Help! How should I export characters to be able to move the bones properly?

PAWN_EDM

I tried exporting a COLLADA with animations so I could use those in Unity but it didn't work.  Now I'm trying to manually animate in Unity but I can't export a file that can animate properly.  FBX can't get posing right,  Wavefront made me want to smash my computer (I tried so many export options and nothing worked!) and COLLADA is just weird (it weirdly moves the bones. Not even the proper bone either)  I'm at a loss.  If you could tell me an export method that will enable me to animate/play animations (and have base posing correct) that'd be great!

danielbui78

aidandalzell833 said:

I tried exporting a COLLADA with animations so I could use those in Unity but it didn't work.  Now I'm trying to manually animate in Unity but I can't export a file that can animate properly.  FBX can't get posing right,  Wavefront made me want to smash my computer (I tried so many export options and nothing worked!) and COLLADA is just weird (it weirdly moves the bones. Not even the proper bone either)  I'm at a loss.  If you could tell me an export method that will enable me to animate/play animations (and have base posing correct) that'd be great!

Sorry, I don't completely understand what your are trying to say regarding animations and bones.  However, it sounds like you had some problems with bone weights / rigging of the animation skeleton to the mesh.  I don't know if you're just trying to export a rigged Daz figure that can be animated with custom made animations that you create in Unity, or if you are trying to export a Daz Figure AND export Daz animations for use with that figure, or if you are trying to export a Daz figure with rigging that is compatible with standard Unity animations.  However, I have had success with all 3 scenarios using the latest Unofficial DazToUnity Bridge:

1. For all 3 scenarios, you need to select your Daz figure (Genesis 3 or 8/8.1) and make sure you export it with the Unofficial DTU Bridge as Asset Type: "Skeletal Mesh" and not Static Mesh.
2. For scenario #1, the figure will be imported into your Unity Project as a Prefab with the rigged skeleton exposed as a child Node of the Prefab.  I recommend that you click on the exported FBX file in the Unity Project pane, then go to the Inspector Pane and select the Rig Tab, then change the Root node from "None" to "Genesis8Female/hip" (or wherever the "hip" node is located).  You can then create a new Animation clip based on the imported Daz Prefab by selecting the Prefab from the Hierarchy pane and then open a new Animation editor window with Window->Animation->Animation, then click the "Create" button in the middle of the Animation editor window.  Then add properties for the relevant child bone transformations below "hip" and enable "Preview" and "Record" as desired.
3. For scenario #2, you need to export the "Skeletal Mesh" for your figure first.  Then go back to Daz and create a "Timeline" based animation.  If you want to use "Aniblock" based animations, then add the animation to your Animate2 tab in Daz Studio, then right-click on the empty space of the Animate2 tab and select "Bake to Studio Keyframes".  Then make sure your Figure is selected, open the Unofficial DTU bridge, select Asset Type: "Animation".  The Asset Name should automatically change to something like "Victoria81@anim0000".  Click Accept. 
   1. The animation is exported as an "Animation Only FBX" named something like "Victoria81@anim0000".  Select this file from your Unity Project pane.  In the Inspector pane, you will notice that there is no model displayed in the animation preview box.  This is NORMAL.  Select the Animation tab on the animation file's Inspector pane.  Then drag your Prefab figure from the Hierarchy pane into the empty / blank animation preview box.  You can now configure your animation as desired from the Inpsector pane.
   2. Now select your Prefab from the Hierarchy pane.  Then from the Inspector, go down to the "Animator" section.  Select or create an Animator Controller for your figure.  Double-click the Animator Controller that you selected/created and you should get the Animator editor Window.  Now drag the "Victoria81@anim0000" file from the Unity Project pane into your Animator Controller editor Window.  Configure the Animator Controller and animation as desired.
4. For scenario #3, select the FBX file from the Unity Project pane and select the Rig tab in the Inspector pane.  Change the Animation Type from "Generic" to "Humanoid".  Deselect the FBX in the Unity Project pane and reselect it.  You should now be able to click the "Configure..." button in the Rig tab of the Inpsector Pane.  This should be automatically set up correctly if you used the DTU Bridge on a human figure based on Genesis 3 or 8.  Make any changes as desired.  You can now add standard Unity animations based on the Humanoid skeleton to the Animator Controller for your figure (see scenario one on how to make an Animations or Animator Controller).

Hope this helps.  Good luck!

PAWN_EDM

@danielbui78

I see what you mean but I do believe that the DTU plugin requires that I use HDRP to show up properly.  I am using URP.  Is it just a simple case of changing the shaders?

danielbui78

aidandalzell833 said:

@danielbui78

I see what you mean but I do believe that the DTU plugin requires that I use HDRP to show up properly.  I am using URP.  Is it just a simple case of changing the shaders?

 

Sorry, I should have made it more clear and provided a link: the Official DazToUnity plugin will currently NOT work with animations (will hopefully be fixed in the near future).  For right now, you need the Unofficial DTU plugin:

• https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/518681/released-unofficial-dtu-bridge-v1-1/p1
• https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/494626/unofficial-updates-for-daztounity-bridge-urp-built-in-pbrskin-anims-dforce/p1
• https://github.com/danielbui78/DazToRuntime
• https://github.com/danielbui78/DazToRuntime/releases/tag/v1.1-unofficial-unity
• https://github.com/danielbui78/DazToRuntime/releases

Yes, URP is supported.  Please see the links above for more information.

 

PAWN_EDM

@danielbui78

Thanks!  I will look at the links.

PAWN_EDM

@danielbui78

The eyes are invisible!  I'm not sure how to fix this.

danielbui78

aidandalzell833 said:

@danielbui78

The eyes are invisible!  I'm not sure how to fix this.

 

What version of the unofficial bridge are you using?  There was a transparency bug in the older URP shaders, but I thought I had fixed it since v1.1 -- but maybe I had only fixed it in the new shaders.  Try using the new shaders by enabling the "Use New Shaders" option in the DTU Bridge Options panel.  Then click on the DTU file and select "Reimport".

Step by Step Instructions:

1. From Unity main menu: select Daz3D -> Open DazToUnity Bridge Window.
2. The DTU Bridge window should open.  Click the "Options" tab.
3. There should be a checkbox near the bottom named: "Use New Shaders (experimental)".  Check this box.
4. In the Project pane, find the folder for your previously imported Daz figure.  Select the DTU file for it (it will either have the words DTU on the icon, or red-blue-green polygons over a small paper icon.
5. Right-click the DTU file and select "Reimport".

Hopefully, this will work for you.  Unfortunately, if this works you'll have to re-enable the "Use New Shaders" option each time you start Unity until version 1.3.

 

EDIT:

Actually, please clarify if you mean the eyes are invisible in the Unity Editor or in compiled/built game application?  Specifically WebGL or Mobile game app?  There was a problem with that earlier too, but I thought it was related to the transparency bug that I had fixed in the URP shaders.  It might have been a separate bug.

 

UPDATE:

I confirmed that the invisible/transparent eyes are still present when building a WebGL app with the old shaders, but is FIXED and working properly when building WebGL apps with the New Shaders.  Old and new shaders appear to be working in URP desktop for me.

PAWN_EDM

@danielbui78

Thanks! I am usingv1.1.  I will update the shaders as soon as I can.

 

EDIT:
I am now using 1.2 as of 3:44 PST on November second

PAWN_EDM

@danielbui76 said:

Step by Step Instructions:

1. From Unity main menu: select Daz3D -> Open DazToUnity Bridge Window.
2. The DTU Bridge window should open.  Click the "Options" tab.
3. There should be a checkbox near the bottom named: "Use New Shaders (experimental)".  Check this box.
4. In the Project pane, find the folder for your previously imported Daz figure.  Select the DTU file for it (it will either have the words DTU on the icon, or red-blue-green polygons over a small paper icon.
5. Right-click the DTU file and select "Reimport".

Ahm... What program do I use for the DTU file as it is an extension I have never seen before.

danielbui78

aidandalzell833 said:

@danielbui76 said:

Step by Step Instructions:

1. From Unity main menu: select Daz3D -> Open DazToUnity Bridge Window.
2. The DTU Bridge window should open.  Click the "Options" tab.
3. There should be a checkbox near the bottom named: "Use New Shaders (experimental)".  Check this box.
4. In the Project pane, find the folder for your previously imported Daz figure.  Select the DTU file for it (it will either have the words DTU on the icon, or red-blue-green polygons over a small paper icon.
5. Right-click the DTU file and select "Reimport".

Ahm... What program do I use for the DTU file as it is an extension I have never seen before.

You don't need any additional program.  All of those instructions are to be done from inside Unity.  Switch to the Unity Editor window.  Load your project.  Then follow the step by step instructions.  You should never need to switch away from the Unity Editor.... just interact with the main menu, then the DTU bridge dialog window -- which is a sub-window of Unity, then the Project pane which which is a default window docked into the main Unity Editor window.  Hope that clears up any confusion!