How to use Bones to spline?

[bobzilla]

Idea-Graphics (the Bonderland folks) have a free plugin called Splones. Goes bones to spline and vice versa. Pretty straightforward.

[danb]

Thanks Bobzilla, but i don't think it works with 8.5. Splone expression is not showing under; plugins, expressions, or tags.

:cry:

[LucentDreams]

bones to spline is very different in what it does then splones, splones has one bone between each set of points, meaning a spline with two points only has one bvone, not very useful, bones to spline allows me to have say 28 bones between two points on a spline, following the curve of the spline like the vertabrae in a spinal column, then you simply adjust the spline to control the bones, prestty sweet if you ask me, challenge lies more in controlling the tangents of the spline in animatino tohught expresso can be handy for that. :)

sample file here (http://cgi.third-era.com/~kaiskai/misc/splineIK.zip) I should mention that this also includes a tweaked setup of nams Flexcam expression, if you need more functionality in a camera, then also check out PA's gaffer plugin.

[bobzilla]

Looks pretty interesting. How do you set keys on it? I can't seem to get that to work.

[LucentDreams]

well PLA for animating the spline points themselves, but to control the tangents you will have to use expresso and set up like a null that the tangent clings onto and then move the tangent. There is a slight design issue with the simpicity of this expression compared to say mayas spline IK where the bones will flipp arount when tangets flip, but a way to fix that is to use upvectors, I tried using two with an expression to get the bones to sort ofe interpolate between one upcector and the other allowing for a twisting that comes natually in maya's.

[bobzilla]

Thanks, Kai. I'll give it a whirl.

[danb]

Wow this is exactly what i was hoping for. Thanks Kaiskai. I finally figured out how to use it. I didn't realize that i was supposed to fill in the count and name at the beginning of the expression.:blush:

Anyways I can see that animation for this is now going to be my new problem. I have no idea how to attach the bezier handles to a null for animating.

If anyone has an example file or quick "how to" that would be great. :thumbsup:

I am off to try to figure this out. Thanks again you two.

[LucentDreams]

I might have to dissect (sp?) a rig to get one thats already setup, but I have a few different versions, the easiest one to use, uses a coffee node that mdme sadie wrote to help me out, not ideal for somone who can't write coffee nodes themselves, but since its already made you just reuse it., its not the best solution I"ve found, but its a little faster performing and easiest to setup. Give me a few hours if thats okay I'll try and take some time tonight, I'm in desperate need os some sleep at the moent I think a nap is due

[danb]

Kaiskai what do you need sleep for? .:rolleyes:

Just kidding man. Get all the rest you need. I'm in no rush for this. I'm just glad someone is there to help out with this setup:D Take care.

[LucentDreams]

Ha I burned out yesterday, though all the sleep I got after that wouldhave cuaght me up but I'm still tiring very quickly now it seems, anyways, here is the file, sorry for the messy file but This was planned for that rigging CD so I simply tool all the other controllers and expresso tags and hit delete, makes a horrible mess doesn't it, but I realised is that you needed the entire skeleton instead of just the spine because you need to see how the skeleton heirarchy needs to work, spline IK keeps affecthing the heirarchychain even after ther number of bones indicated, this seemd to make it utterly useless to me at first, then I realised a second child under neath a child that the expression continued into wouldn't be affected, so thats why there is a null called splineIK<stop> as its where the expression will end basically and anything underthat (on the same level not child to it) it will act properly again, like the neck and collar, to see what I mean simply place the L_collar above the splineIK<stop> and you'll see all hell break loose

The File Oh yes the the file, the o so wonderful yet messy file that is... the file (http://cgi.third-era.com/~kaiskai/misc/splineexample.zip)

[danb]

Excellent thanks for the file.:thumbsup: I can see that now i am going to be losing some sleep on trying to figure how you come up with these things.

The rig in the file is very close to what i am trying to achieve. i really like the head and legs how they keep position when rotating the root controller.

Before i start with a million questions GO TO BED KAISKAI.:D

Thanks again.

[danb]

:cry: :cry: Help i can't use the bones to spline expression in a new document.:cry: :cry:

I have tried to setup my own scene to use the bones to spline expression. I converted an edge selection to spline and set spline setting to bezier/adaptive. I then draw out 4 bones and assign a c.o.f.f.e.e expression to the root bone. In the expression window i load the bones to spline text, click compile and execute. My bones magically disappear.

Now the wierd part. When i use Kaiskai's file and reset bones, then go through all the steps to setup and execute the expression again everything is fine. Note that even when i put in 8 bones instead of the 20 that Kaiskai has everything still works.

I just tried another scenario while i was typing this. I used just a regular b-spline that i had drawn out, not edge selection->spline. I then run the script and everything works.

Would anyone know why using an edge converted spline would cause this to not work? Maybe i am missing a step somewhere.

[LucentDreams]

send me a new file with the expression and the bones you've made and I'll see if theres something your missing.

I'll be home in a few hours to look at it

[Siddhy]

i just wanted to have a look at the ... file of the files a few posts above :)
but it seems like he is already gone to file heaven :( any chance? :)

and by the way: are you guys speaking of splones or the bone tools from fabian? or something completely different?

//siddhy

[danb]

here's the step by step of the attatched simple scene.

1. make sphere primitive
2. make editable
3. selected edges
4.edge selection to spline
5. set spline properties-> b-spline, adaptive
6. draw out bones (control click)
7. select root bone apply coffee expression
8. load bones to spline expression
9. set opt cnt and taget spline
10. compile and execute
11. bones are now gone.:scream:

this was just a very quick attempt to get this to work with edge selection. no fancy meshes or bone setups. as you will see. :hmm:

[LucentDreams]

sorry obut that sid, not sure why the files seems to no longer be on my FTP I"ll upload it as soon as I get home

[LucentDreams]

Originally posted by Kaiskai
sorry obut that sid, not sure why the files seems to no longer be on my FTP I"ll upload it as soon as I get home

I think the link is fixed ry it agan it should work now)

[Siddhy]

thank you kai, it worked. i'll have a look :)

[flyingP]

This is one "damn cool" little set up. :bounce:

[Stray]

I was screwing around with an Fk spine simulation. No banking but iot isd based on NAAM's script. It should conme in handy for those folks that don't have MOCCA..

Enjoy
-Stray

[danb]

Wow i love getting free stuff on this board. The files are always so helpful. Although the archive seems to be damaged. At least on my computer it was after a few download attempts.:shrug:

[LucentDreams]

yeah the ideal setup is one that uses both spline IK and FK, because while its really handy to eb able to control the hips and shoulders seperate, simetimes it doesnt make sense to and actually makes it harder. Pretty nice setup Stray

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