UDN Request: Rigging Custom Characters

[awakeningfromobliv]

1. What type of rig will be exported from Actorx, as in, is their a certain type of rig that needs to be created for ActorX and UE3 to read?

2. Is there any Specific naming convention for are own rigs that we make,
and dealing with Y up axis does ActorX automatically reorient the animation to UE3's X axis? if not will this be in future ActorX Plugins?

3. In the UDN document specifaclly http://udn.epicgames.com/Three/UT3CustomCharacters.html right below where you can download the MAX ONLY SK_WP_1P_Arm_Bones.max, its says.


For simplicity’s sake, this document is going to go over getting characters imported using bones that already exist. For more information regarding editing of the master skeleton and corresponding phat asset read the Creating Custom Skeletons for Characters in Unreal Tournament 3? document.
Unless I missed it I didn't find any document on UDN about "Creating Custom Skeletons for Characters in Unreal Tournament 3? document". I was hoping to take what I learn from that and apply it to UDK.

4. I would like to see more documents on othere 3D packages dealing with the proper way to create custom skeletons for UE3, especial Softimage.

[chrustec]

I would like to bump this post as I am currently trying to get a test character working with custom anims etc - It would be cool if someone could point to a tutorial that covers this process from the base - what rig is required, what core anims, the coding of the uc files and getting the character from Max/Maya to UDK :) thanks guys

[geodav]

a lot depends on what you want to do.
use-ing Epics names will help you if your use-ing epics code and epics anims

if your building fron scratch well trial and error but i'd exspect use-ing a custom rig will be fine just remember you will have to create everything your self
eg:- anims/physics/code

i doubt a single tutorial would cover what you need

[ngs616]

I thought you werent aloud to use epics anims?

[R2D5]

I would like to know how to setup a complete custom character. It would be very interesting how to link custom animations to ingame actions like walking and moving. Sadly i have no idea were to link these things on the code side. A tutorial about a complete custom character would be very good. And it’s a really good question if we are allowed to use epics animations at all.

[geodav]

do a little R&D, look at the epic rig, then look at the code Pawn/Bot.

this is all the same sort of work i had to do for UT3, look at the content Epic supply and work from that

[grantmoore3d]

Mastering Unreal Vol 2 has a chapter dealing with animation. I haven't gone through it yet, but just flipping through, it would appear it covers how to build an animation tree that will blend/play the correct animation based on what your character is doing. They show how to do this for a character and a vehicle, so I would assume the material can be applied to any custom rigged mesh.

[crapageddon]

This seems to cover everything except for how to create and weight the rig in Maya. It's starting with a created Model and Rig in Maya, then showing how you get it INTO Unreal.

http://udn.epicgames.com/Three/VideoTutorials.html

If anyone has more on what comes before this tutorial (Modeling the Character, Building/Importing existing Skeleton, then rigging it together ready for import), posting it here would be greatly appreciated.

[Artinier]

If you can wait two or three weeks i am making a detailed set of vid tuts for modeling, texturing, rigging, exporting from 3d apps, importing to udk and then custom animation.

[JeanMeletou]

Hello

Audio French

http://camink.com/UT3/UT3CustCharTutorial01.html


http://www.passion3d.com/desktop/creation_character.mov

http://www.passion3d.com/desktop/customcharactercodage.mov


Meletou

[R2D5]

Sadly i cant understand french. a detailed tutorial video in englisch would be great.

[NeptuneImaging]

These are pretty cool...I would love to know how to do this for XSI since this is my primary package and I love to build my custom rigs using the Spine and nulls for stuff like knees.

But for some reason, the bones importing are horribly mangled, and i'm getting a headache trying to get it to work...any help would be great... thanks

[jetstone]

Like geodav posted it really depends.
Here is an overview I created 2 years ago, not super useful now but I am going to update for use with FBX and will take request on specific detail videos to support the softimage to UDK workflow.

XSI to Unreal 3 Overview via ActorX plugin

Enjoy http://vimeo.com/10211124

The following video is using as an overview of XSI to the Unreal 3 engine using the Actor X plugin.
This method is out of date. Using the FBX format is the method moving forward for Autodesk products to Unreal.

UDK FBX news
http://udk.com/news-beta-mar2010

UDK FBX user guide
http://udn.epicgames.com/Three/FBXImporting.html

Autodesk FBX news
http://area.autodesk.com/fbx2011