Tools of today 3rd Sept. 2013

Blender 2.68a (64bit)
http://www.blender.org/download/get-blender/

blender_mmd_tools v0.4.3 (for blender 64bit)
https://github.com/sugiany/blender_mmd_tools

Avastar-1
http://blog.machinimatrix.org/avastar/

PMX Editor 0.2.1.9 (for Windows 64bit)
http://kkhk22.seesaa.net/category/14045227-1.html

MikuMikuDance v8.03
http://www.geocities.jp/higuchuu4/

MAKEHUMAN 1.0 alpha7
http://www.makehuman.org/content/download.html

gimp 2.8.6
http://www.gimp.org/downloads/

paint.net 3.5.11
http://www.getpaint.net/download.html#download

mio-01 ver0.1
http://www6.atwiki.jp/vpvpwiki/pages/218.html#id_8e4d9a75

SNUMA/MMDBVHToSLBVH for Upper_body2 and 60sec motion extension
https://github.com/snumaw/MMDBVHToSLBVH/blob/master/MMDBVHToSLBVH.exe

Naka chan (no rigged mesh doll) modelling by cham-sama, in-world setup by me  http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm21727255

Mesh dolls posing

In wolrd, from my friend, I was asked how do you make dolls posed?
Aha, it’s not easy to set pose by blender.

OK, I ‘ll opne my work for mesh dolls.

I recommend you to use PMX Editor transform view and VMD play.

1) Open pmd/pmx models in PMX Editor.

2) Open “Transform View” in PMX Editor.

3) Load vmd file you like, from [モード] ([mode]) – [VMDリスト] ([vmd list]) – [ファイル] ([File) – [VMD リスト追加] ([Add to VMD List]) – sample is “イージーデンス”

4) Close the abvoe windows and play motion by check [M] and play [▶] botton. If motion is no played, double click motion name in VMD list window. You can see a model is dancing in Transform windows.

5) If you would like to save the posing, you should STOP playing motion!

6) Go to “Transform View” [File] and click [現在の変形状態でモデル形状を更新-頂点モーフ正規化]。

7) Click OK [Vertex Morfing re-calcurated …] (頂点モーフ再計算閾値) maybe 0.00001

8) PMX view would be updated to same posing in transform view.

9) Save the file as another name.

10) Open the file in Blender by pmd/pmx import tool.

11) If you don’t like physical setting, adjust it in PMX editor.

That’s all

Enjoy!

Mercury Lamp Cosplay

Original pmd mesh head created by Kakomiki sama.
Of course and I’m afraid that it’s not for sale.

Costume by YOHKIHI sama - "GOTHIC DOLL"
With M3 Anime Head by UTILIZATOR.

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.

makehuman has seconlife export option

makehuman is designed to make human polygon as free software. It can export mesh object for several formats, includes collada.
If you select collada export, also you can select "Use second_life rig" option.
To export colllada for second life, check the following options.
- Rotate 90X
- Rotate 90Y
- meter
- Use second_life rig

Already rigged and weighted! You don't need adjust by blender, you can upload it as shape model into secondlife directly.

Also this is collada therefore import it into Blender and using PMX exporter, you can make PMX model. (don't forget changing axis-world and PMX bone should be used and weighted.)

makehuman

http://www.makehuman.org/

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!

UTILIZATOR – M3 Mesh Anime Head

PMX imported model? Non non, it’s mesh anime head “M3” from UTILIZATOR!

(Head only. Miku costume by GANTZ)  with Wind Light, light/shadow and DOF rendering options

UTILIZATOR – M3 Mesh Anime Head in marketplace
https://marketplace.secondlife.com/p/UTILIZATOR-M3-Mesh-Anime-Head/4697296

With PMX imported mesh doll.(Applied Wind Light setting, without light and shadow)

With another M3 Head avatar. (Applied Wind Light setting, without light and shadow)

Realistic mesh head (hybrid avatar) “Nea” is also amazing work and this M3 Mesh Anime Head has so many facial expression patterns controlled by HUD.

This M3 Mesh Anime Head shows us high potential of mesh works in secondlife, I think, as well as Nea gave us.

UTILIZATOR creator’s blog and news
UTILIZAOR BLOG

(deferred rendering – light, shadow and DOF – close-up)

Changed eye size, blushing and opening mouse

Imported pmx mesh doll GUMI by Mamama-san and M3 Mesh Anime Head + Edelweiss school blazer (Only Wind Light setting)

*Edelweiss* http://moekakohime.blogspot.jp/

Enjoy!!!