CGTalk - Creature Library

Gabester

11-11-2005, 02:34 AM

Hi All,

I've been searching around for a relatively good example to how people would go about creating creature libraries. There are a few examples floating around but no definitively working solution.

The issue at the moment is: would you reference each file in from another file? Or would you reference one, and duplicate it in the scene many times, or would you import each file seperately.

Duplicating seems to have it's problems because when you group a bunch of objects together like for example: A locator (with all the mesh information for exporting), A mesh (which is the objects being deformed), and the root of a skeleton system(which is the skeleton for deforming the mesh), and then move the group node, all the other objects move extra distances. It's like the transform for the node gets multiplied for each object under the transform.

I was just wondering how others went about creating this type of thing.

Any piece of info would be a great help.

swardson

11-11-2005, 07:34 PM

if you are truling wanting a good creature library then referencing is the way to go. And any time you want to have another character like that you need to bring another one in.

The reason the duplicating doesnt work right when you try and translate it is exacly like you said, you are getting double transforms. Whats happening is when you translate the locator it translates the joints and the skin, but your joints are also translating the skin because the deform the skin. Hence you get 2 translations on the skin. The structure you want for things like this is:

non-translate-group
- translateGroup
-joints
-skin

then just translate the translateGroup

hope this helps,

-Brad

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