SOLVED - Unable to "Rig or Re-Target Skeleton"

duckbomb

Hello!  I posted this on the Github page, as well, but I thought I would post it here because it seems like I can't be the only one with this issue.  I fully wiped and re-installed my machine, and I'm still seeing it, so I've concluded that it's more to do with the files or the plug-in than me fat-fingering something.

I'm able to import a G8 character into Maya, but when I attempt to rig the skeleton (so that I can animate it and bring it back to DAZ) it always fails at the same point.  Here is my output, anybody see this?:

 

DazToMaya Complete!
import maya.mel as mel
mel.eval('DAZTools')
// Warning: ...    string $jnts[] = {$topJoint, "hip", "pelvis", "lThighBend", "lThighTwist", "lShin", "lFoot", "lMetatarsals", "lToe", "lSmallTo //
// Warning: "C:/Users/kylej/Documents/maya/modules/DazToMaya/scripts/DAZTools.mel" line 1789.2266 : Redeclaration of variable "$jnts" shadows previous declaration at line 1747. Previous value will be overwritten by explicit initializer. //
---- Running DAZ Rigger v1.02 ----
// Warning: file: C:/Users/kylej/Documents/maya/modules/DazToMaya/scripts/DAZTools.mel line 491: New name contains invalid characters. Illegal characters were converted to "_". //
---- Geometries grouped ----
// Error: file: C:/Users/kylej/Documents/maya/modules/DazToMaya/scripts/DAZTools.mel line 1694: Connection not made: 'hip_scaleConstraint1.constraintScaleX' -> 'hip.scaleX'.  Destination attribute must be writable. //
// Error: file: C:/Users/kylej/Documents/maya/modules/DazToMaya/scripts/DAZTools.mel line 1694: Could not add constraint or connections. //

duckbomb

Has nobody else had this error, or is it just that there aren't many people trying to re-target the skeleton?  I wanted to post some updated info...

I've tried wiping my entire machine and installing everything from scratch, same exact error.  I've also tried placing my Maya plugin files in the Program Files > Autodesk > Maya 2022 directory and it made no difference.  I've tried exporting out with 0 - 2 subdivision, and with morphs vs no morphs.  I can't figure out what I need to do to make this work, but the error is super consistant every time.

autodolor

You need set the source in None, no Control Rig. Then, apply.

duckbomb

autodolor said:

You need set the source in None, no Control Rig. Then, apply.

I'm sorry, I don't exactly understand what you mean.  Where do I find "none"?

 

Also, because I didn't want to hijack the other thread because that guy's still trying to get Maya to find his files...  You think exporting my DAZ character to Motionbuilder and back to DAZ with animation is better than using Maya?  I just picked Maya because I had (limited) experience with it, but it isn't cheap, so if Motionbuilder is better perhaps I'll give that a shot.

 

Thank you very much for your response!  I know there seem to be very few of us using this at the moment, so I'm hoping that I can learn a bit more and be helpful to others in the future like you are doing here for me lol.

autodolor

duckbomb

OH MY GOODNESS THAT WAS IT!  Thank you so much!  I really appreciate the help.  I'll update my question on the GitHub in case anybody else is struggling with that.

autodolor

The "DazToMaya" plugin is quite clunky. Use HIK, and rename the bones to the Human IK model: This may work if you exit Daz Studio, but I prefer MotionBuilder, before "swallowing porridge ..." I think you understand me. I'd rather do my Skeleton Definition in MOBU than through this ... thing ... in Maya.
The plugin / bridges (ALL) are not documented.
You can't rig on another rig: Use logic. You cannot put a stone within a stone ...

Sorry for the delay in responses, but I think we live in very different time zones. ... I´m from Spain...

 

duckbomb

Don't apologize for any delay in responses... It's true, our timezones are very different.  I'm in NA, but I'm quite familiar with interacting with people across the water because I work for a very large German company and have shifted my work schedule to be more in-line with their day lol.

THis is very interesting, I hadn't realized how clunky this current Daz to Maya implementation was.  I'll download the 30 day MOBU trial and see what I think.  Can you move animation back from MOBU to DAZ?

THanks for the suggestion, I'm excited to try it out!

autodolor

Thanks for your answer. The truth is that MOBU allows you to generate an fbx (under menu, python tools, export fbx and try 2013 or 2014 ...), and select all the root model, not only the bones..), or a bvh (export motion data in File menu..., and select the Hip and the others bones in  Select branches). You have to have a correctly "characterized" model, that's why I told you about "send to Mobu ...", and save the profile for the bones. In that, Mobu is strict: You have to have everything in T-pose, not A, as used in Genesis 8. Then, bake the animation from another character (Of course, characterized !!!), and swap Genesis over the "source" which has to be "the other". You will see that it is some time, but excellent results.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to tell me.

duckbomb

autodolor said:

Thanks for your answer. The truth is that MOBU allows you to generate an fbx (under menu, python tools, export fbx and try 2013 or 2014 ...), and select all the root model, not only the bones..), or a bvh (export motion data in File menu..., and select the Hip and the others bones in  Select branches). You have to have a correctly "characterized" model, that's why I told you about "send to Mobu ...", and save the profile for the bones. In that, Mobu is strict: You have to have everything in T-pose, not A, as used in Genesis 8. Then, bake the animation from another character (Of course, characterized !!!), and swap Genesis over the "source" which has to be "the other". You will see that it is some time, but excellent results.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to tell me.

Thank you for the tips!  I'll be trying it out tomorrow :)

tomford

Hello All, 

I'm also having this error. 

I also find it a bit odd that in this offical example that I am following to the T, the character is not selected to "none". It's left as "Control Rig" when he runs the Rig or Retarget skeleton function. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2OzpcZTgqU

Either way, when I try to export an animation created in Maya to Daz, no Rig is selectable, therefore no animation is exported. 

This is with version 1.8.0 of the Daz to Maya bridge and Maya 2020. 

---- Geometries grouped ----
// Error: file: C:/Users/tomfo/Documents/maya/modules/DazToMaya/scripts/DAZTools.mel line 1694: Connection not made: 'hip_scaleConstraint1.constraintScaleX' -> 'hip.scaleX'.  Destination attribute must be writable. // 
// Error: file: C:/Users/tomfo/Documents/maya/modules/DazToMaya/scripts/DAZTools.mel line 1694: Could not add constraint or connections. // 

It almost sounds like an write privelage issue, but I wouldn't understand why that would be case. 

Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated, thank you.

 

autodolor

tomford.... you need bake the animation to control rig or skeleton...

 

benniewoodell

Oh my gosh, thank you so much for commenting on this thread the other day as I'm just seeing this for the first time and it's solved the issue I've been having with the Maya bridge! I just started taking classes through Animation Mentor and learning Maya but the rigs never worked bringing in from Daz (yes, they have rigs we can use but I want to practice on my own stuff too). I even got the animation back into Daz! A million thank you's! 

dustinmeyer1234

autodolor said:

tomford.... you need bake the animation to control rig or skeleton...

 

is there a way to bake the new control rig onto the character, like if I save the file and reopen it I have to go through the same process each time. currently mine is set to none when I change back to control rig its kind of broken and even if I save the file the controls are gone when I reopen it