Skip to content

Latest commit

 

History

History
31 lines (21 loc) · 3.33 KB

USING.md

File metadata and controls

31 lines (21 loc) · 3.33 KB

Using the Plug-in

Before you start make sure everything is loaded properly. To do this manually, select the BlendTransforms shelf and hit the button. This will load the plugins and source all the relevant scripts. As I've mentioned in the readme document if you plan to use these tools regularly it would be a good idea to add a line to your userSetup.mel file so they load automatically when you start Maya.

When building setups using the plug-in it's best to have your linear units set to centimeters. Once you've finished using the editor you can switch back to your preferred units. The scripts will switch your units at the correct moments and display a warning so that you are aware that the switch has occurred.

Here are the basic steps you'll need to follow.

  1. First make sure the joints you want to use do not have any incoming connections to their translate, rotate or scale attributes and that these attributes are unlocked. Also make sure their rotation order is set to XYZ. This is the only rotation order that will work currently.

  2. Select the joints that you want to create a setup for. With them selected create a Set by going Create >> Sets >> Set (Option Box). Give the Set a sensible name.

  3. In the outliner select the newly created Set and on the BlendTransforms shelf hit the button. If all goes to plan you should see a message like this in your script editor.

     Success!
 # Result: True #

  4. You can now create poses for this set of bones. Open the editor by hitting the button. The editor should appear which looks like this.

  5. With your Set still selected hit the Load Selected Set button. The Set name should appear in the field to the left.

  6. Hit Disconnect. You are now ready to create poses. You will need to Disconnect every time you want to add, edit or delete poses. Warnings like this

     # Warning: Disconnect setup first! #

    will be printed if you try and do an action the requires disconnection so keep an eye on the script editor.

  7. Translate, rotate and scale your joints to create a pose. When you're ready type a (unique) name for this pose in to the lower of the text fields and hit the Add Pose button.

  8. Now set the joints back to their initial position by hitting Set To Base. From here you can create another pose and add it in the same way as step 7. If you want to edit a pose you've already created, select it in the Pose List and hit Set To Selected. The bones will adopt the selected pose. Do your edits and when you're ready hit Update Selected Pose. Deleting poses works the same way, select the pose in the list and hit Delete Pose.

  9. When you have added all the poses you need hit Connect.

  10. Select your Set and in the channel box you should have a list of attributes you can blend together. In the attribute editor the sliders should appear under the Extra Attributes rollout.

  11. Continue addings Sets and poses until you have everything you need for your rig.

Once you have a all the Sets and poses you need you can connect some kind of control rig to the attributes that should now exist on the Sets. For simple rigs you could animate the attributes directly.