How to export Aniblocks from DAZ into Carrara Tutorial
Sci Fi Funk
Posts: 1,198
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLbNkVnrV9g
To export a loop (walk loop for example) from DAZ Studio to Carrara, you'll need to bake to studio keyframes first.
There is a little bug in working with aniblocks, when saving them out. At least in my opinion, I shouldn't have to go via studio keyframes, but you do need to.
This video shows why and the correct way to export Aniblocks from Daz and into Carrara.
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Comments
Not really a bug in the example you've shown. There were no actual changes made to the aniBlock, so it saved it as the same file. You can actually do that all within Carrara:
Import the aniBlock "Forward Walk Cycle 1" and then make it into an NLA clip and loop it.
There are ways to save changes to new aniBlock files. I believe that you would need to add that same aniBlock eight times and then save that as the new aniBlock, should give the result of your demo. But you can add many aniBlocks and blend them together and save as new.
GoFigure's YouTube Channel has many tutorials on the power of aniMate 2. It's an extraordinary plugin. I love it!
Hi Dartan,
I'm not sure we are totally on the same page with this one.
I'll start with a question. Could you explain to me how to loop an NLA clip please?
re: the Bug. I think something is amiss (In DAZ). If it lets me loop a block by extending its end, why wont it output the elongated loop with all it's iterations? Surely as you look at that long piece of blue, right clicking to save as aniblock you would expect all the blue to be exported, not just it's orginal one loop?
The method I suggest at least forces it to output as 8 iterations. However if I can loop in NLA then I'll go with that - it's more efficient.
Incidentally I've been taking time out this week to learn NLA alongside Mimic Pro within Carrara. I think I've come up with a series of little improvements to make a much better lip sync than you get straight out of the box. I'm still testing and perfecting the techniques, but I'll share a tutorial series when I'm done.
Cheers
The looping aniBlock was only dragged out - using the looping setting. I believe (it's been a while) there is a way to actually edit the aniBlock and save it anew. But the aniBlock is still the same in your video - other than that you've looped it. There are methods to change the timing, certain rotations, placements, etc., but even without that, I'm pretty sure that, instead of dragging the aniBlock to loop it, but adding it eight times, one after the other, you can then combine them all into one and save it new.
NLA clips have a loop option. With the clip selected, you should see the check box in the right panel. After placing a check into Loop, you can drag the clip out, just like an aniBlock in aniMate 2. This doesn't work properly on my main characters because I have given them each a custom scale in the motion tab. For some reason, this messes up the NLA data - at least for proper loop alignment. So I have to simply drag in a new clip for each time I need a loop and select "Match Previous Position" for each subsequent clip, and it makes the clips work beautifully for those characters. But for the example in the video, you would just import the original walk cycle, make an NLA Clip, using the hip as the looping placement tracker, and then loop that clip and drag it out. Also, you can resize the clip to change its timing before checking Loop. Clips are really pretty cool. You can also have it follow an arc. I still don't know of all of the many things you can do with clips. One day I'll dig through and find out a lot more. There's a rather huge amount of possibilities within that feature.
Regardless, I should also add that, I think it's really cool that you can just bake a loop to keyframe and then save it as a new aniBlock... very cool. As always, I love your tuts!
The looping aniBlock was only dragged out - using the looping setting. I believe (it’s been a while) there is a way to actually edit the aniBlock and save it anew. But the aniBlock is still the same in your video - other than that you’ve looped it. There are methods to change the timing, certain rotations, placements, etc., but even without that, I’m pretty sure that, instead of dragging the aniBlock to loop it, but adding it eight times, one after the other, you can then combine them all into one and save it new.
you are correct .
Dartan,
Ok thanks for the info. I'm exploring NLA clips right now. (I have to, to survive using mimic pro within Carrara - it's just not good enough using it with it's initial scan of the voice and text).
re: Daz. I can see from a technical point of view why this isn't a bug, however from a user point of view, there should be at least an option to save it out as a multilooped aniblock. For example if I add another aniblock at the end (stop walk for example). I'd want to output the lot as a single piece of animation.
However, lets call it a feature then that you can do this via baking to studio keyframes. Otherwise it will take the original unlooped aniblock (which lets face it could have come from animation data created outside of animate in the first place a bvh file for example).
It's all good. :)
bigh - thanks for confirmation.
I believe that I have done just that. I think that GoFigure (link above) has a video tutorial on how to do it. It's been so long since I've played with aniMate - but soon it will be in full vigor, once again! ;)
I believe that I have done just that. I think that GoFigure (link above) has a video tutorial on how to do it. It's been so long since I've played with aniMate - but soon it will be in full vigor, once again! ;)
of course you can do that !