Main rig controller

[LaUwUrence]

What about adding an additional main rig controller to which will be parented IK, Pole Targets? Like one more check button. It’s a really necessary controller and it would save a little bit of time.

‌

Just found that it’s better to add Bone Constraints with next settings to make it work with `Save Pose Preset`.

‌

[Alessandro Padovani]

Because simple ik takes exactly the daz rig, apart adding ik chains. So since the daz rig doesn’t get a master bone then simple ik doesn’t either. For daz studio you move the figure in “object mode“. This makes it easy to load and save daz poses and animations since no retargeting is needed. Then of course it’s possible to add any extra complexity but it’s not the purpose of the simple rig, hence the name.

For example what happens when you move both the master bone and the object ? How should the import/export translate it ?

[engetudouiti]

Actually I may approve your idea and I said same thing to pose transform as blender pose mode, more reasonable way.

Blender and DAZ are clear different system, so even though we import daz to blender, we may better to make rig as blender manner, (but offer daz structure)

What I means,,

Daz do not clear separate Pose mod VS Object mod.. so eventhough it not offer Root Rig it not matter.(So actually when we make ani-block or animate something with DAZ timeline we need to set keys for Object transform + hip, and use separatelly)

But blender clear devide Pose / Object mode,, so if we do not have Root bone ,but only use Hip bone,

we need to change mode often,, I think it is simply make things more complex. My usage is,, if Animation (in daz) use Object transform for animate the FIgure, we should use Pose Root bone.

If it is simple Object props,, we use object transform in lbender. Most of us should add Root bone for any figure in blender I suppose..

But because we have mhx or Blender rig-fy and they have root bone, so I simply stop to request it.

(because I do not use default IK rig setting, then if the user of the default IK rig, (not convert to MHX or rig-fy) request it, I think it is usual. (of course I know what Alessandro say, but I approve to add root rig for default IK rig)

‌

[engetudouiti]

btw so even though your request not approved, yes I may recommend you add Root Bone, if you hope to make animation with DAZ def import rig. Because I clear separte when use Root bone transform or Hip bone transform. At same time I really annoying to pose (transform) same figure, I need to change mode then move rig as object transform…

Add Root bone for def rig (or add option for user) never cause problem (though it need more time for Thomas to add Root For def rig ^^;, but I think, most of Daz importer user approve it to add Root Bone for def rig, just for easy pose/animate with same mode. It cause no problem just add Full transform option with same Mode.

(it make blender animation viewer more clean, because we can transform root and transform hip as bone)

‌

[engetudouiti]

Then just to reply Alessandro question,

It is no matter,, because we do not have Pose Root Transform in Daz studio.

Then Thomas already offer when import daz Rig transform as Root bone (pose) / Object rig Transform.

So I suppose he just need to add same option, for def rig when import pose.

At same time, if we import daz scene (not pose), we may simply use Object Transform in blender.

Then to Animate Rig, we use Root Pose Bone as we need.

Actually I may just use Object Transform to Set Scene start pos.. so when I remove all pose, it can return def pos of the scene which I set as Start pose place. It is actually simple way to manage FIgure scene start pos and Pose full transform. (About DAZ we do not have option, so after all we mix use hip and Root transform as same as prop transform)

[LaUwUrence]

Yes. Adding such option will be suitable only for those who want to export baked animations from Blender to Daz.
Since animation baking resets object transforms, we cannot use the object’s location/rotation as controllers.
Here the root bone comes. Also using Constraints instead simple Parenting will tell the IK bones to follow the root bone and hold full coordinates instead local ones.

[LaUwUrence]

By the way if there are any other ways to export animations to Daz from Rigify or MHX rigs, it would be much easier. But I find it impossible since they change the rig completely.

[Alessandro Padovani]

What do you mean that baking resets the object transforms ? It works perfectly here I see no resets whatsoever and it bakes both the object and the armature animations. I can animate the simple rig and export to daz studio without any problem.

steps:

1. animate the object
2. animate the armature
3. bake action
4. save pose preset

‌

[LaUwUrence]

My pipeline:

1. Add Custom Shapes and Add Simple IK with Pole Targets.
2. Animate the armature and the object.

3. Select Object → Animation → Bake Action with the following settings:

   

   …and here I found that Pose and Object can both be selected with Shift.

But it was pretty uncomfortable to constantly switch between Pose and Object modes.

[Alessandro Padovani]

Yes I agree that switching object and pose modes is a pita. But this is a “flaw“ in blender. For example for game animations it is common to animate the object for the main figure position so you can use the bounding box for the collision, that wouldn’t be correct if you don’t animate the object coordinates.

You can use ctrl+tab to switch object and pose modes, so at least there’s a shortcut.

[engetudouiti]

Then what is demerit to add root bone as Option which can work as All rig transform in pose mode, without switch mode?

We already see a bounch of merits.

1. easy transform full rig pos without mix with separate Hip transform and rotaiton.
2. It can make baking easy as Full transform in blender, when export aprication which not change Mode. about the case Pose root bone transform keys= The figure object transform. (about the case you may not use Object transform in blender, but use Pose bone transform as figure location.

As I said there is no demerit to offer as toggle option. Of course you need to select import (pose/animation) option, with your choice. or simply anyone can toggle then not generate Root bone = he never use it for def-rig.

[Alessandro Padovani]

To clarify .. I’m not against it at all. I just explained why it’s this way then of course it’s for Thomas to decide if the extra options are worth.

[engetudouiti]

I suppose you do not remeber, but I requested add root bone for def-rig longtime ago, to import daz pose which include rig object transform as blender pose transform.

Thomas once approved to add it , but it was rejectecd by you. ^^: because you said, daz def rig need to keep same hieralchy and same logic about transform.Though I do not remember what conversation and why Thomas finally reject it.

But I thought, use Object Transform for Daz rig transform , not consider to pose in blender. if we import static scene and daz figure (import dbz, or json as scene file), we need not use Root bone. but if we consider Daz rig transform as Pose, we need Root bone.

Anyway as one user, I really recommend to auto generate root bone for Def Rig.

but how it should be added , with def IK rig, depend the def rig user, so I do not have many view about it.. usually I check def rig with pose first, untill convert,

and sometimes make static scene only pose def-rig, so if it will add Root bone, I welcom without it break something.

[Alessandro Padovani]

That was to import the daz animations where we needed to move the figure as object to respect the hierarchy, if there’s a hierarchy animation too. But now we have options so this was not rejected.

‌

[engetudouiti]

The Master Bone option was added for MHX /rig fy I remember. (because I asked it Thomas , to add these option, to import daz pose which include rig transform as Master Root bone pose transform for MHX.

At same time I remember, as you said there was problem when import hieralchical pose or import with prop, anyway even though it not work for specific purpose, we may not complain. because we can use Object transform as same as before , if new option not work to import complex pose file

(though I do not test , current add on can import parented props or hiralchical pose in daz correctly)

[Alessandro Padovani]

now implemented