Help with merging new objects

[wlesmana]

I'm trying to merge Cloak01 from the druid model into my own model. But everytime I tried to export, there's an error message of a vertex not having the proper weight.

Can someone help me out and explain it to me what went wrong and how to fix it? Thank you in advance!! :bow:

Here are some screenshots of the models I'm working on btw:
http://www.studiocyen.net/badmojo/gondor/gondor_spearman.jpg
http://www.studiocyen.net/badmojo/gondor/gondor_swordsman.jpg
http://www.studiocyen.net/badmojo/gondor/gondor_knights.jpg
http://www.studiocyen.net/badmojo/gondor/cavalry_charge.jpg
http://www.studiocyen.net/badmojo/gondor/rangers_ambush.jpg
http://www.studiocyen.net/badmojo/gondor/rangers_volley.jpg
http://www.studiocyen.net/badmojo/gondor/rangers_sword.jpg

[Sundjata Keita]

Well because there are repeats in the vertex weights it assigns new ones to your cloak object when you import it, this can mean that it doesn't understand the vertex weights and that you need to remap them. HOWEVER... there is a way to do it without having to redo the vertex weights, someone has already written a tut on this and I will post the link in a sec when I find it

EDIT: Here it is http://www.stratcommandcenter.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=5116

It's more to do with grafting objects to the actual body of a unit but it can still work with seperate objects

Sundjata Keita

[wlesmana]

Yea, I tried that tutorial before, no go. I still get the vertex weight error message :/
I asked Professor420 about it and he said that it's a problem with the Skin modifier but didn't have the time to explain it to me in detail yet.

[Myrddraal]

When u find out pls tell, I get that error a lot.

Welcome to the forum too :smile:

[Sundjata Keita]

Well any object with the skin modifier needs to have all vertexes with a wieght of one. I presumed you are merging the cloak to the body, which is why I gave you a link to that tut. However if you aren't merging it to the body and only linking it to a bone all you need to do is remove the skin modifier from the cloak. The easiest solution with a simple object like a cloak is to map it manually. It can take longer but it's less confusing.

I don't have time to write a full guide to vertex mapping and I'm sure there are some around, I will try to find one on pixel2life and post the link here later.

Sundjata Kieta

[wlesmana]

Sundjata Keita> yea, I'm not attaching it to the main body, just having it as a regular object but I guess it has to be connected to the cape bones. If you can find a tutorial on vertex mapping, I'd appreciate it greatly. Thanks!!

[Sundjata Keita]

Well for a regular object just make sure it only has the editable mesh modifier in the modifiers panel. Then attatch it to a bone and you shouldn't get any error messages. I couldn't find any tuts on pixel2life so had a look around the web but all the tutorials about character creation weren't specific ie. they included creating the actual character and stuff and did not include much on actually HOW to do vertex mapping. I suggest you read the tutorials that come with 3ds max and try some of these video tutorials, although I don't know which one contains vertex mapping

http://www4.discreet.com/3dsmax/3dsmax.php?id=399

Sundjata Keita

[Vercingetorix]

Here is a quick and easy soultion.

1) Select the offending mesh and go to the skin modifer.
2) Under Select, select 'vertices'. Click edit envelope.
3) Select ALL vertices and the click 'rigid'.

http://img162.echo.cx/my.php?image=weights4qp.jpg

[Sundjata Keita]

But....

The skin modifier shouldn't even be there AND making the verts rigid can bodge up the animation. If it's attatched to a bone it need not have the skin modifier. GOT IT? ~;)

Sundjata Keita

[Myrddraal]

Thx Verc and Sunjata, I was looking for the easy way :smile: