More than 7 weight maps.....

[pixelperfect]

Hi,

Im trying to export a Shockwave file (.w3d) from Lightwave with bones animation for a major project. Im using just weight maps like the documentation says but the exporter crashes when i export an animation that uses more than 7 weight maps. I tried creating the bones in Layout instead of using Skelegons but the results are the same.

Here are some things i discovered:
1.You can use more than 7 bones but only if you use less than 8 weight maps (i.e you have to use the same weight map more than once..... slightly useless!)
2.Best to have each point assigned to one map only, therefore best to create maps manually (sometimes works with more).
3.Use "weight map only" to get a better idea of the final results.

Heres a very simple scene to highlight the problem. It has 9 bones, 9 weight maps, 10 frames long and with the "use weight map only" option ticked in Lightwave, bones were created inside Layout.

Thanks for any help.
[PS]

[mdoyle]

Hi,

Pixelperfect I am not really sure what you are doing wrong but I have never had any problems exporting more than 7 weight maps with an object. I have attached a file which I created when I was first experimenting with shockwave 3d and character animation,. This one has 20 weightmaps and each bone is assigned to each weight map. You cannot use the same weight map for more than one bone in shockwave, it is useless as you say becuase one of them basically gets cancelled out. You do have to create the weight maps individually because even if u accidently share one point over 2 weight maps it can totally mess up everything. As I said I looked at your test file and it did crash my pc exporter, but to be honest I don't know what you have done. Have a look at my file and see if there is anything different. I will outline how I set up my characters, because you can get some really good results. ( i post up an example if I get permission from the customer)

Everybone needs to have a seperate weight map attached to it, they cannot share at all. You cannot use inverse kinematics.

You can create the bones as skelegons first, but I have witnessed problems with this as I it doesn't update the object properly. When I was doing this character origianlly I was having alot of problems with the chest becuase of modeler and the hub. It took me days to work this out, so I hope this prevents anyone else having these problems. For some reason if you already have layout and modeler open through the hub, and you edit the weight map in modeler then jump back to layout, it doesn't necessarily update in layout (for shockwave) It will animate and look updated but when you export to shockwave it won't. Basically the only real way to know its updated properly is if you have layout closed when you make a change, save it, then open the scene in layou to make sure you ahve the newest version opened. As I said this only happened sometimes and it did create many headaches. I came up with all sorts of reasons at first such as the amount of weightmaps, the naming of the weightmaps etc but in the end, it just doesn't export right becuase you are using the hub to transfer between modeler and layout. Hope that helps someone.

If you ahve problems in getting more than 7 working then message me and I will give you my email address, I will help you as much as I can.

Cheers

Mark

[pixelperfect]

Thanks for the info Mark, I loaded up your scene and it exported without crashing, like you said. So i guess you can have more than 7 weight maps!!. Im now trying to find out what the difference is between your scene and mine. I noticed you have weight normalization off so i tried that and your polys were tripled so i tried that too but with no luck.

Im starting to think it might be the way you made your weight maps. This is how i did mine:

1.Select the points you want to have a weight of 100%.
2.Select W button (Bottom right-Weightmaps) then select new.
3.Type in a name and keep initial value to 100% and ticked.
4.Repeat for all weight maps.
5.Send to layout and assign maps to bones.

Is this how you did yours?

Thanks
[PS]

[mdoyle]

Yup pretty much. SOmetimes I change the value of the weight map but that is only when I realise it is too strong. But thats how I do it

I don't know what you have done to be honest. It definitly has nothing to do with them being tripled. Normalisation is something that you shouldn't use, but sometimes I do. I don't really know what you have done. I even created skelegons for your scene and it still crashed. I never check if all the points were merged or anything, I don't really know what you have done. I would suggest just trying to create it again from scratch and see if the problem re occurs. If it does I will try and recreate what you have done.

I take it you are using lightwave 7.5? If you are using version like 6 with the plugin then there could be problems there, but I am just guessing.

[mdoyle]

Right I checked you file and I did another one. I created one from scratch and had no problems what so ever. I then tried yours but with me creating the skelegons in modeler and it still crashed. I then just used your model and deleted all the weight maps. I then created all the maps again. I started from the left select the first 8 points and called it b1 and then subsequently each set of 4 points till the end. I saved over yours and then loaded up you scene again. It worked!!!! It is something to do with the way the maps have been created but I can't see where you have went wrong. I created the maps by selecting the points, when to the "w" at the bottom right of modeler and choose new map and left the defaults but change the name to b1, b2, b3 etc..... I just save this then opened your scene again. It exported fine. I have attached this modified version and the one Idid from scratch.

As a recomendation though i would say it might be easier to create the bones with skelegons to get them in the right place, (but this is juset merely a preference for me)

Have a look and let me know what you think. If you work it out let me know cos I am stumped,

Cheers

Mark

[pixelperfect]

Oh boy, guess what it was..... I was reinstalling my software and i thought id install the 7.5c patch. After i did the scene still crashed my machine but i deleted the weight maps like you said and made new ones. Now everything works!!!. Weird or what, i was using 7.5 before so i guess there must have been a bug in it to do with making weight maps and exporting to Shockwave.

Anyways thanks for your help, that was really doin my head in.

[PS]

[mdoyle]

That is still weird though. Because that character I sent you was done in 7.5. I suppose it doesn't matter but at least it works now