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Figure Setup for Prop Created in Hexagon

zombiewhackerzombiewhacker Posts: 696
in The Commons

First-timer here, learning how to model a prop in Hexagon and rig it in Studio.

I modeled a simple tube with several sections in Hex. This could be the basis for a hose or a rope or a snake or something of that nature. At this point I'm simply attempting to learn the basics.

Anyway, I created the Hex model. While in Hex, I designated separate shading domains and material sections. The names for the domains and materials match accordingly. There are no def surf mat errors. 

Yet when I do Figure Setup in Studio and import my file, all that appears under the Geometry Panel (left side) are the name of the original .obj file and below that, the name of the geometry itself when viewed in Hexagon ("Tube").  The shading domains and material sections (in this test case, "A" "B" "C" and "D") are not listed under Geometry.  So even if I drag it over to the right side panel and create my figure, there are no additional bones to rig.

Now when I go back into Hexagon and edit my original file by creating four separate geometries that together form a tube (as opposed to a single, welded object), that imports into Studio's Figure Setup just fine. A, B, C,and D appear under the Geometry panel right where they should, and when I drag the object over I can then create a figure and add bones/rigging etc. The problem is, because the figure is no longer welded, when I do twists and bends, the individual bones pull apart from each other.

Clearly I'm messing something up. What am I doing wrong?

Comments

  • zombiewhackerzombiewhacker Posts: 696

    Am I correct that in order for a single mesh to be assigned more than one bone in figure setup, it needs to have several pre-defined material zones?

  • Richard HaseltineRichard Haseltine Posts: 107,987

    Not is you are using weight-mapped rigging.

  • Syrus_DanteSyrus_Dante Posts: 983
    edited May 2019
    zombiewhacker said:

    ...it needs to have several pre-defined material zones?

    No you need Polygon / Face Groups - don't know how they call them in Hexagon maybe something is wrong with the OBJ export settings. Well if you already have created Material Zones you can go to File>Import>Wavefront OBJ and load your Hexagon OBJ export. Then select the Geometry Editor and open up the Tool Settings pane. There you can select your Material Zones, they will be called Surface Groups and convert them to Face Groups. Finaly export the model once more File>Export>Wavefront OBJ, to use this new OBJ with propper Face Groups in the Figure Setup pane.

    Have a look at my youtube video where I used a primitive cylinder to create a rigged figure. I also had to export the cylinder once to get the Face Groups into the OBJ.

    DazStudio Rigging a Cylinder - Youtube

     

    [Edit]: In case you don't know how to create Surface & Face Groups, just right-click on the Group Name in the Tool Settings and choose "Create Face Group from Selected". Use the Plus and Minus icons to select/deselect.

    Post edited by Syrus_Dante on
  • zombiewhackerzombiewhacker Posts: 696

    Thanks, exporting back to .obj and then re-importing did the trick.

    Note to self: when exporting back to .obj, make sure DAZ format is selected, so that the newly created face group information is saved with the file. Not all .obj files contain face group data.  If you create face groups in Studio, then export as a generic .obj file, when you re-import, the face groups you just created will have vanished, and you'll need to re-define new face groups all over again. I found that out the hard way.

  • andya_b341b7c5f5andya_b341b7c5f5 Posts: 694
    edited June 2019

    In this context, when exporting from Daz Studio to OBJ the key is to check 'Write Groups' and select either 'Use Existing Group's or 'Use Surface Names'.  (It's not strictly necessary to choose DAZ format.)  These selections ensure that group information is written to the OBJ file based either on the Face Groups or the Surfaces you have defined.  (You can see these groups in the file - they are the lines beginning with a 'g' followed by a name, then a list of lines beginning with 'f' (face) which define faces belonging to that group.)

    When importing an  OBJ file into DS, or when adding geometry to the Figure Setup pane, make sure you have checked 'Read Groups' so the importer reads those group definitions from the OBJ file.

    I imagine there is a way to get Hexagon to write the group definitions into an OBJ file, but I don't know what that would be.

    Post edited by andya_b341b7c5f5 on
  • ProtozoonProtozoon Posts: 554
    edited June 2019
    andya_b341b7c5f5 said:

    In this context, when exporting from Daz Studio to OBJ the key is to check 'Write Groups' and select either 'Use Existing Group's or 'Use Surface Names'.  (It's not strictly necessary to choose DAZ format.)  These selections ensure that group information is written to the OBJ file based either on the Face Groups or the Surfaces you have defined.  (You can see these groups in the file - they are the lines beginning with a 'g' followed by a name, then a list of lines beginning with 'f' (face) which define faces belonging to that group.)

    When importing an  OBJ file into DS, or when adding geometry to the Figure Setup pane, make sure you have checked 'Read Groups' so the importer reads those group definitions from the OBJ file.

    I imagine there is a way to get Hexagon to write the group definitions into an OBJ file, but I don't know what that would be.

    In hexagon the scene pane objects comes as face groups in DS. Inconvenient at many occasions. Shading domains can be selected in DS and assigned to new face groups. I usually do my face groups inside the studio, with geometry tool.

    Post edited by Protozoon on
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