Weight, weight and weight – in Edit mode

IA – original modelling by mqdl-san for mmd/pmx, rigging by me.

To make facial expressions and hands/finger signs without shapekey, we should prepare each mesh for target morphs and rig it.

However, we sometimes see a gap between mesh parts in motion/posed. The reason why there is a gap is difference weights between overlapped vertices.

But it’s a little bit hard to find out mistakes and fix it by Blender weight painting mode.

Blender 2.68 provides us “Weight Editing”, that could improve the above fixing.

http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Dev:Ref/Release_Notes/2.68/Weight_Paint_Panel

http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Doc:2.6/Manual/Modeling/Meshes/Vertex_Groups/Weight_Edit

Overlapped vertices should have same vertex groups and weights. After weighting meshes completely and then you separated meshes, overlapped vertices would have same vertex groups and weights. However in rigging process,  it’s not always same process.

When there is a gap, the following steps could help us.

1) Check Vertex Weights table of an overlapped vertex in property panel in edit mode

We can see how many vertices are included in a vertex like the following.

Non related vertex groups should be removed even though the weight were very low like 0.001. NOT USE ZERO WEIGHT PAINTING!

We can remove vertex groups by [x] button in the above table but for just one active vertex. So in order to remove non related vertex groups from plural vertices, we should use remove vertex group button in Object data panel in edit mode. 

2) Remove vertex groups by Object Data panel in edit mode

Vertex Group in Object Data – Use [Remove] button

- Select all vertices by [A] or [C]/[B] + LMB (Left Mouse Button)
- Select Vertex Group in the above panel and push [Remove]
- [Weigh] number doesn’t matter.
- Check vertex table in property panel

3) Set COMPLETELY same weight numbers on overlapped vertices in edit mode

If vertex should have two vertex groups or more, all vertex group’s weights should be COMPLETELY same number to avoid gap.

Assign Weight for vertex group and vertices by Object Data panel

- Select all vertices by [A] or [C]/[B] + LMB
- Select Vertex Group in the above panel
- Set Weight number
- Push [Assign] button

In conclusion, I didn’t use Weight painting mode to remove gap between objects in motion/posing. Weight painting mode is useful for roughly and quickly weight painting but if you would like to set weights closely, edit mode/Object Data/Vertex Group provides us to do it.

Good luck ♪

mesh head and facial emotions–not morphing

In secondlife, we don’t have morphing (shapekey) therefore use multiple layers (materials in Blender and faces in Secondlife) and change alpha with llSetAlpha.
HUD and llGetAngentInfo can control layers by Linden scripts.

Still it’s a primitive HUD but you can understand how we can control facial expressions by multiple layers.

Enjoy.

Avastar “Weld Edge Normals”

Great news!
Avastar RC4-812 also provides us “Weld Edge Normals” option in Tools shelf [Other] section as collada export option, in order to avoid visual seems (line) between objects.

http://blog.machinimatrix.org/2013/04/25/avastar1-rc4-812/

Visual seems? Yes, you can see “Line” between objects or doubles vertices in smooth shading.

Why we can see such a “line” even though we adopted “smooth” shading in blender?
Because vertices on the line are “doubles” and vertex normals are different.

Here is a great video to understand Normals and Smooth shading by Avastar’s creator, Gaia Clary. It’s Good Job!!!!

Face normals

Vertex normals and smooth shading

In order to hide/avoid visual seems, so far we use [Remove Doubles] in Tool Shelf in Blender. However [Remove Doubles] means merging vertices to one vertex. If you would like to keep separated objects, you could not avoid visual seems between objects by normal functions.

Keep separated? Yes, if you would like to have over 8 materials in one object, you should separate object for more materials under secondlife mesh limits.

See “Mesh” limits below link.
http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Limits

Why we need more materials?

We need “faces” for each facial expressions. With like a flip cartoon  method, you can adopt facial expression to mesh head/face instead of morphing.

Eye part has 8 materials as 8 (prim) faces

Mouse part has 8 materials as 8 (prim) faces

Eye and Mouse part should be separated objects. It means we can see visual seems between Eye and Mouse parts.

But now we can erase it by Avastar “Weld Edge Normals” option in exporting collada.
See the video below

Enjoy!