3ds Max: Export CAT rig to FBX. Digit bone meshes get exported as well.

Terzalo

Hello!

I'm trying to export my character with some CAT animation from 3ds Max to FBX.
I checked "CAT characters as HIK" so it wouldn't export CAT bone meshes. However, it does export digits on arms and legs.




And that's how it looks in UE4



How to get rid of them?

Eric Chadwick

Have you tried removing those bones from Skin?

Terzalo

Hi, Eric!
If I remove them from Skin, their meshes do not get exported, but I need these bones in rig to manipulate fingers. I just don't need these annoying meshes...
I tried to re-rig the character with a new CAT skeleton from scratch, and the problem persists.

Terzalo

I sort of solved the problem by applying Edit Poly to digit bones and deleting geometry.
Probably not the greatest solution, as it's not very handy to animate them now.

Eric Chadwick

Game studios often use two skeletons for game animations... the animator-friendly rig with all the bells and whistles (CAT, or similar), and the game-friendly rig with only the bones necessary for game export. The complex rig is setup to control the motions of the simplified rig. Animators use the complex rig to speed up animation tasks, make their jobs easier. But the game only sees the simplified rig.

If you want to get rid of those bones, learn about setting up driven rigs.

Terzalo

Thanks, Eric! I'll look into that.