Hi all, I'm a newbie and I have a question about the ground plane and walkdesigner. Sorry if this is a stupid question but I've tried several different things with no results. Question is, when I load a walk path and a character, the model will be below the ground plane. Mainly if the character is in high heels. How do I keep the model on top of the ground. I've tried adjusting the ytrans of the model in the first frame, thinking it would stay there but as soon as it goes to frame 2, the model drops back below the ground plane. I usually have to up the ytrans .550 or so to get the heels above the ground. I hope I don't have to go frame by frame and adjust each one. Any input would be nice. Thanks for the help. fromme2u

I'm pretty sure there is a Python script that will drop (or raise) a figure to to floor, or if it's a short walk, you can go to each frame and hit Ctrl+D to do the same thing.

In the animation graph, you can select all the y-trans keyframes and shift them upward at the same time, instead of adjusting each frame individually.

Message edited on: 12/28/2005 13:39

Here is another method. Create your walk cycle, let the feet (or shoes) go below the ground. Now load a square prop, make it invisible (Object > Properties > Visible). In frame #1 parent the figure to the square (Figure > Set Figure Parent). Now in frame #1 yTran the square a little, the figure should rise with it. Step through the animation and determin wether the square needs to be higher or lower, but always go back to frame #1 before adjusting yTran on the square.

Rather than use a square prop as suggested in my last post, you can use a special prop I made for this purpose "TargetAnimOff.pp2". The advantage of using this prop is that you can set its hight in any frame of the animation and it will maintain that hight throughout the animation (this is because it has the 'static' atribute set to 1). Another advantage is that you do not need to hide it if you are going to render the animation, the prop will not show in rendered images.

Copy the text in the above link and paste it into a text editor, save it to a props pallet as "TargetAnimOff.pp2".

Thanks for the suggestions. I will give them a try and let you know. Fromme2u

The Python script is your best bet. It is already there in your RuntimePythonposerscriptsutility folder and it's called dropActToFloorAllFrames.py. Can't get much easier than that!

Perhaps I am not using the Python script correctly, but I still prefer my method, or Little_Dragon's. Let me test my psychic powers. The next question will be: Q: Thanks, the heals now walk on the ground, but the toes don't touch the ground, the feet don't bend enough. How do I fix this? A: This is not a perfect solution for the problem, but try it. Before you apply the walk cycle, turn off IK, select the right foot, double click on the 'Bend' dial in the paramiters pallet (on the dial, NOT the number), you should see the 'Edit Paramiter Dial' box. In the 'Min Limit' box type in "25.000" (might need to be more or less depending on the hight of the heels). Do the same for the left foot. Now tick (check) 'Use Limits' in the figure menu. Now you can apply your walk cycle. there are some problems with this method, one is that the foot ends up rather stiff and wooden looking in the animation. There are other methods, but they are more complicated.

To say a bit more on "dropActToFloorAllFrames.py". I don't see what use it could be in this situation. The problam, as I see it, is NOT to drop something to the floor, but rather to raise the figure up so that it is walking on high heels. Perhaps I have missunderstood the use of this script, could someone elaborate?

Why do figures suffer from that "bendy knee" syndrome when they go through the Walk Designer? That's an annoying problem that seems to plague all figures in Poser.

The dropfigtofloorAllFrames python script works even if the figure's feet are under the floor, lesbentley.

"The dropfigtofloorAllFrames python script works even if the figure's feet are under the floor, lesbentley"

But I still don't see how it can raise the feet above the ground??? That's what we are trying to do, isn't it??? Not place them on the ground, but raise them above it!

The feet are already droped to the floor. That's what we are trying to prevent. If the feet are droped to the floor then the high heels will be under the floor. That's the problem, the feet being droped to the floor. We need a way to un-drop them!!!

Another simple solution to raising the figure is to cheat. Don't raise the figure, drop the ground. Scale a square prop to the same size as the GROUND plain, hide the GROUND, move the square slightly below the level of the ground, use the square as the floor instead of the GROUND. This method is only practical if you don't have a lot of other things in the scene that need to be at floor level.

Attached Link: http://www.3dknockouts.com/videos/walk01.mov

I usually just go with LD's method of dragging all the keyframes for the Y-trans in the graph editor. Quick and easy. The biggest problem for me with using Walk Designer is still Poser's insistance on foot "skating". Although subtle most of the time, it can prove a difficult problem to eliminate completely, regardless of the version you are using. The problem is magnified greatly if you use BVH files.

Ok, I haven't tried the Py script yet but will as soon as I get done with this post. I did do a small walk cycle and raised the figure using the animation graph. It was a little confusing at first but I figured it out. It worked well. The problem I am having is that when I am using Vic3 and I load her cr2 file into the walk designer and apply a walk, half of her foot is below the ground when she has heels on. The animation graph took care of this. I have tried the "drop to the floor" option in the figure menu. It didn't work that well. That was a while ago with P5. I haven't tried it with P6. It did raise the figure to the floor but it distorted her body. I might have done something wrong since when I tried it I had just got the program and was still learning. I will try that again and the Py script tonight. I appreciate the help. Fromme2u

Just because it's called "Drop"tofloor doesn't mean that's the actual function call. The Python script just automates the CNTRL D feature from the figure drop down menu and zero's the YTrans value of the figure in every frame. You're correct about High Heels though. They can partially go through the floor if the figure's feet aren't locked into the tippie toe position they need to be in for wearing said high heels.