This is why I was hoping to find a rigging partner for my models in the first place.  It doesn't get much dumber than this when it comes to getting a finger to move properly.  On my screen, those spherical influence zones are always right at 0,0,0.  I don't know if they're supposed to be there, but it would make more sense to have them with the bone.

I even adjusted the red sphere down just slightly.  Instead of those knuckle areas working properly, the finger started bending at the wrong place, and distorting badly with anything more than a slight bend.

So, sadly, this is taking me away from the modeling that I need to be doing.  If anyone still wants to rig my models and share 25% of the sales profits here on Rendero, let me know.  I'm still interested in doing that, but again, rigging these myself is becoming too time consuming.

Thanks to everyone for all  your help!

Here are some images of my current rigging problem.  I've mostly figured out the inclusion/exclusion zones, but when I move this pinky or ring finger, verts move in the knuckle area across the palm.

Maybe it has something to do with the spherical falloff, which I haven't played with yet.  But maybe not.  I'll play with that.

I've also included a look at the bones.  Maybe that will help?

Thanks again, guys.  Maybe this will help us solve this problem. :)

Attached Link: Caligari

I don't know if you were aware, but Caligari is giving Truespace away for free!  Since you show very well how to use that as part of your pipeline, I decided to look the program up.  I've downloaded it now, and plan to use it along with your videos when my current model is ready.

I do my UV mapping in Maya, so I think I won't need to do the UV Mapper stage.

Anyway, thanks again for the help.

-Jonathan

Attached Link: http://jfesmire.deviantart.com/

Meanwhile, I just figured out the right pipeline to go from concept to finished, textured model.  That's before the rigging part.  I'm making these cool creatures and I'd really like to put them up for sale and see them in other people's art.  It seems like a good way to make some extra money as I work toward my MFA in 3D Modeling.

Thanks again for all the help, Phil!

Thanks!  Got them all bookmarked.

I've seen a bit of your videos.  I really don't know how to color code various parts, as you do.  I'm not sure there's a way to do so in Maya or zBrush.

When I've brought a model into Poser as a full mesh, Poser has caused tears at random seams.  I'm hoping that coding the various body parts will get around that.

I did some digging around on the 'net, and found this:

http://my.smithmicro.com/tutorials/44.html

I think this will take care of it for me, and possibly help others.  If I still have problems, I'll post them here.

Thanks for that!  It's already set, though.  Some of it clears up when I tweak the grouping, but not all of it.  For instance, I have an upper arm with the bone grouped perfectly to that upper arm geometry.  When I bend it, the mesh tears at the shoulder and underarm.

Any other ideas? :-)

This is an excellent addition to the TOS.

Thank you! That explains a loop I was getting last night. Unfortunately, it doesn't explain the looping drape, because nothing was colliding... I know because as soon as I removed the seat from the simulation (and in the beginning, the seat was FAR away from Victoria), it went fine until a possible collision. Thanks again though. I'll check out the collision detection. I haven't played with that yet, and it sounds VERY useful.

Thank you! Sure, I'd be interested in designing a card or two for your project. :-) I went to the site though and can't see images. I'll have to try again later. Do you have a plan for getting the cards printed?

I fully agree, dialyn. The Trek stories I wrote were specifically for a Trek contest. The rest of my fiction is uniquely my own. I did write a story for a Clark Ashton Smith tribute anthology once, and when it was rejected, I was able to "shave off the serial numbers," though it still retained the feel of Smith's freaky world.

Because if you can easily file off the serial numbers and make it a non-Trek story, then was it a "true" Star Trek story in the first place? Certain settings are unique, such as the Trek universe, and it lets writers explore ideas and story lines dependent on the dynamics already set up there. Yes, I suppose I could go back and file the serial numbers off my Trek stories, but that would entail adding in a lot of exposition and history for this new story universe, stuff that already exists in the Trek realm. If you're going to use the Trek universe only as a setting and not make the story truly "Trek," then you really are using a crutch. Why not create your own setting, if the setting isn't important?

That depends on the story. A good Star Trek story can't, at not without incredibly long explanations and reworking, be turned into a non-Trek story. I could see this done for Forgotten Realms though. The Trek stories were fun to write and submitt to the Strange New Worlds anthologies, but for me, I think it'll be better to just post my original articles and excerpts from my published fiction.

Attached Link: http://www.jonathanfesmire.com/

Attached Link: http://www.jonathanfesmire.com/