Transferring Biped Skeletons in 3ds Max

From Multiverse

Creating and Importing Models

Creating Assets  •  Creating Collision Volumes  •  Exporting Models to COLLADA  •  Targeting a Wide Range of Hardware  •  Model Conversion Tool  •  Creating Material Scripts

Using 3ds Max

Using the 3ds Max Export Tool Creating Attachment Models Creating Morph Animations Transferring Biped Skeletons Implementing Vertex Lighting

Other Tools

Blender: Static Model  •  Blender: Anim. Model  •  Blender Physics  •  DeleD: Static Model  •  DAZ Studio: Creating Characters  •  DAZ Studio: Avatars  •  Using Poser

Overview

Transferring biped skeletons between different models with similar bone structures can save time and enable several models to share animations with only minor modifications to the animations. For example, it makes it possible to design a set of mechanized armor units with a common leg structure to share animations. The key to success in this process is planning uniform leg structures (most important) and arm structures (less important) so that any units that share animations move uniformly.

Process

1. Open up the max file containing the model you wish to place the skeleton onto.
2. Check to make sure you system units are set to Centimeters
3. bring in a scale item to make sure the scale of your object is what you want it to be:
   Here is an example of a model that has the wrong scale:
   
   
   
4. Resize the Object to the correct proportions. This must be done before adding the skeletal system to avoid errors
   Correct Scale:
   
   
   
5. You must also make sure that the limb bone designs are compatable.
   Here is an example of non-compatible structures:
   
   
   

I am going to transfer the skeleton between these two meshes just to show the process of how to do it. The end results will be for all practical purposes useless. In this case both leg set ups require a different set of animations.


6. Once you have determined basic compatability you need to import the skeleton from the working model:
   
   • Under the [Edit] menu select the {merge} option.
   • Select the file you wish to get the skeleton from and confirm.
   • This will bring up the object selection for the merge process:
     
   
   
   • You need to select the biped hierarchy (bip01 the root node and everything under it.) and comfirm.
     
     
   • The end result should be an imported skeleton (and animation if there was one in the original file.)
     
   



7. Next the skeleton needs to be edited to fit the new mesh:
   • To do this you must select the root node (Bip01) in the scene.
     
   
   
   
   • You must then put the Biped Hierarchy structure into [Figure Mode]:
     
   with the Animation Tab active and the Bip01 selected the biped rollout should be available.
   Select the [little stick figure guy] to put you into Figure mode for skeleton editing.
   This also puts the skeleton into bind pose.
   
   
   
   • Scale the skeleton components to fit the new mesh:
     
   Tips
   Set the scaling transform type to 'Slect and Uniform Scale' This isn't the default. Go figure.
   Setting transform to Local Coordinate system works well.
   Use rotate and scale, not Transform if it can be avoided.
   
   
8. You should end up with a skeleton that fits your mesh:
   
   In this case I shrank the thigh bone down to almost nothing which in practical use would mess up the animation, But the point is the skeleton can be resized to fit just about anything.
   
   
9. So now all you would need to do is skin the mesh and weight out the verticies and you have a skeleton that will bring animations across from the first model.