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Missing bones after export...

by S. Lee Gooding · in Artist Corner · 06/21/2005 (2:38 pm) · 6 replies

Hello all,

I'm trying to export a model that is rigged and animated, everything seems to be right except that when I bring it into ShowTools some of my bones are missing. It essentially takes out the middle of the hierarchy and keeps the root and it's last children. If I unbind the skin, then bind it again without painting any weights it works, BUT as soon as I start painting weights and get it to my liking it does not work again. Anyone know what the problem might be? I've tried a lot of variations and I've tried to find the problem through forums but to no avail. FYI, i'm working in Maya.

Thanks!
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Torque Owner Jeff Gran
#1
06/21/2005 (3:41 pm)
Have you tried using a .cfg file to "alwaysExport" the missing bones? Is there animation on the bones in question? Are you sure the vertex weights are normalized (all weights for a given vertex add up to 1) before export?

Torque Owner S. Lee Gooding
#2
06/22/2005 (8:40 am)
.cfg file works, the bones show up in ShowTools but in the dump file it still says "Deleting bone X with no weight". But I think it works now.

Thanks!

Associate Craig Fortune
#3
06/22/2005 (9:12 am)
Maybe post up your dump file from the export?

Torque Owner Magnus Blikstad
#4
06/22/2005 (9:26 pm)
Sounds like you have a bone that not weighted to any vertices.
Either weight it to something, or include the bone in the "AlwaysExport" list in your cfg file.

Torque Owner S. Lee Gooding
#5
06/23/2005 (7:57 am)
Yep, the bones that were not exporting had no weight (they just act as pivots). I included them in the always export list and everything seems to be working, but I have not brought it into TGE yet. Does anyone know of any problems dealing with bones that have no weight in TGE?

Torque Owner Magnus Blikstad
#6
06/23/2005 (8:15 am)
Actually were you seeing any other problems other than the fact that the bones weren't there in showtool? I think, at least the 3d studio exporter, is perfectly fine with removing a bone in the middle of the hierarchy (just make sure you don't export that bone to your animations or they won't load). The children will just be automatically transformed by the deleted bones matrix. (I'm not 100% sure though).

In either case, bones without any weights should be no problem. Mount points for example are really just "bones" or nodes in the hierarchy...