attaching meshes

ThijsH · Jul 2008

Hey I've got a question. I want to attach 2 seperate meshes each with their own bones and skin modifier, but when i try to attach by just using the attach button under edit mesh, the mesh that it inherits looses its skin modifier.

What would be the best way to fix this without having to re-skin the mesh? ( I use 3ds max 9)

Thanks in advance

bluekangaroo · Jul 2008

hmmmm... u could try link constraining them and then check out the hierarchy with the schematic view

Mark Dygert · Jul 2008

Is there a specific reason they need to be joined into one object? You have a few more options available if you can leave them as separate objects.
Are the bones identical for both objects?
A good option would be to not merge the objects and just replace the bones in one of the objects with the others. Save out the skin weights on the object to be transferred, delete the skin modifier, move your object into position, apply skin, and load the skin weights.

If you do have to merge, at best you can hope for an easier time re-skinning. If you did your skinning mostly with envelopes (like you should) then you can save out the envelopes, delete the skin modifier, merge, reapply skin, load envelopes, paint/touch up a few weights.

Also know that skinning first with envelopes and saving them out will also help you rig faster in the future. If you have a good set of envelopes to start with, you'd be amazed how much time you can save.

If you did most of the skinning by hand weighting each vert, you're pretty much screwed.

There isn't a way to merge two separate objects and preserve their unique skin weights. Horse before cart always... Totally inflexible I know but its lessons like this that really have you quadruple check your mesh before moving on.

EDIT: I'm not sure having the second set of bones follow the first would be good for exporting to a game engine, if its just for rendering I don't see a problem with doing the link constraints idea.

ThijsH · Jul 2008

I need to attach the mesh as I want to import it into a game with an unreal engine (which appearently only supports one mesh animation damnit). I tried saving envelopes and reskinning it, but I fucked up with that. I'm still a bit noob at modelling but, yes it is made with envelopes. Also, I didn't get the link-constraining bit. (explain it please

)

thanks again for the help

Eric Chadwick · Jul 2008

If envelopes only, no manual vertex weighting, then you should be able to save each model as it's own ENV file, collapse and attach them together, add Skin, add all the bones from both models, then load the ENV files one after the other. There's a button named something like "match incoming envelopes" in the load env dialog, which should make the right matches. Not sure if it overrides existing ENVs though.

Rob Galanakis · Jul 2008

Follow these instructions:

Duplicate your two original meshes.
Take the duplicates, delete the skin modifiers.
Attach one to the other.
Apply a Skin Wrap.
Add both of the original meshes to the Skin Wrap mesh list
Change Deformation Engine to "Face" and turn the Falloff to .001
Go to your Bind Pose.
Press "Convert to Skin" in the Skin Wrap
Delete the original meshes

There you go- all your skinning info in one mesh.

ThijsH · Jul 2008

holy shit Professor420 easy steps did it. Thanks ALOT everyone , now I can go back to animating

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attaching meshes

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