Rigging, weight maps and gradients

Hello again

First of all, I have a very bad conscience to ask such things, but ... I just fail to find the appropriate things in tutorials.

More precisely, there are several questions ...

It's about weight mapping, and it's about the gradient tool. I think it's great, but unfortunately it only makes linear gradients. Is there a way to recite nonlinear progressions, according to the motto "From 0-10% linear increase to 100, then everything 100?" Or at least the possibility of laying gradients on top of each other, at the moment it erases a course, if I put another over it.

If that does not work, I would like to leave it as a suggestion for later version of DAZ Studio here.

If we are ever there ... The tiny arrows at the beginning and end of the gradient - do you get the somehow larger displayed?

And finally: Is it normal that when I fill a section with 100%, which I can not reduce the strength with the brush (left click + Alt)?

Thank you in advance!

Comments

  • Hello again

    First of all, I have a very bad conscience to ask such things, but ... I just fail to find the appropriate things in tutorials.

    More precisely, there are several questions ...

    It's about weight mapping, and it's about the gradient tool. I think it's great, but unfortunately it only makes linear gradients. Is there a way to recite nonlinear progressions, according to the motto "From 0-10% linear increase to 100, then everything 100?" Or at least the possibility of laying gradients on top of each other, at the moment it erases a course, if I put another over it.

    Use a multi-handle gradient - with a tree handle gradient you can go from 0 on the first handle to 100% on the second and third.

    If we are ever there ... The tiny arrows at the beginning and end of the gradient - do you get the somehow larger displayed?

    I'm not sure what you mean here.

    And finally: Is it normal that when I fill a section with 100%, which I can not reduce the strength with the brush (left click + Alt)?

    Not if there's a parent bone that could take the weight (remember that weight maps are normalised - the total across all maps (on a given axis for TriAx rigging) must add up to 100%.

    Thank you in advance!

     

  • RAMWolffRAMWolff Posts: 10,142

    I get the tiny arrows thing.  In my old favorite vector program, Xara, when you create a gradient there is a way to add and removed and actually MOVE the gradient influence using the little dot or arrow to move it up or down.  That would be a great addition to more control making weight maps!  

  • Syrus_DanteSyrus_Dante Posts: 983

    I found the weigth map gradient tools not that useful. If I want to make a weigth map gradient I select the polygons of the geometry first in the Geometry Editor. Then I switch to the Node Weight Map tool, right-click viewport Weight Editing>Fill Selected, next I press Ctrl+NumpadPlus a few times to expand the geometry selection and finaly right-click viewport Weight Editing>Smooth Selected. With this you get a dialog to define the map smoothing iterations and strength. The weigth map smoothing will be restricted to the geometry selection and the weigth maps of the figure nodes/bones you had selected in the Scene pane at the time. Keep in mind the gradient should be placed at the joint of two nodes/bones otherwise you get unwanted deformations with posing.

  • Syrus_DanteSyrus_Dante Posts: 983

    And finally: Is it normal that when I fill a section with 100%, which I can not reduce the strength with the brush (left click + Alt)?

    Make shure the Respect Selection is unchecked in the Tool Settings pane to paint everywhere on the figure. If checked you need to have some Geometry Selection to restrict the area you can paint on. It makes sense to first select the associated Face Group geometry of the bone you are creating the weight map for to prevent you from accidentally painting on other bodyparts.

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