Introduction to Maya - Modeling Fundamentals Vol 1
This course will look at the fundamentals of modeling in Maya with an emphasis on creating good topology. We'll look at what makes a good model in Maya and why objects are modeled in the way they are.
# 1 10-01-2004 , 01:56 PM
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paint weights

Hi..im in the process of painting weights to a character and came across some wierd stuff.
I switched from one elbow to do the other one and when i came to rotate the joint to see how it would deform ..the model around the opposite elbow became distorted although the one i was rotating was fine...why did that happen?...an how can i fix...i could go back to its previously saved state but i might come across this again as it happened before.


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# 2 10-01-2004 , 04:38 PM
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weights and stuff

once you have painted your weights and are happy with it movements then LOCK that joint in the skin paints ATT. Best thing I ever learned about paint weights was to use the component editor, it will show you all the joints and the amount of weight connected to them.

# 3 10-01-2004 , 04:48 PM
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yeah, also, in the paint weights tool options, I tend to not use the "smooth" option, as it tends to redistribute weight pretty randomly over the model and can result in that kind of thing.

# 4 10-01-2004 , 06:10 PM
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Thx stephen ill use that lock command...sounds like what i need...yes Mike i did use that smooth option following a tute i found at blah blah...thanks for the advice as thats what might have caused it i think.


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# 5 11-01-2004 , 12:37 AM
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Chipper. just wandering when you started painting on the other elbow, did you change the joint you were on ? probly a silly question.

# 6 11-01-2004 , 06:05 AM
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Yes i did Pony...but i did for a moment think that was the case or i changed joints after i started painting on the other maybe but i dont think so.(good call tho as its something i would prob do lol).
I did find a cool way of fixing the prob if ever it arises though...as i find you can select any vertice or groups of vertices and edit their association with any of the joints seperately by typing a number...now that is so cool (you knew that though right lol).... im finding some very cool features of maya as i go along and i really like the challenges associated with the learning process.
It does strike me though that it would probably be a lot easier to edit weights on a denser model an not a lo poly as seems quite tricky to get a smooth bend of the shoulders etc with so little vertices...i could have designed the character a lil better i think by placing edges in more strategic places but then that another thing i learned i guess....thx for the reply.


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# 7 11-01-2004 , 08:37 AM
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Uh oh...this dont seem to be working either...heres a pic of what im getting...the circled area is the vertices being affected when they shouldnt...this area is total black in the paint weights window.
https://www.screameagles.com/saya/joints.jpg
The tute i followed reccomended going into the component editor after selected these vertices ang going to skin clusters...and changing values to zero under the joint im currently using...im thinking that their maya version is older maybe as i havent got skin cluster tab but i have got smooth skins and weighted deformers tabs which i changed an it didnt do a thing to fix it...any ideas guys on a fix?


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# 8 11-01-2004 , 10:56 AM
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I did fix it but it meant redoing the whole thing but seemed to have got away with it this time..good job....tiz been hell...hehe.


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# 9 13-01-2004 , 10:07 PM
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Doh!...didnt work after all...i need some advice here.
While im painting weights the normalization is active, its set to 1.0 so when im painting weights for lets say the elbow, because the normalization is active..the other vertices values change and it messes things up...as all the joints in the component editor seem to have to add up to 1.0 or something like that.... and when i disable normalization the painting tool seems to be very innaccurate...and no matter if you set it on add , smooth or replace it seems to pull out the vertices extremely harshly.
What do you think im doing wrong , iv been trying to weight this character for nearly two weeks and everytime i think i get near to finishing it, i move a joint and vertices pop out from somewhere else on the character.


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# 10 14-01-2004 , 01:51 AM
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perhaps you need to decrease your opacity? That's how much weight you are painting. If you are painting at an opacity (weight) of 1, you're strokes are going to distribute weight pretty harshly.

# 11 16-01-2004 , 08:20 PM
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Thx for that Mike...i was actually lowering values of opacity but i think where i went wrong was not really taking the joints to extremes, i was more or less moving them in basic pose positions..ie; arm stretched out...knee bent etc ..and when i tried animating i would hit higher values and wierd stuff was happening.
Im on track again tho and thx for all the help everyone.


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