Pose Library and FBX?

[Atom]

Hi All,

I have a make human character that I have imported using FBX import. This comes in as a FK rig.

I select all the null controllers and right click on their rotate parameter and choose Scope Selected Parameters from the menu.

This causes an annoying floating animation window to appear which I close out of.

I open up the pose library and create a couple of poses by rotating the bones and clicking the CAPTURE button in the Pose Library window.

When I click on the thumbnails my character does not take on the poses that are stored in the Pose Library.

 

How do I make my character adjust to the new pose when I click on the thumbnails?

 

 

 

Edited September 7, 2016 by Atom

[michael]

you'll need to move out of Edit Mode. Top right checkbox.

[Atom]

I thought I would try this on a new Windows 10 build I am testing out. This is a fresh install of Houdini apprentice.

I went through the same steps mentioned above, import, scoping, capture pose. However, when I click Capture Pose I get an error in the console and my pose is not created in the Pose Library. I checked my disk to make sure the path for writing exists and it does.

 

Is there some new permissions error on Windows 10 that is messing up this process?

Edited September 7, 2016 by Atom

[michael]

ugh - no idea :|  been too long since I've used Windows.

please submit this as a bug

[Atom]

Ok, so I went back to my Windows 7 machine and turned off the Edit Mode.

I still do not experience any pose change when I click on the thumbnails. When I watch the SideFX video using the Simple Female from the tool shelf it just seems to work for the user.

As an FBX the bones are controlled by NULLs, so to pose the figure I move the nulls. Will this Pose Library understand that? I have browsed to the subnet as my character. The help indicates you can use posing for any kind of bone work, not just characters.

Edited September 7, 2016 by Atom

[michael]

damn - sorry, read too fast.

the reason that this isn't working is that the Pose Library has to target a node (the "Character") in order to grab the parameter values

an imported FBX file is a subnet, animating the nulls/bones/etc INSIDE this subnet WILL NOT be read by the Pose Library - it's just looking at the "Character" - the subnet itself.

the Pose Library was really intended for use with HDAs - which are like subnets but they have parameters that have been promoted and are therefore seen by the Pose Library.

if you want to use an imported FBX, you can make an HDA from it and promote all the null rotations to the top level, then the Pose Library will record them.

 

HTH

[Atom]

Ok, thanks for the info.

I really have not messed around with HDAs too much. I may have to take a closer look.

[AaronAb]

Thanks, that's good info to have about how the pose library expects an HDA in order to work.

Do you know if the pose library will create poses from CHOP data or does it only work on keyframe data? I know its not too hard to create a 'pose' with CHOPS but it would be nice to have a clean visually oriented interface to create poses from with CHOP data

 

[michael]

note that you don't have to use an HDA - it's just better/easier.

 

as for CHOPs - check out the docs:

http://www.sidefx.com/docs/houdini15.5/pypanel/poselibrary

[Atom]

I am trying out this HDA approach.

I have imported my FBX which comes in as a subnet.

I have right-clicked and converted it to an HDA.

I dive inside and select all the NULLs, but I don't see any option to promote their rotation as you mention Michael?

I understand promotion from the VOPSOP level, is that what you mean with this subnet HDA workflow as well?

How do I promote the NULL rotation and translation to the top level of the HDA?

.

.

.

After some experimenting I tried using the Edit Parameter Interface tool to drag the rotation and translates from the subnet NULLs into a new Folder I made on the HDA.

Then I returned to the Pose Library and selected the character and made  a couple of poses. Sure enough, this does work. I can switch between poses by clicking on the thumbnails.

 

My next question is now do I animate between poses. I have turned on Auto Keyframe and selected a pose. Then I move to a new position along the timeline and choose another pose. But when I play back the timeline my character does not move.

.

.

.

Ok, I figured out even more.

To animate between poses you need to return to the top level and select the HDA.

Select a pose and then press the K-KEY to record the key frames.

Move to a new position along the timeline and repeat that action.

Select a new pose then press the K-KEY to record the key frames.

Now when I playback the timeline I see my character morphing between poses. Yeah!

 

Edited September 9, 2016 by Atom

[michael]

- just saw your promotion script and tutorial...but here are some answers anyway

you should be able to go into the HDA and, in your case:

select ALL the nulls

open the Type Properties of the HDA - ****NOTE**** open the Type Properties NOT the Parameter Interface, they look similar but are very different - HDAs use the Type Properties.

with the Type Properties open, and all the nulls selected, click on one of the Rotation (or any other parameters) parameters and drag it into the Type Properties window. You may want to make a folder before hand.

now when you click accept, the channels will be promoted, autoscoped and linked.

you won't have to select the HDA to set the keys once you save the HDA and select Match to Current Definition.

 

HTH

[kev2]

I'm struggling here too. I create a geometry, rig it with 3 bones, create a subnet and animate it. Then I save the animation as a pose to the pose library and save the subnet out as an HDA. The problem arises when I bring in the HDA and try to apply poses. The poses don't take. 

Following this thread, I then Allow Editing of Contents for the HDA, dive in, select all the nodes and open the Type Propertes. In the Paramters tab, I get a "Can't edit paramaters for this operator" message?

Any chance you guys could do a turorial on using the pose library. Fiona did a great starter but applying the poses to HDA rigs seems to be a black art. 

Thanks Kevin