Animation and Rigging Tools: FAQ, Known Issues and Feature Roadmap

[GrayHulk]

It turns out that updating the path through the ART Settings would always throw an error, but if I went in and modified mayaTools.txt in Documents/maya/2015-x64/scripts and restarted Maya, it points to the right place. Problem solved.

Thanks,
Alec

[rujuro]

Hey everyone, I posted this in the unreal answers area, but realize I might be more likely to get a response here. When I try and change between paint and select modes in the deformation panel I get the following:

# Error: artAttrSkinPaintCtx: Object 'ART_artAttrSkinPaint' not found.
# Traceback (most recent call last):
#   File "F:/Users//Perforce/stephen_LightStar_Board/Hydrogen/RawArtAssets/AnimationTools/MayaTools/General/Scripts\ART_skeletonBuilder_UI.py", line 10706, in paintWeightsWhichMode
#     self.paintWeightsSelectMode()
#   File "F:/Users//Perforce/stephen_LightStar_Board/Hydrogen/RawArtAssets/AnimationTools/MayaTools/General/Scripts\ART_skeletonBuilder_UI.py", line 10685, in paintWeightsSelectMode
#     cmds.artAttrSkinPaintCtx('ART_artAttrSkinPaint', edit = True, spm = 0)
# RuntimeError: artAttrSkinPaintCtx: Object 'ART_artAttrSkinPaint' not found.

As far as I can tell, there is no ART_artAttrSkinPaint script in the tools, but it seems to want them.

A second issue, is that when I try and load a pose as a ghost, my rig automatically snaps to the pose and no “ghost” seems to load. This is all in 2016, has anyone else seen these issues?

Thanks,

[ernstAlert]

@Jsarkany88;538857

hi guys, im kind of new on this and i’ve read a lot of coments in this topic but i can’t find where to download the latest version of ART, i currently use the normal one and it is really cool but i would like to use more than bipeds in my rigs, is the new version avilable already?

thank you

Sadly, not yet. I’m cranking away on it though! I’ll put up a new blog post this weekend on my devblog of the progress. Just one more module to make and a couple animation tools and it’ll be released!

[ernstAlert]

@Freakazoid!;540297

So with the recent engine release (4.12.0), there is a option for “Art Tools” when you install the engine. What does this mean and include?
I can’t find anything in the Documentation and I also can’t find anything in the engine release information that was posted upon the engine being moved from Preview to Full version. Anyone know?

I don’t think that has anything to do with mine. Unless you mean the ArtToolsOSX folder?
Got a screenshot?

[ernstAlert]

@Jsarkany88;540876

i downloaded the newest version and replace my old ART with this and is exacly the same one :c

also if it is not out yet, and they still working on it, would it be much to ask for some kind of import for props and weapons? pretty please? or even a section to generate the rigs for weapons, because there is extremly low info about how to rig a weapon for import.

most of the times is only shown how to atach the weapon to a character, but not what the weapon requires itself, and the few that i found that talk about the weapon they only copy another weapon export the fbx and then replace the mesh, but i find that really limited.

being able to do weapon rigs an and animations and export them directly from ART would be perfect to make that transistion super smooth.

ART2.0 is designed to rig anything, from simple props and weapons, to bipeds, to vehicles, monsters, whatever. That’s the great thing about the modular setup!
Initial release will have modules mostly designed for characters, but there will be enough there to make weapons and props as well. However, the goal over time is to continue adding modules for more and more things, like tires, pistons, tank treads, wings, etc…

[ernstAlert]

@Freakazoid!;541422

I was more asking because the “Art Tools” that are a optional install with the new engine also work with 3ds Max (or so it says). What are these 3ds Max “Art Tools”? Where do I find them and what do they include?

Maybe you’re referring to the Engine/Extras/3dsMaxScripts folder?

[ernstAlert]

@GrayHulk;541529

It turns out that updating the path through the ART Settings would always throw an error, but if I went in and modified mayaTools.txt in Documents/maya/2015-x64/scripts and restarted Maya, it points to the right place. Problem solved.

Thanks,
Alec

strange! Not sure why the settings wouldn’t have worked. Glad you got it sorted though!

[ernstAlert]

Just updated the dropbox with latest scripts again. Simply copy the scripts folder from there and overwrite your local scripts folder to get all the new fixes and features.

Thanks!

[ernstAlert]

Heads up, just found out from a user that ghost pose is completely broken. I found when/where it broke and will hopefully have a fix out next week.
If anyone in the mean time wants to use that feature, here is an older, but working revision of the file:

(note, this is not in the main dropbox location!)
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/10939513/ART_poseEditor.py

[Freakazoid]

@'[EPIC

;541576’]I don’t think that has anything to do with mine. Unless you mean the ArtToolsOSX folder?
Got a screenshot?

Yours…what? Did you read my post?
I don’t understand how what I said correlates to anything related to you. I am asking about the “Art Tools” option you can select or deselect when you install the new 4.12.0 engine version. I didn’t say anything about you directly.

[Freakazoid]

@'[EPIC

;541579’]Maybe you’re referring to the Engine/Extras/3dsMaxScripts folder?

I wouldn’t know. What sort of scripts are stored there? What do they do?

[Vaei]

[MENTION=2385][/MENTION] - Feature request for V2:

Tickbox on Export Animation for “Mirrored animation”, which will export two versions with suffixies _l _r (for example). I’ve been writing quick scripts for my characters that go through each bone in the fbx and mirror it manually, but it would be really cool if ART would have the option to do it automatically particularly because UE4 doesn’t support animation mirroring in-engine, and it was added to the UE4 roadmap in June 2014 then removed completely in May this year (2016).

[ernstAlert]

@Freakazoid!;541888

Yours…what? Did you read my post?
I don’t understand how what I said correlates to anything related to you. I am asking about the “Art Tools” option you can select or deselect when you install the new 4.12.0 engine version. I didn’t say anything about you directly.

You are posting in a thread I created, for support on a toolset I wrote, which happens to be named ART (animation rigging toolkit), that ships with the engine. It’s not a huge leap.
Also, in my 4.12 on the launcher, I’m not seeing anything like what you’re seeing. Afraid I can’t help you and this probably isn’t the thread if it’s not about the animation and rigging tools.

[ernstAlert]

@Freakazoid!;541890

I wouldn’t know. What sort of scripts are stored there? What do they do?

various max scripts written by our tech artists we share with the community. Probably not what you’re referring to.
Did you check the release notes?

[ernstAlert]

@;542042

[MENTION=2385][/MENTION] - Feature request for V2:

Tickbox on Export Animation for “Mirrored animation”, which will export two versions with suffixies _l _r (for example). I’ve been writing quick scripts for my characters that go through each bone in the fbx and mirror it manually, but it would be really cool if ART would have the option to do it automatically particularly because UE4 doesn’t support animation mirroring in-engine, and it was added to the UE4 roadmap in June 2014 then removed completely in May this year (2016).

sounds good! Will add it to my list!

[Freakazoid]

@'[EPIC

;542060’]You are posting in a thread I created, for support on a toolset I wrote, which happens to be named ART (animation rigging toolkit), that ships with the engine. It’s not a huge leap.
Also, in my 4.12 on the launcher, I’m not seeing anything like what you’re seeing. Afraid I can’t help you and this probably isn’t the thread if it’s not about the animation and rigging tools.

My Apologies, I misread the thread title. Where should I ask about my question then? The check box appears when you are choose what will install with the 4.12.0 engine. There is also platforms to choose from when you see the install list that the “Art Tools” resides in.

@'[EPIC

;542061’]various max scripts written by our tech artists we share with the community. Probably not what you’re referring to.
Did you check the release notes?

At the time I checked the release notes, there wasn’t any mention of what I am talking about. They might have added it by now, thought I don’t know. I will go check again.

[Freakazoid]

I just checked the release notes and I found something this time around.

New: Advanced selective download features for UE 4.12 updates include options for Art Tools and Target Platforms on the launcher.

That’s all that is listed, however this still tells me nothing about what “Art Tools” means and includes. So I am still at a loss what had been added that means “Art Tools”.

[Zarkopafilis]

@Freakazoid!;542084

I just checked the release notes and I found something this time around.

New: Advanced selective download features for UE 4.12 updates include options for Art Tools and Target Platforms on the launcher.

That’s all that is listed, however this still tells me nothing about what “Art Tools” means and includes. So I am still at a loss what had been added that means “Art Tools”.

(Maya) Animation and Rigging Toolset](Animating Characters and Objects in Unreal Engine | Unreal Engine 5.3 Documentation)

[Freakazoid]

@Zarkopafilis;542449

(Maya) Animation and Rigging Toolset](Animating Characters and Objects in Unreal Engine | Unreal Engine 5.3 Documentation)

What’s the link supposed to mean? I already know about the toolset for Maya, however the description for the option for Art Tools (Not ART Tools, as there is a difference) says that it includes tools for 3ds max. Last time I checked ART was only for Maya.

[Zharkan88 (Joe88)]

@'[EPIC

;541578’]ART2.0 is designed to rig anything, from simple props and weapons, to bipeds, to vehicles, monsters, whatever. That’s the great thing about the modular setup!
Initial release will have modules mostly designed for characters, but there will be enough there to make weapons and props as well. However, the goal over time is to continue adding modules for more and more things, like tires, pistons, tank treads, wings, etc…

Thank you so much fot the response, for what you say, iguess ART2 will be exacly what I needed, where could i know more about the progress?