Site Search
Join Muvizu

ukBerty - all messages by user

2013/11/16 10:45:05
Maya Conversion Thanks Dylly - it's on its way.

Finally downloaded Maya 2014 (looks like their install routines don't work with Chrome). Went to install the FBX exporter and it's not available yet for Maya 2014. You can get it for 2013, but you can't seem to download that anymore.

Another 2 hours of my life lost......
2013/11/16 9:42:28
Maya Conversion I have accidentally bought a model in Maya format and am struggling to convert it to FBX or 3DS (or anything in fact).

Am trying to download Maya trial, but am failing to do that !

Anyone fancy doing a quick Maya to 3DS or FBX conversion for me if I send you the file ?

Cheers

Berty
2013/11/14 21:09:06
FBX imports Thanks Urban, but the trouble is this all takes a lot of time. The great thing about the converter is that you can batch process a lot of objects.

The big advantage of ASE over FBX at the moment is that to remove collision on 20 ASE models takes me around 3 seconds. I doubt whether I could do it in under an hour using FBX.

Ideally the time to decide whether to remove (reduce) collision would be when you import into Muvizu. I wont hold my breath for this though !
2013/11/14 12:37:36
FBX imports I've had a quick play and it's certainly useful. As Toonarama says if only we had a mechanism for automatically removing (or reducing to ZiggyMesh) the collision.

There seems to be two versions of FBX files, ASCII and Binary. It seems that Muvizu only likes Binary FBX files, which is the what this converter produces.

I have a batch file to remove collision from multiple ASE files, but to remove from binary FBX files would be too hard for me I think. I could have a go at the ASCII FBX files, but I'm not sure there's much point.

Ideally we could do with a "Import with minimal collision" check box in Muvizu, on both FBX and ASE files - this would make everyone happy - those who hate collision and those that (wrongly) like it.
2013/11/14 8:06:21
FBX imports I think the link is broken - Any idea where I can get this ?

It's OK - found it -

http://images.autodesk.com/adsk/files/fbx20133_converter_win_x64.exe
http://images.autodesk.com/adsk/files/fbx20133_converter_win.exe

(I realise what has happened now - the full stop has become part of the URL in your post and confused me !)
edited by ukBerty on 14/11/2013
2013/11/13 5:37:32
[3dFoin] hot Female Archer - and November Sale (50 Tools > import Elf

It's between "Use camera way points" and "Remove Collision"
2013/11/12 13:29:47
light bulb Chris - You can import objects into Muvizu - so you would need to find a 3d model of a light bulb, maybe from the Sketchup Warehouse and import it. Just had a look and there's plenty there.

If you wish to attach this to a character like in your other videos you would need the Muvizu Play + version where it would work very well.
2013/11/11 11:31:46
opening sets error I've been meaning to log this as an error as well - I get this I think for every set I open. you click close and everything seems to work. This came in with the last little update.

I suspect that the sluggish performance is due to the size and complexity of the set and the spec of your PC. If you turn off the lighting (F12) then you should be able to move around a bit better.
2013/11/11 6:12:33
Object Lock doesn't work properly. Primaveranz - I too feel your pain.

The situation of re-sizing objects knocking out existing locked objects or objects falling and getting tangled with sets no longer happens to me. Why you ask ? Bitter experience.

Here's how I avoid these :-

  • When you import an object it will hang in the air. Before you do anything else right mouse on it and change the physical attributes to the opposite of the defaults. A number of us have asked for a mechanism to set our default settings for imported objects but there's nothing as yet. In some of my sets I have a couple of hundred imported objects and have had to do this on each and every one.
  • The above does not work for backdrops/ground planes. Always import these well away from your main set. In fact always import everything away from your main set - you can't really predict where things will appear anyway and it'll avoid the "object too big / too near other stuff" message.
  • Never, ever try to increase the size of something in situ. Move the object/backdrop away, resize it and move it back. This can take time as there is quite a bit of guesswork involved.

This is all due to C word. Collision. I know I bang on about it but life would be so much better without it and it serves no useful purpose. But I now have the official word that the engine that Muvizu is built around requires it and we're stuck with it. So my last tip would be..



What about getting characters to stand on things ? Take collision off everything and use invisible ground planes. I often use a ground plane at an angle when characters are going up/down stairs to try and reduce the jumping around. I find it's quite rare for characters to actually need to interact with objects so invisible ground planes are a lot quicker and more reliable than trying to perfect collision.


I hope this helps and reduces some of your frustration.
edited by ukBerty on 11/11/2013
2013/11/9 14:51:08
Something is wrong I'll probably be a texture that is referenced in the ASE.

Open the ASE in notepad and have a look through it - the materials are normally at the top. These all have to exist. If they don't then create them - it doesn't matter what they are, you can always play around with them once it's imported.
2013/11/4 9:42:19
Object Movement primaveranz wrote:
WITNOG do I need to do to get the book to behave exactly as it does in "Create Object" mode?


I don't think you can. I have never really worked out what "Gravity" does when directing objects.

I would probably cheat and have two shots - "book falls off shelf" and "books lands"

Anyone else want to explain the use of that Gravity setting ?
2013/11/2 8:49:00
Muvizu Play 1.2 Feedback (also Play+) Just playing with holding things again. Can we have it so that we can select the hand shapes without having to hold anything.

Example - With the "Object" action, I want to change the hand shapes but only want to attach one thing - say to the left hand. I can't change the right hand's grip without importing something.

There's no reason we can't have those hand shapes without having to hold anything.
2013/11/2 7:15:23
Timeline oddities Yes - this happens all the time and I have reported it.

It's normally when you first open a scene. If you move the time marker then I find it sorts itself out.
2013/10/29 13:33:57
Can you buy charactors else where? I'm afraid I can confirm that you cannot import characters into Muvizu. You can only import objects.
2013/10/25 5:09:42
Dog Character's Teeth primaveranz wrote:
With the Play + version can you only add attachments to hands?


You can attach things to anywhere, hats, chest, eyes etc - anything on the list. You can't have hair and then attach a hair-clip for example, as that's two things - but you can attach the hair-clip as "glasses" or something you are not using and rotate it round.

Teeth are not replaceable in this way though, as they're not on the list.
2013/10/24 6:55:29
Creating Language A lot of people use services outside of Muvizu to prepare an audio track then import it.

I'm with primaveranz though, if I hear text to speech on a video I will stop watching it.
2013/10/23 12:03:25
Request - Edit "Duration" in the timeline Well, I've just had a play and er, I think you're right. Has this been improved in the latest release because most of my set files have huge blocks of head movement.

Sorry - I seem to be speaking bunk.
2013/10/23 11:01:44
Request - Edit "Duration" in the timeline When you grab the head control with the mouse it pretty much produces a single entry on the timeline unless you are moving like a robot. Natural movements produce a single entry whereas they used to produce multiple entries.

I think we all just want it back to something like how it was as we had much more control (please feel free to disagree).
2013/10/23 8:47:32
Muvizu Play 1.2 Feedback (also Play+) I have tried to use the holding of objects again this morning and found it very frustrating. It has highlighted a change that we have been requesting and I think it's time has now come, otherwise the holding of objects will be forever limited.

When you edit something the characters must stay in position.


Instances :-

  • You have a close up of a character doing something - my example was Angry > Me. You have a spotlight on them. You edit the spotlight and the character will spring back into the "standing gormless" pose and out of the light. It is now just guesswork to set the light, hit timeline so the character goes back into position (this closes the edit window for no apparent reason). You do this over and over again until you get it right.
  • Holding things is a nightmare. At the moment we have the "object" pose which is useful for holding things (obviously we are asking for more actions). So you set you character to the "object" pose, but trying to orientate the object they are holding is impossible as every time you edit the character they go back to "standing gormless" and the object is in a completely different place.

This probably ties in with the whole - "Why does the timeline close every time I edit something ?" question.


So here's the changes:-

1. Only close dialog boxes when I close them (mainly applies to edit and timeline)
2. Characters remain in position always. I mean always. If you edit them I don't want them to do their "Oh look I've got ears" act. This was cute to begin with but I think we've moved on. I want them to be doing what I've told them to do.


I'm afraid there needs to be some work on this if the "holding objects" is going to realise it's potential.
edited by ukBerty on 23/10/2013
2013/10/23 6:38:49
Request - Edit "Duration" in the timeline This is an "Ox-bow command". It's left over from a previous idea.

I would like to see a return to the multi-point head move. When you move a head you now get a continuous line which you can only adjust forward and back in time. In the long distant past you used to get a lot of individual marks corresponding to when you moved the head. This would be quicker to animate as you would do one pass with all the movements and then squash or extend the gaps in between to get them in the right place.

Now you have to do a pass and get them in the right place relative to each other. If you don't you have to do it again. This means animation now takes longer and you have to "settle for less" as it's a lot harder. Same goes for eyes as well.

Can we return to the way it was please as it was demonstrably better ?
pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47

About

Media

Legal

Muvizu

Muvizu is easy to use 3D animation software that allows anyone to create high quality animations quickly and easily. Muvizu’s animation engine is ideal for storytellers, animators, teachers and businesses looking to engage, enchant and delight audiences with animated content.