Votes
0
Product:
Character Creator 4
Version:
4.02
Status:
Assigned
Issue 8776
Urgent!! HIK Characters not correctly being converted - duplicate joint issue confusing CC4?
I've cycled through the list of bones to identify influences and also selected verts on body parts such as the foot to know why the verts are being stretched over to the opposite side as if the Characterization ignores the toe weight paint - Also why in bone edit mode the breast bones are symmetric but in animation and weight paint mode the left breast bone is flipped, what's going on here?? The eyes also seem to be offset (looking at J key view)

It definitely seems to be an issue in the conversion process when imported, Importing a custom Character with duplicated parts for HIK mode maybe creating mesh & weight painting artifacts - again like CC3 did at one point.

The conversion of Characters CC3 to CC3+ used to have a problem in the toes creating the same kind of distortion (I've submitted the issue showing my grizzly bear in the past) - my new CC4 Character is also using CC3 bones, 3sets of CC arms and many hands have been duplicated and are numbered correctly.

Also Once imported the materials are duplicated for as many times there are meshes. For example, if I use 3 meshes, and only 1 material on each mesh, the material list will show 6 materials, if each mesh had two materials, the material list would show 12 materials. The top first set of materials in the list are the original, the rest have no function.

Also because my character is symmetric I am surprised the mesh editor doesn't give me the option to mirror it - I also have the same material/UV layout as a CC3 character. -everything is using symmetry.

I rigged the Character in akeytsu you can test and compare, the program is free, download & use the EDU license, upload blank jpg https://www.nukeygara.com/

1.When you open my akeytsu project, to be able to see/verify the weights and move bones, click on "Paint and check" in the Char Bank window.
2. you can now click on any bone and manipulate it. For example hold "alt" to select multiple parts, try the eyes, hold alt and click on each eye, then click on the circular control gizmo that has red, blue and green.. if you middle mouse click and drag while using the rotate button you will see you can control the eye movement in all directions, click on a single color to move the eyes in a single direction. Press x to reset position. Next try selecting a part that I've shown you looks distorted such as the big toe R (it's the last set of tentacles at the tip. Although I've provided the exported character in FBX, if you want to be absolutely sure you can Select the hierarchy in the Tree window and Export the Character yourself to test.

---------------------------------------------------------------You will see that the weight is painted properly in akeytsu but in CC4 it's distorted and it looks like weight painting wont fix it..

The Chest area also becomes distorted in CC4. Also I have the weights painted properly in the throat and the digestive area as seen in akeytsu but if I make the head tilt back in CC4, the throat area clips through.
OS: Windows 10
Attachment:
  • weight paint mode flipped bone-bad.jpg
  • Adjust bone normal.jpg
  •  24
  •  1740
Submitted byAscensi
COMMENTS (24)
Ascensi
I think I'm onto something, the calibration animations create the breast deformity/flipped left breast bone but when I used the free aerobic dance animation, there is no distortion. So maybe CC4 after setting up characterization isn't recognizing the correct/compatible armature?  I assumed that the calibration files work with any character after it's retargeted. 

Maybe the fully body calibration animation is corrupted???
Ascensi
Since automatic mirror joints as I move them didn't work, I tried manual mirroring the character's upper arm right side using the mirror to the other side button and it caused skin weight stretch/warping on the upper arm left side.  At least the manual mode almost got the symmetry correct, the automatic setting made arms fly in opposite directions.
Attachment:
  • manual mirror bones cause skin weight stretch.jpg
Ascensi
Another error of bone issues; It would be good if you can test symmetry in Edit Motion layer on the front arms. In the beginning mirror works as expected then suddenly flips. -symmetry doesn't work with the legs either.

If you try to animate in akeytsu with symmetry, manually selecting both joints (on the control dial, of the three control colors set to rotate, blue rotates in z doing an arm roll & green rotates the arms back or forward.
Ascensi
In iC8 I had a look at the list of many, many repeated materials and discovered that the materials for the character's extra mesh parts like eyes, teeth, tearline etc are there, but we should have the option in CC4 to make the parts submesh-can be disabled completely. I think Reallusion team has already hinted that Clothing for HIK will be available with the ability to transfer skin weights so that might be the fix for this particular issue except for the duplicated null materials being displayed.
Ascensi
Another problem, sending this to iClone merges all the models into one, I can't access any of the additional meshes to modify the textures, teeth, eye occluder & Tearline.  There should be a way to convert or identify these skinned meshes as a subitem as they are separated in CC4.  Also you will notice that once in iClone it repeats the same materials.