Lightwave Skeleton File for Motion Builder Users

#1

Lightwave, Motion Builder Users!

Here is a Lightwave Skeleton (Skelegons) object and a Lightwave scene file for use in creating a Motion Builder compatible biped rig. All of the bones have the correct naming for use in characterization.

Have fun!

5/30/03, There was an error on the left thumb bone numerical naming. It should be LeftThumb1, LeftThumb2, LeftThumb3.

6/5/03, TyVole found an error with the thumb setup. Thanks!
Rev C adds a third thumb bone by splitting the Thumb Parent Bone. This error had no effect on characterization, but is more accurate to the MB Skeleton.

6/6/03, Thanks to Ub52 one more bug was solved with this rig. This problem has to do with Recording Pivot Rotations in Lightwave before you export the rig to an FBX file. i.e. Doing this will not bring in the translation data for the hips bone. This is the root bone that holds all of the motion in the XYZ direction for the rig.

6/7/03

Just a little more refinement in the Skelegon object. Symmety should work now and I update the hierachy in the scene file that works good with Motion Builders Characterization (Kurt30’s idea). Also every bone in the skeleton can have it’s rotation zeroed EXCEPT THE HIPS BONE.

Thanks for all of the collaberation on improving this rig. I think we have a winner now.

Version 2.3

Policarpo
TyVole
Ub52
Kurt30
TripleG

#2

Thanks Dave

#3

yep, thx saw it at 3dbuzz.

#4

:thumbsup:

#5

Thanks 3DDave.

#6

Thanks :applause:

Sil3

#7

Your welcome, glad to see people making use of it.

Don’t forget you can add other bones to it and to motion builder as long as you don’t break the hiearchy that MB uses for characterization. Also you can add bones to secondary objects on another layer as well. Works great!!

#8

WOO HOO!

extra bones grounded to T & R roots work great!

I’ll post a walking HELLBOY soon!!!:buttrock:

#9

Originally posted by policarpo
[B]WOO HOO!

extra bones grounded to T & R roots work great!

I’ll post a walking HELLBOY soon!!!:buttrock: [/B]

I’m looking forward to it.

#10

Originally posted by 3DDave
[B]Lightwave, Motion Builder Users!

5/30/03, There was an error on the left thumb bone numerical naming. It should be LeftThumb1, LeftThumb2, LeftThumb3.

This B rev has that correction. [/B]

Yap i noticed that one but easily fixed even in MB :slight_smile: Still i´m having troubles, i adjusted the skeleton.lwo in Modeler to conform an old UT player Character (that i plan to export to UT2003), as soon as i hit Characterize i get an error message that the model needs to be facing the - Z, ok no problemo, switch over to Modeler, rotate the model with the skelegon, go to Layout export a new scene, go to MB hit Characterize again and the knees get bended backwards :hmm:

Dont know what is wrong, tryed it several times, i even exported to MB only the LWS file included in the zip and it works fine, dont know why “MY” scene get the knees backwards :shrug:

Any thoughts?

Thanks

Sil3

#11

Ignore that message, it’s just a warrning and does not indicate that your model is facing the wrong direction.

With the current version of the Lightwave FBX plugin, model and rig in the NEGATIVE Z direction. When you import into Motion Builder your model and rig will face the POSITIVE Z direction.

Strange, but true.

#12

I got it working :bounce:

Made some modifications to the model pose, joined the character´s legs more, adjusted the skelegons and bingo, it works perfectly :applause:

Thanks

#13

motionbuilder sounds like a great program for character animation. can i ask 2 questions?

  1. how does mb compare to messiah.

  2. can you make a character pick up an object and later drop it (dynamic parenting)

#14

yeah but the process is a bit different.

heres a llink that explains it. its pretty quick.

#15

Originally posted by thiaml
[B]motionbuilder sounds like a great program for character animation. can i ask 2 questions?

  1. how does mb compare to messiah.

  2. can you make a character pick up an object and later drop it (dynamic parenting) [/B]

  1. There are many Messiah vs Motion Builder posts, just do a search.

  2. YES

#16

I final got my SN:/ from Kaydara 2 days ago dying to get started with MB. Now 2 days later I have still not been able to characterize my model.

Massaged: “Some base links are missing”.

Then I tried to open GREMLIN or ARAGOR (fully functional) - removing Character and un checking Characterizes just to Characterize back again. But no, same message: “Some base links are missing”.

Thank God I can stop renaming over and over again in Modeler, because I thought that was the problem.

Why is that - please help me, pleeeees

I use Lightwave 7.5 and everything seems to work fine when exporting.

#17

The Skelegon rig isnt capable of using symmetry! did you guys adjust the arms n legs individually? i have had this issue many times befroe and the only way i get round it is to mirror one side so they match the coords exactly on the oppposite side…

or is this just me thats having this problem?

#18

Originally posted by chr1sc0le
The Skelegon rig isnt capable of using symmetry!

Symmetry should work now with Rev E.

#19

Oh! hehe theres me mirroring and renaming in the skelegon tree the whole right set of bones again… oh well it works fine now…

great rig! best yet… especially around the shoulder area.

#20

The rig has been updated to Version D.