NeverExport: Issue
by Jake Callery · in Artist Corner · 09/24/2007 (5:38 pm) · 10 replies
Hey all,
I've been trying to export a character from Maya, and I'm not sure on a few things:
1) Do things like Groups, ikHandles, curves, clusters, etc. need to be explicitly told not to export, or will the exporter automatically skip them?
2) My .cfg file looks a bit like this:
Will this work as I think it will? in other words ignore all things that end in _CTRL and anything that has *ikHandle* in it? (as for the ikHandle bit, see question one :)
I have other questions, but I think they will be answered if I get the correct format for my .cfg file.
Currently I'm getting a "Non-triangle mesh not supported" error, even though my meshes are triangulated. I have a feeling this is because that some of my rig controls are polys, and are not triangulated. However they are named in such a way that they all end in _CTRL, but the exporter does not seem to ignore them even if they are in the NeverExport section. So I think I might be formatting my .cfg file incorrectly.
Any thoughts from you guys?
Thanks so much for the help!
I've been trying to export a character from Maya, and I'm not sure on a few things:
1) Do things like Groups, ikHandles, curves, clusters, etc. need to be explicitly told not to export, or will the exporter automatically skip them?
2) My .cfg file looks a bit like this:
NeverExport: *_CTRL *ikHandle* AlwaysExport: Eye Cam root_JNT lStrap1_JNT lStrap2_JNT lStrap3_JNT lStrap4_JNT .....
Will this work as I think it will? in other words ignore all things that end in _CTRL and anything that has *ikHandle* in it? (as for the ikHandle bit, see question one :)
I have other questions, but I think they will be answered if I get the correct format for my .cfg file.
Currently I'm getting a "Non-triangle mesh not supported" error, even though my meshes are triangulated. I have a feeling this is because that some of my rig controls are polys, and are not triangulated. However they are named in such a way that they all end in _CTRL, but the exporter does not seem to ignore them even if they are in the NeverExport section. So I think I might be formatting my .cfg file incorrectly.
Any thoughts from you guys?
Thanks so much for the help!
#2
It does export, however, in showTools, there are no objects, and there are an excess of nodes, such as GROUPS and such. Not to mention that there don't seem to bean any Joint nodes in the scene...
soooo confused :)
Any ideas?
09/24/2007 (6:12 pm)
Just for kicks, I removed the NeverExport section, and triangulated the poly controls that I am using.It does export, however, in showTools, there are no objects, and there are an excess of nodes, such as GROUPS and such. Not to mention that there don't seem to bean any Joint nodes in the scene...
soooo confused :)
Any ideas?
#3
under AlwaysExport:
09/24/2007 (11:26 pm)
All you wish to export are the bones and nodes needed ..the exporter will remove anything thats not flaggedunder AlwaysExport:
#4
I'm going to try re-rigging the character one step at a time and see where it all goes bad.
In the mean time I have another question.
When the exporter exports animations, is there key frame information on each frame?
I'm thinking if I can't get the exporter to work with the rigged character, I will just copy the the animation to the joints of a clean model (with no rig)
If the exporter is already making data for each frame of the animation then the per frame copy to the clean model won't make any additional overhead.
I'm not sure if that makes sense... if it doesn't please let me know and I will try to explain in more detail :)
Thanks again!
09/25/2007 (11:47 am)
Thanks for the info.I'm going to try re-rigging the character one step at a time and see where it all goes bad.
In the mean time I have another question.
When the exporter exports animations, is there key frame information on each frame?
I'm thinking if I can't get the exporter to work with the rigged character, I will just copy the the animation to the joints of a clean model (with no rig)
If the exporter is already making data for each frame of the animation then the per frame copy to the clean model won't make any additional overhead.
I'm not sure if that makes sense... if it doesn't please let me know and I will try to explain in more detail :)
Thanks again!
#5
Thanks!
09/26/2007 (3:58 pm)
Do the mesh objects need to be in the AlwaysExport: section as well? Or just bones and the Cam, Mount, Eye, etc.. nodes?Thanks!
#6
For instance GROUP1 or ikHandle1
It tries to take these and deal with them like meshes, which means its looking for a LOD detail mesh to go with it. This seems to be the hang up.
I went back to a simpler scene and that seems to be what I have come up with.
Hopefully this helps someone else out as well.
09/26/2007 (6:47 pm)
Ok I think I have figured out the issue. It has to do with nodes that end with a number that are not meshes or joints.For instance GROUP1 or ikHandle1
It tries to take these and deal with them like meshes, which means its looking for a LOD detail mesh to go with it. This seems to be the hang up.
I went back to a simpler scene and that seems to be what I have come up with.
Hopefully this helps someone else out as well.
#7
Try putting only your joints in "Start01", have all of your controls parented to the world to keep them separate.
The exporter only exports what is in "Start01", and the only thing that Torque needs to know when animating is how the joints themselves are moving.
Refrain as much as possible from parenting joints to your controls and vice versa. Instead use constraints and IKs. This way it keeps everything nice and clean.
The benefits of doing it this way is that you can be more flexible with your controls by having slightly different rigs set up for the same skeleton. For example you could have an animation driven by expressions with one rig, one IK rig, and one FK. They'll all work in the end as long as what is in Start01 is consistent throughout each rig.
You shouldn't have to put your joints in the Always export section, I never have before. I've always put the Eye and Cam nodes in there but that's only because all the example CFGs I've ever seen have always had them in there.
And it sounds like having geometry for controls might trip it up because it wants to add them as physical shapes. Curves, locators, hey maybe even Nurbs?
09/26/2007 (7:02 pm)
Jake,Try putting only your joints in "Start01", have all of your controls parented to the world to keep them separate.
The exporter only exports what is in "Start01", and the only thing that Torque needs to know when animating is how the joints themselves are moving.
Refrain as much as possible from parenting joints to your controls and vice versa. Instead use constraints and IKs. This way it keeps everything nice and clean.
The benefits of doing it this way is that you can be more flexible with your controls by having slightly different rigs set up for the same skeleton. For example you could have an animation driven by expressions with one rig, one IK rig, and one FK. They'll all work in the end as long as what is in Start01 is consistent throughout each rig.
You shouldn't have to put your joints in the Always export section, I never have before. I've always put the Eye and Cam nodes in there but that's only because all the example CFGs I've ever seen have always had them in there.
And it sounds like having geometry for controls might trip it up because it wants to add them as physical shapes. Curves, locators, hey maybe even Nurbs?
#8
If I have for instance orientConstraint1 in there some place (inside start01, on a skinned mesh) when I export it, and load it into ShowTools, there is no mesh, just joints. However if I rename that constraint to orientConstraintA instead of 1 the mesh shows up.
There was a clue in the dump files. I Rigged a leg, ran the exporter, no mesh. Removed the rig, ran the exporter then there was a mesh. In the dump file for the one with the rigged leg, at the bottom it was talking about Detail Level 0 and 1. Where as the meshes all ended in 0. So I looked for all things that ended in 1 and it turned out to be the constraints and the ikHandles. The ikHandles might be fine with a number at the end, but I didn't try renaming the ikHandles and the Constraints separately. I might do that after work tonight, just to see what happens.
Thanks for the time and effort!
09/27/2007 (4:08 am)
Indeed those are good tips :) My rig is set up much like you say in fact. No direct contact with the joints, and everything other than the constraints are outside of start01.If I have for instance orientConstraint1 in there some place (inside start01, on a skinned mesh) when I export it, and load it into ShowTools, there is no mesh, just joints. However if I rename that constraint to orientConstraintA instead of 1 the mesh shows up.
There was a clue in the dump files. I Rigged a leg, ran the exporter, no mesh. Removed the rig, ran the exporter then there was a mesh. In the dump file for the one with the rigged leg, at the bottom it was talking about Detail Level 0 and 1. Where as the meshes all ended in 0. So I looked for all things that ended in 1 and it turned out to be the constraints and the ikHandles. The ikHandles might be fine with a number at the end, but I didn't try renaming the ikHandles and the Constraints separately. I might do that after work tonight, just to see what happens.
Thanks for the time and effort!
#9
Does your mesh show up in showtool if you adjust the detail level slider?
09/27/2007 (5:07 am)
That is a weird problem. Just asking do you have an actual detail marker for detail 1? Because if you do and the only nodes in Start01 with a 1 after them are IKs or constraints, then in showtool you will see a detail level devoted to only those. Does your mesh show up in showtool if you adjust the detail level slider?
#10
For now it seems that renaming things so they don't end with a number is my temporary solution, at least to get this part of the project done.
09/27/2007 (7:39 am)
No, no detail marker for 1. I haven't tried putting one in manually to see what happens when you adjust the LOD in ShowTools. If I get a chance tonight I will give it a shot and let you know.For now it seems that renaming things so they don't end with a number is my temporary solution, at least to get this part of the project done.
Torque 3D Owner Jake Callery
Are these being removed because I put them in the NeverExport section, or is it because none of those objects are polys? (mostly curves, nurbs, and ikHandles)
Thanks!