mesh deformation problem

todman

hey,
I've got a realy low-poly character-(500) it can be a few more triangles if needed around the shoulders but the way it is now as you can see the shoulders deform like sh#t!
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Maybe the mesh isn't right? Im using 3d max 7 with a biped and envelopes applied and I'm getting nowhere with the envelopes.
thanks, todd

Snowfly

I think one more segment around the shoulder area should help. And if you can weight the shoulder verts to both the arm and clavicle bones that should help too.

Just keep in mind that arm movement comes from the clavicle, by at least half. It looks like you're rotating just the arm bones, and that's always going to look bad.

Toomas

Did you actually assigned weights by hand or just threw envelopes at it and hoped it will work?
If you would weight the thing properly you could make it look 10x better.

fritz

it also looks like you need to reset xform.

todman

Actually no, I have not assigned weights, I was using envelopes. Im not exactly sure how to weight the biped. How do I reset xform?
thanks,

Bronco

Hey todman
to Reset Xform go to your control panel-utilities-reset xform. I can't exsplain what it does in graphical terms becuase I don't know. but when I have had animation probs and sometimes unwrapping probs its normally cos I forgot to reset the Xform. do it before unwrapping anything and rigging anything,make it a rule of thumb .

Unfortunatily I don't have max on this computer and am having network probs on my others so can't provide pictures for the rigging prob and my exsplanations are generally crap.

But ill give it a go.

under your skin modifer go,select edit envolope....scroll down the menu to "advanced parimeters"...and tick "rigid animation" this means no weight blending (no point for such a low poly model) ...scoll back up to parameters,under "select" tick "vertices"....now if you drag the mouse over your mesh white boxes should appear over the verts in your mesh. Select your shoulder edge loops...then hit the spanner icon which is lower down in the parameters roll-out....it should list Which bone the slected verts are assigned to and the weight at which they are assigned.

The numbers near the top are the weights 0= no weight 1= 100% weight (rigid)...select the bone ya want the verts to be assigned to then click the relevent weight..

Thats pretty much how you can rig a biped...

Sorry I can't provide images to help out,but hopefully ive got ya in the right direction.

John

Toomas

[ QUOTE ]
Actually no, I have not assigned weights, I was using envelopes. Im not exactly sure how to weight the biped. How do I reset xform?
thanks,

[/ QUOTE ]

You can use the Skin modifier to paint the weights, it is the best way.

todman

thank you, thank you, thank you. i appreciate all your guys help