Hey Gang!
I have two issues but they both apply to the same part [Pupils] so I thought I'd combine them into one.
Problem 1. Point Binding not working:
My steps are: 1. Select the Pin Bone first:
then
2. Then I'll select the Vector Layer's points but the toolbar doesn't change to show the Bind Points tool. Any ideas why this is happening??
Problem 2: Pin Bones are locked, cannot move them.
As you can see below, nothing is locked.
So even if I could bind the vector pupil the pin bone isn't able to move.
This seems like a simple thing to fix but for whatever reason, I am not having any success. Any/all suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!
Since I can't see your Layers Window, this is just a guess: is the 'pupil' layer inside a Group, and if so, is that Group using Bind Layer? If so, remove the Bind Layer from the Group. This will free up the Group's content for individual binding.
When a bone appears 'locked,' that almost always means its position has been keyframed inside one or more Smart Bone Action, and the activation of the Smart Bone is overriding the ability to animate the bone manually. To fix this, go through your actions to see if it's been unintentionally keyframes. If so, remove the keyframe(s).
In the Bone Constraints for the selected pin bone, UNCHECK the "Ignored by IK" box. I think it's turned on by default for pin bones and messes things up when you want to bind points.
The bind points tool only shows when a vector layer is selected. Your picture looks like you're still on the bone layer, at least by the shown timeline channels.
You have the manipulate bone tool selected. This is not generally meant for pin bones, although holding alt will let you rotate them. You need to use the transform bone tool instead.
something ive noticed with pin bones is if they are parented to another bone (in the screen shot it looks like your using the manipulate bone tool) that i have to use the transform bone tool or unparent the pin bone. ( i think the manipulate bone tool is more for rotation then transforming, i could be wrong with that.)
Yes, Manipulate Bone is mainly used for posing with IK. If you hold Alt, you can switch Manipulate Bones to FK mode to rotate individual bones. It's also used to rotate Smart Bone Dials.
Manipulate Bones can't move a bone unless it's the root bone in a chain or a childless bone.
Typically, I use Manipulate Bones for most of my animation and switch to Transform Bone only when I need to adjust the length of a bone or to move a bone that's not a root bone.
All great tips + suggestions. I love how helpful and responsive this forum is! Moho users are so generous and helpful! Moho Users are the best!!
Solutions: I've scanned the suggestions and immediately saw some areas that might be the problem. I'll go through those and apply them and I am sure there is a suitable fix within there. I'll report back when I get the pupils working.
Greenlaw wrote: ↑Thu May 30, 2024 3:15 am
Since I can't see your Layers Window, this is just a guess: is the 'pupil' layer inside a Group, and if so, is that Group using Bind Layer? If so, remove the Bind Layer from the Group. This will free up the Group's content for individual binding.
When a bone appears 'locked,' that almost always means its position has been keyframed inside one or more Smart Bone Action, and the activation of the Smart Bone is overriding the ability to animate the bone manually. To fix this, go through your actions to see if it's been unintentionally keyframes. If so, remove the keyframe(s).
I think you nailed it, DR. The pupil was within a Group that used 'Bind Layer' [Head Group is bound to the skeleton]
Before: see below Here is what the Layer Group looked like before I changed anything: After: See below: So I moved the Eye Group as well as the other parts [Muzzle, Nose, etc] to sit outside the Head group so it wouldn't be affected by the Bind Layer on the Head group
I attached everything except the eyes [Muzzle, Nose, etc]using 'Bind Points' and it is working fine: [see below]
Eye Group Question: How can I attach the 1. Eye Group to the skeleton?? If I cannot use Bind Layer- what other ways can I attach that group to the skeleton??
If I understand your setup, the easy solution is not to use Bind Layer on the group, and bind each layer individually. Bind Layer should only be used on a group when you know you don't need to bind anything inside the group to other bones.
You can use any binding method for the layers inside the Group: Layer Binding, Link Bones (formerly Use Selected Bones for Flexibinding,) Flexi-binding, or Bind Points. In some situations, you can combine methods within a layer.
If the layer's content isn't going to be deformed by bones, use Bind Layer. This is essentially 'parenting' the layer to a bone.
Using Linked, you can select multiple layers and bind them to selected bones. This is quicker than binding the layers one at a time.
Bind Points is similar to Bind Layer, but at the point level. This means each point can be rigidly bound to different bones. But like Bind Layer, the point is affected only by one bone (it ignores the weight of other bones.)
If you don't bind all the points to bones, those points can be affected by the weight of other bones. If you use link bones, those points will only be affected by their linked bones.
I know that's a lot of info in a short space, but after you work with it for a bit, it will make a lot of sense.
Greenlaw wrote: ↑Thu May 30, 2024 6:22 am
If I understand your setup, the easy solution is not to use Bind Layer on the group, and bind each layer individually. Bind Layer should only be used on a group when you know you don't need to bind anything inside the group to other bones.
You can use any binding method for the layers inside the Group: Layer Binding, Link Bones (formerly Use Selected Bones for Flexibinding,) Flexi-binding, or Bind Points. In some situations, you can combine methods within a layer.
If the layer's content isn't going to be deformed by bones, use Bind Layer. This is essentially 'parenting' the layer to a bone.
Using Linked, you can select multiple layers and bind them to selected bones. This is quicker than binding the layers one at a time.
Bind Points is similar to Bind Layer, but at the point level. This means each point can be rigidly bound to different bones. But like Bind Layer, the point is affected only by one bone (it ignores the weight of other bones.)
If you don't bind all the points to bones, those points can be affected by the weight of other bones. If you use link bones, those points will only be affected by their linked bones.
I know that's a lot of info in a short space, but after you work with it for a bit, it will make a lot of sense.
Hope this helps.
Bind Layer should only be used on a group when you know you don't need to bind anything inside the group to other bones.
That was the key piece of information that I was missing. Thanks so much for providing such a thorough breakdown, DR. I never knew this happens when using Bind Layer to a group but as soon as you stated this, it made everything much clearer. Thanks so much for explaining this! Solution: I selected all the layers and went to 'Bone > Reset All Bone Rigging' then used Bind Points to re-attach the eye to the head bone.
Pupils Set Up: What is the best way to control pupils?
Using Pin Bones was my original thought but is there a better way to set up controls for the pupils? If I did use the Pin Bone method, I'd use the Transform Bone tool and not the Manipulate Bone Tool to move them- correct??
Cool! Glad that helped. Pupils Set Up: What is the best way to control pupils?
Using Pin Bones was my original thought but is there a better way to set up controls for the pupils? If I did use the Pin Bone method, I'd use the Transform Bone tool and not the Manipulate Bone Tool to move them- correct??
[/quote]
I just use Regular bones for moving the irises...I find Regular bones easier to grab, rotate, and stretch when needed than Pin bones. To move them, I tap T for Transform, then tap Z to continue using Maniplate Bones for the rest of the character.
When the face gets too cluttered with bones, I sometimes set up 'remote' bones, typically located above the head. These bones are what the real iris bones are constrained to. Then I Shy the real bones. The advantage of this method is that I can use the same bones even when the character switches views, and I want to use another set of bones to move the irises and those bones positioned differently. This makes it easy to keep things 'in sync' when the view changes and I can keep all the eye animation keyframes on one set of bones.
I think the Gorilla rig in the Moho content has a setup like this.
The general bone bones hierarchy (not including the remote setup) that I like to use for eyes is something like this:
- Head
-- Face (Shy)
--- Eyes (Shy)
---- Iris L
---- Iris R
The Eyes bone lets me move both eyes together. This bone (and Face) is mainly used by a head turn Smart Bone Action and has Shy enabled. I might have another bone for moving the specular highlight, or it might be point animation controlled by a SBA. Or, I might just flip the layer manually when needed...this is just a rare thing to change; it's really not worth setting up special controls for.
Outside of the skeleton, I might have Dials set up with a bone for each eye to open and close the eyes, dilate and constrict the eyes, or widen them, or maybe controls to do smiling closed eyes (upward curve) or sleepy closed eyes (downward curve).
I sometimes make a Smart Bone Dial to close each eye, and then a third dial to control the other two so I can close them together with one dial. TBH, it's not a big deal to operate two dials for the eyes, so lately, I haven't bothered with the single control.
Sometimes, I'll use Switch Layers to switch between different emotional sets. The different sets are all controlled by the same SBD, so the animation stays in sync.
There are endless ways to set up the eyes controls, and the setup you decide to use should depend on the character design and how the character will be animated. This is why it's important to storyboard first, so you don't over-engineer a rig to do things you will never animate.
Thanks so much for the additional notes and directions, DR. That makes such a difference.
The iris/pupil is so much easier to control using regular bones instead of Pin Bones. Very helpful suggestion.
And thanks for the shortcuts too! [T] = eye control | [Z] = all the other bones. Great tip!!
Separate Facial Controls:
I was already following the suggestion of setting up most of the facial controls off the main facial rig area. I always liked the Osipa method used on 3D facial rigs so I was trying to mimic a similar set up to that.
From previous threads, you mentioned that you're working on training for Moho. I can't wait to see your instructions on how you set up facial rigs. I am sure there are going ot be some gems in there
