,,which you have already done,,  then assgin new face group to node,

you need to make new bone first. 

1 add child bone , in hieralchy pane)

 2 drug new face group from left pane to the new bone>selection group.

wihtou it,, even though you drug face group to the right pane (relation ship)

notthing happen.

 

 

Richard Haseltine

You can work in DS without having to return to Figure Setup - use the Joint editor Tool to add bones, or set them up in Figure Setup, then position the bone as desired and in the Tool settings pane assign the group you created with the Geometry Editor as its selection group. Then, assuming you are creating a weight-mapped figure, once done adding bones and groups switch to the Node Weight paint tool, right click and theer should be a command to fill by group which will set each group to 100% weight for its bone. For a hard surface model that may be all you need, for a model that needs to flex you will then need to edit the crude flood-fill weights.

kitakoredaz

Then I do not know, what type rigigng you need,.(triax,, or poser type riggin)

if it is not so complex figure,, eg I often just add rigs to open door, or move part etc,,for simply obj too.

actually you may need not use Figure set up tool, (though it may better learn all tool usage,,)

 

you can direct edit node by joint editor tool , then color weight map for each node.

the figure set up tool can generate temp nodes ,then it is useful,,

but after all,, most of case, we need to re-arrange node by joint editor.)

 

And if you just hope to assgin group fro obj,, eg assgin new mat group as surface group,,

you need not use Figure set up tool.  as mentioned above,, just use geometry editor, then

assgin each group, then save it as prop .

Bryson Jack

kitakoredaz said:

1. remove obj from FIgure set up tool , clear  hieralcy too.  now your Figur set up tool reset.

2. Copy From selected FIgure

3 clear  hielrachy again. (delete hieralcy from left pane)

4 drug obj form left pane to right pane again.

 (sorry not to discribe clear all step, I edit now)

So do I perform the Copy From Selected Figure BEFORE or AFTER I remove the Geometry from the Figure Setup Tool?

I can RMB click on the root geometry in the Figure Setup>Geometry List and choose Remove Geometry. Is that what you are referring to as removing the object from the Figure Setup tool? If so then what do you mean when you say to clear the hierarchy too? Are you referring to the Scene Pane or the Relationships area of the Figure Setup Tool when you say clear the hierarchy. I can't see anyway to clear the Relationships if that is what you mean by hierarchy.

When I try and remove the Geometry in the Geometry List in Figure setup, it warns me "Geometry in use: The Geometry item is in use do you wish to continue?" and when I say OK I obviously have nothing to drag into the relationships window. Also there is no option that I can see to update anything, only to re-import the original geometry again from somehwere on my computer...is that what I am supposed to do?

I really don't understand how this part is supposed to work even though it appears simple with the 4 additional steps that you wrote out.

kitakoredaz

You  need remove geometry untill, copy (generated)  Figure from the Scene. 

 >RMB click on the root geometry in the Figure Setup>Geometry List and choose Remove Geometry. Is that what you are referring to as >removing the object from the Figure Setup tool?

Yes.. then your left   pane clear.(no geometry)

In figure set up tool,, right pane, and left pane are clearly divided.

left pane = improted  geometry with face group.

  right pane = node  hileralchy assgined each geometry(face group),which  you added.from left  pane.

 

when  you copy Figure from the scene,,

 only geometry (left  pane) are changed. (with new face group)

but  right  pane remain node  hieralchy which you generated before. (without you change it by node editor)

then,, reselt hieralchy , the current node hieralchy are removed..

 

now you can drug and drop obj  from left pane (geometry) to the right pane.

then Figure set up tool ,re-generate nodes auto assgined each face group..

kitakoredaz

Ok,, I follow all step again,, with pic,,

1. I add geometry in Figure set up tool. (it have face group already, but not good)

2. drug the gometry from Geometry list to the Relationship. then it auto generate bone hieralchy with face group.

3. I create it then generate figure, in daz studio.

4. I edit facegroup by geometry editor.

5.  In figure set up tool,, I remove geometry, then remove hielarlcy.

 

kitakoredaz

6 now your Figure set up tool should be clear all geometry and hieralchy.

7 I re-import figure from the scene to the FIgure set up tool, by "copy form selected Figure"

8 now you can see,, my new geometery (edited by geometry editor)  in left Geometry list.but you can not see bone which assgined  new face group. in right Relation ship.

9  if you need to keep old relationship , you need to add new bone. (number of bone = number of face group which you assgin as selection group) then drug face group to the new bone.

then you can edit hieralchy (set parent each node, or change assgined face group , in relation ship pane)

10 if you hope to generate new hieralchy by improted geometry (from the scene by copy selected figure)

you need clearv hieralchy again. 

kitakoredaz

then edit  hieralchy (parent each bone,, or change assgin face grouop,, change node axis,,,) as you like.

after that,, Create ,,new Figure.

(then you need to color weight map,, or adjust node postion etc,,as Richard mentioned,,)

Bryson Jack

Thank you, thank you, thank you. With your help I was able to finally understand the workflow

 

Here are my notes:

 

• Open DAZ Studio and the open Figure Setup

• RMB click in the Geometry List section and choose Add Geometry...

• Drag the Geometry in the Geometry List area over the Geometry in the Relationships area.

• Click Create

• Activate the Geometry Editor Tool (Alt+Shift+G)

• Select a part of your model that you want to be its own bone group

  • With the Geometry Editor Tool Active, select a face

  • RMB click in the Viewport and choose Geometry Selection>Select Connected (Ctrl+Shift+8)

• After your selection has been made, RMB click in the Viewport and choose Geometry Assignment>Create Face Group from Selected...

• Open Figure Setup and RMB click on your outdated geometry in the Geometry List and choose Remove Geometry

• Click the menu in the upper right hand corner of the Figure Setup to display options for the active pane and choose Copy From Selected Figure, which will copy your updated figure in the scene and add it to the Geometry List.

• Go back in the display options for the active pane (Figure Setup) menu and Clear Hierarchy

• Drag the updated Geometry in the Geometry List area over the Geometry in the freshly cleared Relationships area.

Bryson Jack

And here is the second method that you mentioned:

 

Method 2

• Go to File>Import and select the .obj that you exported from your modeling program.

• With the object node selected in the Scene Pane, use the Geometry Editor Tool to assign your face groups and surface groups (material zones)

• Convert the object to a figure by going to Edit>Object>Rigging>Convert Prop to Figure...

• Open the Figure Setup pane and with the new figure object selected in the Scene pane, go to the display options for the active pane menu in the top right corner of Figure Setup and choose Copy From Selected Figure

• Clear the hierarchy in the same menu.

• Drag the geometry in the Geometry List over top of the geometry in the Relationships.

kitakoredaz

You are welcom,, I simply re-try because I often forget detail , and not mermozie much.

then you must find many short cut way,  and more smart way,

everytime you try to rig new figure in daz studio with tweaking tool,

(then may find,, what  improvement you want  for each daz tools,, too, sometimes it may not wrok as it designed,,)

 I understand my way discribed hire  is not at all perfect. (maybe I add step which you can igonore)

anyway if  it can help to finish your  rigging,, I feel good  

then If you find next difficultiyt,, eg (when you try to color general weight,, but there seems no map etc,,)  ask again please.

Ruphuss

hey Bryson

can you give an example what you are doing with this workflow ?

so i can see for what its useful

Bryson Jack

Ruphuss, I am in the process of rigging my first prop in DAZ Studio. I was (though not anymore) having difficulty in getting my models to come out of Blender with surface groups and in some DAZ manual it said that I could assign such groups inside DAZ Studio. I wanted to understand the process so I could do it in either program and I couldn't do it until now. Thanks again kitakoredaz