IG Neon Lights Product? What am I missing?

atacit_23cd333971

I bought this product and finally got some preciuos off work time to play with it and I am stummped. The letters are set up on a "bone" system and you space them by using x translate for Lo2. Lo3 etc after parenting the letters to each bone but when ever I try the thing and go from scene to parameters I only get x,y,z translate for the first bone which doesn't need to be moved?!!!?!! The Lo2 , Lo3 etc parameters start at "twist" "side to side' ect. the first 3 options x,y, and z are missing?? I have no way to x translate the next letter over. Am I missing a setting or a screen I should have clicked on first? The Tutorial states that we can simply set the X Translate for Lo2 ~Lo18 to a number and whalah but I am definately missing the whalah moment here. Why do the x,y and z translate sliders vanish?

Richard Haseltine

Are there controls on the figure itself, probably under the Pose Controls group?

atacit_23cd333971

Nope Rich, not a one I can find. The letters are built on a "LetterBase" that is indipendent of the figure. Is there a reason that the xy and z menu dissappear on a bone directory in any other case? I mean the menu comes up with "twist" as it's first option. No translate at all. It is probably something simple which makes it twice as frustrating,

atacit_23cd333971

 I finally got the software to work by selecting the letters in the scene tab and not the "bones" since x translate would not appear for the bones in the parameter tab even after being parented but I believe the software is supposed to "stack" the letters width when you set the x translate and I can only get it to work when I do the math and enter 18, 36, 54 etc. Anyway how do I get a clarification on how to do this properly? The manual is shaky to say the least and has need of a good editor. Do they "play test" this stuff before they sell it? This could all have been explained alot easier than discovered. 

I'm a builder by trade, I'd love to build this guy a bathroom. You know one where you have to turn a special nob to get the hot water and hold down a handle to open the toilet.

 

DestinysGarden

There is an editor. I thought the guide was straightforward. No math required. Parent letter 1 to bone 1. Parent letter 2 to bone 2. Bone 1 does not move. Select bone 2 and enter in the X translation value of the width of the letter that is on bone 1 according to the value on the chart. Go to bone 3 and enter in the width of the letter that is on bone 2. Do it once and you have the process.

Did you parent each letter to the corresponding bone of the base figure first? Screen shot of your scene tab?

EDIT:If you need further clarification, you can forum PM InaneGlory and he will walk you through it.

Edit 2: Feel free to send me any clarifications or re-writes you feel could have been made to the user's guide so I can take note for future.

fastbike1

@atacit_23cd333971

Did you read the User's Guide?

DestinysGarden

@atacit, screen shot please when you get a chance. I'm thinking you don't have the proper thing selected. My screenshot is below and if yours looks different we would like to know about it. cheers!

atacit_23cd333971

Well that was a fast response. Ok I will send a quick list of the obvious edits and a screen shot and pm InaneGlory after I shower and get a bit to eat and yes fastbike 1 I read the User's Guide so many times my eyes bled. I posted here as a last resort and I made sure the computer was plugged in first also.

atacit_23cd333971

Here is a screenshot. Note that if you click on a bone no x translate is given only by highlighting a letter do you get the x~translate and you can see the d is at 36. I did get it to work this way and went on to produce a piece. I am sure I am not doing it as intended though. I will send the edit in a PM. Thanks in advance for the help.

DestinysGarden

Right, you have the letter selected and not the bone it is parented to. Select the bone L03 in the scene tab.

atacit_23cd333971

I don't think you are understanding this. Selecting the bone is useless. It has no x translate on it, only the letter does.

DestinysGarden

That is what I would like to see a screen shot of, if you could please. It isn't that I don't believe you, but maybe we can get a clue about why it isn't there, because it should be.

atacit_23cd333971

I gotta run, I sent the file to you maybe InaneGlory could take a look at it. That should be worth a thousand words or two thousand since I speak mostly caveman.

DestinysGarden

Got the file. Thanks. OK, problem confirmed that Base Empty and Wall Base 1 have the X translation slider incorrectly hidden on the bones. All the others function as intended. Workaround until an update can go through is to select the contextual menu (little flag thing) on the Parameters tab and check Show Hidden Properties.

Good troubleshooting atacit. Hey, if you want to come over and redo my bathroom, the garage could use some attention too.

Have a great day.

atacit_23cd333971

I said that in anger and the Karma wheel already crushed me as my wife swore it would. I just got a full bathroom renovation job, I hate bathrooms :(

Well thank you very much for the quick response and help with that. I must say the software is quite amazing, now that I am playing with it. How you folks create this stuff is simply beyound me but bless those with the brains! It makes life fun and sparkly! Long life and much happiness Destiny, InaneGlory as well.

 

ps~That wasn't troubleshooting, I was trouble shot. Its a talent of mine.