"save pose preset" doesn't work ?

[Alessandro Padovani]

daz studio 4.15.0.2, blender 2.91.2, commit 2015229

I’m not sure if mhx is intended to work with “save pose preset”. If not then an error should be rised if the user tries to. Then if I try to export an animation to daz using mhx it doesn’t work.

steps:

1. import a G8F figure
2. merge rigs and convert to mhx
3. animate with ik controls
4. export the animation with “save pose preset“
5. in daz studio load the animation into the G8F figure

I also tried to bake the animation before exporting in point 4 but didn’t work either. That’s why I used 2.91 where the baking works fine. See #527.

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[Alessandro Padovani]

update. important. It seems to work fine with the “simple ik” rig if I bake the action first. So this may be a working way to animate in blender with ik then export to daz.

edit. As a side note the hip control for simple ik is to be considered “ik” so it should be square instead of circle. Also it is not a deform bone so “deform” should be unchecked.

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steps:

1. import a G8F figure
2. merge rigs and convert to simple ik
3. animate with ik controls
4. bake the action then export the animation with “save pose preset“
5. in daz studio load the animation into the G8F figure

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[engetudouiti]

You can retarget MHX animation to default import rig, (append it from import scene) then can bake it as default rig animation, and save as pose preset. the saved pose file can load the blender MHX animation as really stable daz animation for me.

I feel there remain some improvement when save as pose preset, for twist and bend bone rotation. but I suppose it can be solved test with real pose whch user convert. (then it is matter not MHX specific, because all animation are baked correctly for the default rig. it only matter how default rig bend and twsit bone transform value apply for the daz bone props.)

The only problem was, blender 2.92 bake actually show problem. then I usually could not bake it correctly.but 2.83 can work perfectly. I confirmed.

If Thomas improve about this issue for MHX, I only hope make option which can easy retarget current MHX animation. (I suppose Thomas offer bvh retarget may work the purpose,, ideally the retarget system will be included for MHX rts with easy click option.

At current I use another retarget add on, because I already made retarget config file, so it work for me without many step (actually there seems no difference, once user set retarget.

(pose with MHX as I need >> it auto retarget to the default rig. after make MHX animation, bake animation only for the default rig as new action>. save pose preset which add on offer.

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[engetudouiti]

I only see a few frame which seems un-necessary twist added for daz rig pose, (bend and twist ERC) when save as pose preset and import it for same character. (baked animation is perfect same as MHX animation for me with 2.83 or 2.91? )

It may need to check with real pose files and compare it in daz props and blender props) when imporve the save pose preset I think. usually most of animation work really well.

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[Alessandro Padovani]

Thank you Engetudouiti, retargeting is an option indeed. I may suggest the addon below that also gets its own baking so it should work with 2.92 too. Another interesting feature is ik retargeting for hands and feet.

Please Thomas let us know if you may want to improve on this, otherwise I’ll mark as resolved. Then if there’s nothing to add, these workflows for mhx and simple ik should be reported in the user docs for everyone to be aware of. Also to explain better how “save pose preset” is supposed to be used.

https://github.com/Mwni/blender-animation-retargeting

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[engetudouiti]

I already mentioned the add on. and linked for original post which request the save preset for daz.

. then I recommend personally if someone need to serch it.

but I do not know if the author can keep up-date the add on or not. and ideally may better to work (test) with Thomas offer bvh retargetter (I suppose it do same thing, but do not remember, it can retarget not for bvh rig clear. and how it work)

I think it is for specific user though. anyway even though not think about daz animation, retarget to default rig and bake it is important future for this add on (as appendix) I hope we can easy do it, will less step. and some good options.

and when retarget rig, how set up config (bone relation) is important. so it may need user effort (and some try and test ,to find best options (MHX set up too).

[engetudouiti]

As real case, I find frame, which not correctly apply the baked def bone animation value for the daz rig.

I suppose if I save the frame (it add un-necessary rotation) , as pose. and check the duf, and compare the blender bone current transform value, it can solve those un-match problem .

(maybe user need these report with real pose file. and show blender bone transform valule on the frame, for those specific issue, to improve pose preset for daz. )

One reason ( I feel if it related or not,,) the re-target add on force all target figure bone Euler rotation as xyz when we set up and retarget to default rig. ^^; though it seems not main issue..I hope so.

[Thomas Larsson]

Pose presets are created from FK poses, just as daz poses are loaded as FK poses. If you have an IK animation, you need to convert it to FK first. There is a tool for switching entire actions in the mhx_rts plugin.

That said, there was a bug in saving the FK pose, because arms and thighs were not separated into their bend and twist components. That is now fixed, and the saved pose is quite close to what we started from. There are still small differences, because some mhx bones have slightly different locations than the original genesis bones, but the tool is still useful.

I also tried to save a preset from rigify. The pose is recognizable but the differences are larger.

[engetudouiti]

I tried the rts convert tool first. to convert IK animaiton to FK animation. but basically it need to set keys for all frame first, I suppose. (bake IK animation? )

or it not convert as good FK animation (eg between key 1 and key 2 for foot IK, not keep same pos after convert as FK)

I found option it try to force to keep the foot pos though, as my experience, maybe retarget correctly MHX to FK rig (so I use default rig) can convert pose more precisely (almost perfect I feel) and can use default rig = almost same rig in daz studio.

anyway I may test the Mhx rts tool again ( there will be case, I need to convert MHX IK animation to FK animation)

If just use preset for blender, I think, we can save pose for all bone (include IK bone and FK bone with current option) at current add on offer the “pose preset” work for both. so it may need to convert as FK animation first. (ideally ,as future tool which save and load action for blender, or save and load (which need to convert) for daz may better offered as separate tool , though I do not request it now)

[engetudouiti]

btw blender 3.0 seems offer more usable pose library (and library system), but I do not think it is offered as stable soon. usually it take really long time those new tool work well. (like new collection took long time)

[Alessandro Padovani]

Thomas, commit 43c2709 works fine. I see that “transfer ik > fk“ also bakes the animation so it can be used with 2.92 too, despite the 2.92 its own baking doesn’t work.

As a relevant note, as you say the animation is slightly different and specifically I get sliding feet so this is not good for quality animation. Then the “simple ik” rig works much better and the sliding is reduced to a minimum.

Also it would be useful to add these notes in the docs for the users to be aware of how “save pose preset“ is to be used and what to expect with it. Both “simple ik“ and mhx may be good enough though “simple ik“ is better, while rigify is not usable.

@engetudouiti If you have nothing to add I’d mark as resolved.

[engetudouiti]

Ah I think it make sense. yes I tried the MHX tool with the 2.92 only.

but if I retarget, I do not see such foot slide issue. (then close this topic as you need free, I just add pose preset should work for MHX without problem (if you retarget to default rig correctly)

(after that it only depend, save pose preset function. not MHX matter any more)