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Truebones => Character Studio biped: weirdly angled hands

Discussion in 'Formats & External Tools' started by mklaurence, Mar 20, 2009.

  1. mklaurence

    mklaurence

    Joined:
    Dec 26, 2008
    Posts:
    104
    Wondering if anyone has come across this issue, or knows of a fix:

    I purchased some animations from truebones.com and they look great in bvhacker. And when I follow the instructions from this post: http://www.terathon.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=3206, I can successfully apply the animation to a character studio biped in 3D Studio Max.

    *However*, the angles of the character's hands are all funky. They more or less bend at a 90 degree angle and stay that way for most of the animation, instead of flowing around naturally like they do in bvhacker (or even a Blender import, for that matter). I've tried setting the hand orientation in the import parameters to both "angle" and "auto", but both produce the same results.

    Anyone have any suggestions?

    Thanks!
     
  2. holmeren

    holmeren

    Joined:
    Dec 12, 2006
    Posts:
    300
    Hey
    Try and apply a helper as parentRoot.
    Before you link your biped to the new Parent remember to set the Parent pivots to 90,0,0.

    ;)
     
  3. mklaurence

    mklaurence

    Joined:
    Dec 26, 2008
    Posts:
    104
    Cool! It turns out I didn't need a helper per se, but your pivot suggestion led me to the right place (as you can probably guess, I'm pretty new to the whole biped thing.)

    For posterity (and fellow noobish Truebones-ers), here is exactly what I did:

    1. Create menu => Systems => Biped
    2. Select the right hand bone on the biped
    3. Go to the "Hierarchy" tab (looks like a little binary tree with boxes)
    4. Make sure the "Pivot" button is selected
    5. Click on the "Affect Pivot Only" button. You should see colored arrows shooting out of the hand bone.
    6. Drag the Y axis (green circle) to -90 degrees.
    7. Repeat with the left hand, but drag to +90 degrees.

    Then your truebones should be more, um, true to the original. HA!

    Thanks again, holmeren! I'm that much closer to finally releasing my first iPhone game now :)
     
  4. holmeren

    holmeren

    Joined:
    Dec 12, 2006
    Posts:
    300
    Hey
    Nice hack hehehe...
    I dont know TrueBones , but it sounds strange, (strange built from their side) that this hack is needed only on the hands...... But the heck it works hehehe

    ;)
     
  5. Truebones

    Truebones

    Joined:
    Jun 26, 2006
    Posts:
    34
    Hi There,

    Thanks for the tips on how to correct the hand rotations in MAX.

    TrueBones has been updated too.

    http://www.truebones.com/new

    cant wait to see your game.

    Cheers
     
    Last edited: Aug 9, 2011
  6. mklaurence

    mklaurence

    Joined:
    Dec 26, 2008
    Posts:
    104
    So... as it turns out, the process I discovered earlier doesn't necessarily work if you already have a mesh. The reason for this, as far as I can tell, is that importing BVHs in 3DS Max will scale your biped to the BVH scale. This can wreak havoc with the skinning of the mesh and cause other scaling issues.

    The solution is to import the BVH, then *export* it as a BIP, which is 3DS Max's native biped motion format. Then you can reset reimport the BIP onto your biped, and it will scale properly.

    However, you will still encounter the weirdly angled hands issue if you use the truebones motion files. After posting on Autodesk's forums, I found that the best way to deal with that is to create an animation layer, rotate the hands there, and then collapse the layer. If anyone is interested, I came up with a MAXScript to deal with that automatically:

    Code (csharp):
    1.  
    2. -- Enable auto-key
    3. set animate on
    4.  
    5. -- Select biped and create a new animation layer
    6. select $'Bip01'
    7. actionMan.executeAction 972555510 "40171"  -- Biped: Layer - Create
    8.  
    9. -- Rotate hands out 90 degrees in the new animation layer
    10. rHand = getNodeByName "Bip01 R Hand"
    11. lHand = getNodeByName "Bip01 L Hand"
    12. rotate rHand (angleaxis 90.0 [0,1,0])
    13. rotate lHand (angleaxis -90.0 [0,1,0])
    14.  
    15. -- Collapse the animation layer, and we're ready for export!
    16. actionMan.executeAction 972555510 "40174"  -- Biped: Layer - Collapse
    17.  
    Hopefully that helps someone!
     
  7. mklaurence

    mklaurence

    Joined:
    Dec 26, 2008
    Posts:
    104
    Note: 3DS Max also has a batch export feature (in the motion capture section, it's the icon with two little right-facing arrows), so you can convert a large quantity of BVHs to BIPs in one fell swoop. Now I just need to figure out a way to then apply the hand-correcting script and export to FBX automatically... :)
     
  8. Truebones

    Truebones

    Joined:
    Jun 26, 2006
    Posts:
    34
    Hi Mike,

    Perhaps the answer is in th end sites.erm or in the lack of them.

    Or perhaps you are using the old TrueBones,

    The new truebones were redone and part of that was removing the first frame.

    Another option is to do a search and replace batch on the text file .bvh just changing the rotation offset number.

    Let me know when you ordered TrueBones and I will see If I can get yours upgraded to the new ones.
     
  9. Truebones

    Truebones

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    Jun 26, 2006
    Posts:
    34
  10. Malacoda

    Malacoda

    Joined:
    Jul 15, 2009
    Posts:
    5
    I just picked up the Game Pack and it still has the right-angle hands issue in 3ds 10.

    They look great otherwise tho.

    Any desire to clean these up for me so I don't have to manually import, fix them, and then export them to .bip?
     
  11. Truebones

    Truebones

    Joined:
    Jun 26, 2006
    Posts:
    34
    You should only have to fix the hand angle once.

    Is that not the case?
     
  12. Malacoda

    Malacoda

    Joined:
    Jul 15, 2009
    Posts:
    5
    Yep. The scripts and notes above did it. So did me picking up your new complete collection. :)

    Plug plug: great support and whatnot, buy his stuff so he stays in business peeps!
     
  13. Truebones

    Truebones

    Joined:
    Jun 26, 2006
    Posts:
    34
    Its been a while since an update.

    However, theres some new stuff at http://www.truebones.com/new

    How is your iphone apps doing?

    I am anxious to see some truebones on an Iphone.

    Cheers :D
     
    Last edited: Aug 9, 2011
  14. Truebones

    Truebones

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    Jun 26, 2006
    Posts:
    34

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Aug 9, 2011
  15. guillermo

    guillermo

    Joined:
    Oct 26, 2010
    Posts:
    1
    Hi I have the problem of the angle of the hands and I do not get what you have put more up, well if it works but frame by frame. not if the problem will be to translate to Spanish or post, but the question that can not get my hands fit. Could you please help me and put an explanation for dummies to see if I get well.
    thanks
     
  16. Truebones

    Truebones

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    Jun 26, 2006
    Posts:
    34
    Last edited: Aug 9, 2011
  17. sw00000p

    sw00000p

    Joined:
    Nov 27, 2010
    Posts:
    6
    December 14, 2010
    Hello,

    I'm an iClone and 3ds Max user. I just purchased the T.O.M.B. entire collection. ($199.00 US)

    INSTANT DOWNLOAD: BOLONGA! email sent stating, "WAIT 8 HOURS"

    Links finally sent had no:
    NO - Mmm Marker for 3ds Max
    NO - VNS Conversion Profile

    HANDS BENT WEIRD - NOTHING UPDATED (3ds Max)

    iClone character loaded in the center of World (0,0,0)
    import Truebones VNS motion
    Result: Character Performs motion... WAAAY UP IN THE AIR!

    I immediately write back for help and was told..."I don't use or have iClone, as for 3ds Max... Go to the Unity Forum and get the Trubones Maxscript. No link provided. No Help provided. and NO UPDATE!

    I'm going to inform my fellow iCloners on the iClone forum. False Advertisement At It's Best!

    NOW HERE'S YOUR LATEST TRUEBONES UPDATE! PEEPS!


    sw00000p
     
    Last edited: Dec 14, 2010
  18. Mitchell

    Mitchell

    Joined:
    Jan 9, 2011
    Posts:
    2


    hello forum , im new nice to meet you all, i just get my files from truebones and i have the same problems like other with the (rotated hands) i did all steps what mklaurence say and nothing , after i export bip file with 3dmax biped and load them into the my 3d chat biped nothing happens ... hands still rotated on all frames :S so im stuck and need help anybody knows aboutthis inssues
     
  19. Mitchell

    Mitchell

    Joined:
    Jan 9, 2011
    Posts:
    2
    Hello,aggain i check all things and i think the problem is that the rig where i import the bvh files have 3 bones from elbow ,forearm,hand
    you can see it on the image, thats why when i import the bvh files into that rig the hands dont move becouse BVH file think that Forearm is hand ??? can that be ? how i can fix this ? i work on 3dmax




    ps. the forearm never move on this rig biped
     
    Last edited: Jan 10, 2011
  20. TrickyFishy

    TrickyFishy

    Joined:
    Aug 27, 2009
    Posts:
    39
    MrBones - I ordered the MonsterBones MegaMotion Pack. I wonder if I can get mine updated to the new ones as well?
     
    Last edited: Jan 11, 2011
  21. MasterchiefJB

    MasterchiefJB

    Joined:
    Feb 6, 2011
    Posts:
    4
    Thanks for the your solution mklaurence!
    I just updated your script as an mcr to add it to a toolbar.

    Please note that this script was edited with Max 2010 so the biped selection differs from previous versions of 3ds max.




    Code (csharp):
    1. macroScript TrueBones
    2. enabledIn:#("max", "viz") --pfb: 2003.12.11 added product switch
    3. ButtonText:"Fix Truebones"
    4. category:"Animation Tools"
    5. internalCategory: "Animation Tools"
    6. toolTip:"Fix Truebones - Rotated Hands "
    7. (
    8. -- Enable auto-key
    9. set animate on
    10.  
    11. -- Select biped and create a new animation layer
    12. select $'Bip001'
    13. actionMan.executeAction 972555510 "40171"  -- Biped: Layer - Create
    14.  
    15. -- Rotate hands out 90 degrees in the new animation layer
    16. rHand = getNodeByName "Bip001 R Hand"
    17. lHand = getNodeByName "Bip001 L Hand"
    18. rotate rHand (angleaxis 90.0 [0,1,0])
    19. rotate lHand (angleaxis -90.0 [0,1,0])
    20.  
    21. -- Collapse the animation layer, and we're ready for export!
    22. actionMan.executeAction 972555510 "40174"  -- Biped: Layer - Collapse
    23. )
    You need to run this script once before you can add it to a toolbar!

    Cheers!
     
    Last edited: Feb 6, 2011
  22. Jaimi

    Jaimi

    Joined:
    Jan 10, 2009
    Posts:
    6,195
    I'm trying to run this script, and I've adjusted the biped names, but only the *left* hand rotates. Everything is named correctly, and I get no errors, but the right hand does nothing.

    Does anyone know what might be wrong? My right hand was holding a gun "dummy object", but I deleted that. I can manually update the right hand, but I dread doing this for every frame of the 80 animations I need. :(


    Update:

    The issue is because the right hand only is retargetted on my bipeds. If this happens to you, o the following on the base layer before creating a new layer (clipped from this post


    In the “Key Info” panel, expand the IK set, and then click on the “Select IK Object” arrow icon, just like you would if you wanted to retarget the hand to another object. Then just click on an empty area of the viewport. This removes the offending IK target and allows keys to be set in Layers.
     
    Last edited: Dec 4, 2011