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Modified in Hexagon to send to DS

BagboyBagboy Posts: 170
edited December 1969 in Hexagon Discussion

Hello-

I'd created a dress for V4 in Hexagon, UV mapped it, grouped and rigged it in Daz Studio, then found I'd like to extend the sleeves just a bit.

I sent the dress and V4 to Hexagon out of DS and made the adjustments.

How now to get it back into DS preserving the UV mapping and without having to regroup and rig everything from scratch?

Is it even possible? Or am I missing something obvious?

It seems the "bridge" back to DS from Hexagon is for morphs only. Exporting from Hexagon as an OBJ seems to remove the groupings (I've already regrouped this thing more times than I can count, let alone re-rigging it!).

I'm stumped!

Thanks for any advice. If there is a tutorial covering this, I'd be happy to view it!

Comments

  • patience55patience55 Posts: 7,006
    edited December 1969

    From Hexagon save out the modified .obj to your geometry folder, naming it exactly the same as the one that is already there. BUT FIRST, rename the original to save it "just in case". Close D/S and reopen it ... load the figure and it should be the one with the sleeves just a little bit longer. All you might need to do is make minor joint edit adjustments and then resave the .cr2. If no further adjustments are required, it's done.

  • RoygeeRoygee Posts: 2,247
    edited December 1969

    You can export it from DS as an .obj - make sure that you have "Write groups" and "use existing groups" checked and not "Use bone welds" checked in the export dialogue. That will preserve your groups and UV's, but not your rigging. Use Daz Studio proportions. When importing into and exporting from Hex, do it at scale 1. When you do what needs being done, don't alter the topology, or you'll loose the UV mapping.

    When exporting from Hex, make sure you don't have "Merge groups" ticked. Import into Studio at Studio proportions.

    If you have already rigged the figure, I suggest you go all the way and finish it as is, then send via the bridge to make changes as a morph.

    Hope this makes sense to you.

  • BagboyBagboy Posts: 170
    edited December 1969

    Patience55 said:
    From Hexagon save out the modified .obj to your geometry folder, naming it exactly the same as the one that is already there. BUT FIRST, rename the original to save it "just in case". Close D/S and reopen it ... load the figure and it should be the one with the sleeves just a little bit longer. All you might need to do is make minor joint edit adjustments and then resave the .cr2. If no further adjustments are required, it's done.

    Hi Patience55!

    Thanks so much for taking a look at my question.

    I exported the modified OBJ from Hexagon to the geometry folder replacing the existing OBJ (and, yes, I renamed the original!), but, unfortunately, unless I missed something, the groupings were once again wiped out when reopening in D/S, and with them the rigging

    I may just have to bite the bullet and re-group and re-rig this thing. :(.

  • BagboyBagboy Posts: 170
    edited August 2012

    Roygee said:
    You can export it from DS as an .obj - make sure that you have "Write groups" and "use existing groups" checked and not "Use bone welds" checked in the export dialogue. That will preserve your groups and UV's, but not your rigging. Use Daz Studio proportions. When importing into and exporting from Hex, do it at scale 1. When you do what needs being done, don't alter the topology, or you'll loose the UV mapping.

    When exporting from Hex, make sure you don't have "Merge groups" ticked. Import into Studio at Studio proportions.

    If you have already rigged the figure, I suggest you go all the way and finish it as is, then send via the bridge to make changes as a morph.

    Hope this makes sense to you.

    Hi Roygee!

    If I do understand you, since I have rigged the figure, you are advising I apply the changes as a morph, rather than stretching out the geometry, to avoid re-rigging.

    And, in order to retain the groupings and the UV's, I'll need to export with the settings you indicate, rather than using the "bridge", but, I'll have to re-rig.

    Okay then! I now have some choices, and a little more awareness of what is and isn't possible.

    I had actually considered the morph route earlier, but then I thought maybe I was missing an ability with the "bridge".

    Thanks for taking a look at my query!

    Post edited by Bagboy on
  • RoygeeRoygee Posts: 2,247
    edited December 1969

    Let's take a step back - which version of DS are you using, and is it possible to make the changes you want without adding/subtracting from the geometry?

    Secondly, when you import the .obj into Hex, does it show up as groups and are the changes you want to make confined to one group, or would they cross groups?

    How you proceed depends on what answers you give.

  • patience55patience55 Posts: 7,006
    edited August 2012

    nm ... was covered.

    Post edited by patience55 on
  • BagboyBagboy Posts: 170
    edited December 1969

    Roygee said:
    Let's take a step back - which version of DS are you using, and is it possible to make the changes you want without adding/subtracting from the geometry?

    Secondly, when you import the .obj into Hex, does it show up as groups and are the changes you want to make confined to one group, or would they cross groups?

    How you proceed depends on what answers you give.

    Daz Studio Pro 4.0.3.47.

    No additions or subtractions to geometry, that is, not adding any vertices nor lines nor polygons, in my adjustment. Just grabbing the end of the sleeve and pulling it out a bit.

    As for the OBJ into Hex, do you mean as separate pieces representing the "groups", as if the groups as exported out of D/S were NOT welded?

    Yes, the changes do cross a couple of groups (forearm and hand), which deflated me when I did import it into Hex as unwelded groups and started to pull the sleeve. :shut:

    Thanks again!

  • RoygeeRoygee Posts: 2,247
    edited December 1969

    If it came into hex as groups, the only way I can think of that the groups are lost on export is that you have "Weld groups" selected. The way you describe it, I can't see any other reason why the solution proposed by Patience didn't work for you.

    The way you describe what you want to, your best bet is to use the bridge to make a morph.

    There is another, very simple solution, but I don't know whether that is available in 4.0.3.47. I'm using 4.5 and what Daz has done will revolutionize the making of clothing. Took but minutes to convert V4 to Tri-Ax weight-mapping, convert an Optitex dress to conforming by using the Transfer Utility.

    This is such a simple operation - makes a new V4 and doesn't overwrite the original - no need for complex runtime structures or groups.

  • BagboyBagboy Posts: 170
    edited August 2012

    Roygee said:
    If it came into hex as groups, the only way I can think of that the groups are lost on export is that you have "Weld groups" selected. The way you describe it, I can't see any other reason why the solution proposed by Patience didn't work for you.

    The way you describe what you want to, your best bet is to use the bridge to make a morph.

    There is another, very simple solution, but I don't know whether that is available in 4.0.3.47. I'm using 4.5 and what Daz has done will revolutionize the making of clothing. Took but minutes to convert V4 to Tri-Ax weight-mapping, convert an Optitex dress to conforming by using the Transfer Utility.

    This is such a simple operation - makes a new V4 and doesn't overwrite the original - no need for complex runtime structures or groups.

    Hmm. Come to to think of it, I had tried Patience's process only after I used the Hex "bridge" and had made the sleeve adjustments on that model. That particular model was not separated into groups. There are no options of keeping groups un-welded when using the bridge that I can see.

    So, this time I exported the dress from D/S to OBJ, making sure groups were not welded. Imported into Hex and the dress comes in separated into the several objects representing the groups (as opposed to one dress object I'd gotten via the bridge).

    Exported from Hex un-welded (I think it's called "merge" in Hex), and replaced the OBJ in the geometry folder with it.

    Loaded the CR2 and... Hey! it worked! The rigging is still intact! Yay! :-) (apologies to Patience for missing this point before!)

    But wait! Somehow I lost the integrity of the UV mapping! ARGH! :ahhh:

    So close! I don't know where it went wrong. Or, again, is this just the nature of the beast? The mapping does span some of the groups.

    Well, back to square one. The Morph! At least that does get me where I'm trying to go.

    Thanks again for all your help and suggestions, Roygee. And the tip with the tri-axes. I'm sure I'll give that a try one of these days but to further complicate things, this ultimately needs to be used in Daz 3.

    And thanks again to Patience, as your process did work.

    Only I ended up with the UV maps corrupted.

    Nevertheless, I am learning a lot!

    Post edited by Bagboy on
  • patience55patience55 Posts: 7,006
    edited December 1969

    Well, it's not supposed to be the nature of the beast when no vertices etc are changed for the uvmapping to 'poof' however I have found that the latest Hexagon loves to do that for some reason. I prefer modeling clothing on the older edition but that one doesn't have a bridge for D/S4 so it makes for a rather tedious work flow between computers.

    When you use the 'bridge', the item is transferred to Hexagon as one piece and is why the bridge is used for making morphs. Said item must be returned to D/S via the bridge and the options for saving the morph will appear. [as to which options appear depends upon whether the setting in D/S4 was set to advanced or not]

    I tend to keep Hexagon open when testing clothing objects in D/S. I don't keep exporting items back and forth in the creation process, don't need to.

    1st ... create the clothing as you think it should look
    2nd ... export out a test .obj [still one piece at this point]
    3rd ... load up the basic figure it's for and import the new geometry and see if it fits.
    4th ... back in Hexagon make the changes to make it fit and repeat steps 2 and 3.

    When it fits:

    Then uvmap it.

    Then group it.

    Then export the new geometry to one's own geometry folder in the appropriate Runtime.

    Then start the rigging process according to the figure it's intended for.

    It's about this point when one realizes what a GREAT deal those $1.99 specials are ;-)

  • RoygeeRoygee Posts: 2,247
    edited December 1969

    Patience55 said:

    Then start the rigging process according to the figure it's intended for.

    It's about this point when one realizes what a GREAT deal those $1.99 specials are ;-)

    ...and where AutoGroup editor and Quickconform become a real blessing :-)

  • BagboyBagboy Posts: 170
    edited December 1969

    Patience55 said:
    Well, it's not supposed to be the nature of the beast when no vertices etc are changed for the uvmapping to 'poof' however I have found that the latest Hexagon loves to do that for some reason. I prefer modeling clothing on the older edition but that one doesn't have a bridge for D/S4 so it makes for a rather tedious work flow between computers.

    When you use the 'bridge', the item is transferred to Hexagon as one piece and is why the bridge is used for making morphs. Said item must be returned to D/S via the bridge and the options for saving the morph will appear. [as to which options appear depends upon whether the setting in D/S4 was set to advanced or not]

    I tend to keep Hexagon open when testing clothing objects in D/S. I don't keep exporting items back and forth in the creation process, don't need to.

    1st ... create the clothing as you think it should look
    2nd ... export out a test .obj [still one piece at this point]
    3rd ... load up the basic figure it's for and import the new geometry and see if it fits.
    4th ... back in Hexagon make the changes to make it fit and repeat steps 2 and 3.

    When it fits:

    Then uvmap it.

    Then group it.

    Then export the new geometry to one's own geometry folder in the appropriate Runtime.

    Then start the rigging process according to the figure it's intended for.

    It's about this point when one realizes what a GREAT deal those $1.99 specials are ;-)

    :lol: Yes! I've got quite a collection of those! And a lot more than that too!

    Well, if older versions of D/S used to hold on to the groups/UVs without so much fuss, then we can hope, and maybe trust, that one day this ability will be restored. It seems to me it's an important feature!

    Hmm, I never tried using D/S3, which also has the bridge to Hex, and seeing if the results are different. I'm not too hopeful, though.

    I wish I had more experience in creating these things so I could have done all the important stuff before rigging, as you advise. This is my first try at it. And alas, I'm always finding things that need adjusting afterwards. As it is, I've re-grouped and re-rigged this thing countless times! :-P

    At least for the most part, it's been able to retain the UV mapping, and thus save me from having to revise the texture maps over and over again. Up until I tried the un-welded export/import test, that is.

    Like I said, I'm sure learning a lot, in no small part by the helpful folks on these forums.

    Thanks again!

  • patience55patience55 Posts: 7,006
    edited December 1969

    Roygee said:
    Patience55 said:

    Then start the rigging process according to the figure it's intended for.

    It's about this point when one realizes what a GREAT deal those $1.99 specials are ;-)

    ...and where AutoGroup editor and Quickconform become a real blessing :-)

    ;-) yup.

  • patience55patience55 Posts: 7,006
    edited December 1969

    Bagboy said:
    ... edit ...

    :lol: Yes! I've got quite a collection of those! And a lot more than that too!

    Well, if older versions of D/S used to hold on to the groups/UVs without so much fuss, then we can hope, and maybe trust, that one day this ability will be restored. It seems to me it's an important feature!

    Hmm, I never tried using D/S3, which also has the bridge to Hex, and seeing if the results are different. I'm not too hopeful, though.

    I wish I had more experience in creating these things so I could have done all the important stuff before rigging, as you advise. This is my first try at it. And alas, I'm always finding things that need adjusting afterwards. As it is, I've re-grouped and re-rigged this thing countless times! :-P

    At least for the most part, it's been able to retain the UV mapping, and thus save me from having to revise the texture maps over and over again. Up until I tried the un-welded export/import test, that is.

    Like I said, I'm sure learning a lot, in no small part by the helpful folks on these forums.

    Thanks again!

    You're welcome but to clear up a point, I was speaking of the older edition of Hexagon. Don't go backwards for rigging to D/S3. D/S4 has the same tools plus a lot more to make the process a lot easier as one learns the how to. No program is perfect but the advances over all in the world of 3d are quite remarkable. And while I have not installed it, I've read that even more improvements have been made with the D/S4.5.
    There is always something for anybody who wants to, to learn.

  • BagboyBagboy Posts: 170
    edited December 1969

    Patience55 said:

    You're welcome but to clear up a point, I was speaking of the older edition of Hexagon. Don't go backwards for rigging to D/S3. D/S4 has the same tools plus a lot more to make the process a lot easier as one learns the how to. No program is perfect but the advances over all in the world of 3d are quite remarkable. And while I have not installed it, I've read that even more improvements have been made with the D/S4.5.
    There is always something for anybody who wants to, to learn.

    Ah. Got it. :-)

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