When I try to install the latest version of ART from 4.12 or dropbox into Maya 2016, it causes the screen to flicker white ?
Has anyone else had this problem?
Very strange, as I had it working on 2016 on this machine before
This is likely the problem. ART has a concept of model pose, and rig pose. The ideal model pose usually is not a T-pose, but the ideal rig pose (at least on bipedals) is a t-pose. When you go to the deformation phase, a box pops up asking you to create a rig pose, and there is even an option to auto-create one to a t-pose. If you just hit save pose without doing anything, your rig pose is now the same as your model pose, which is fine, but will likely cause the issues you are seeing. If you were to go back to your export file and go back to placement, then under the “reference pose manager” menu, choose reset rig pose. That little prompt will come up again. This time, try choosing the Auto-align option and then rebuild the rig. That will likely fix the issue (if matching is a large concern).
Likely you have a userSetup.py both in your maya/scripts directory and in your maya/mayaVersion/scripts directory, so the two are fighting each other. Try deleting the one in your global scripts directory (documents/username/maya/scripts [on windows])
Also, worth noting, the scripts that ship with 4.12 are unfortunately not latest. It seems they pulled from a version months ago. If you want to get latest, please grab them from dropbox! (These are updated anytime anything is fixed or added!)
I tried to use master anim control in order to get root motion to work but it did not (but I don’t know if that’s another student Maya problem)
I went back and set it to the default T-Pose like you said, and then exported a test rig file. All of the controls are responding much better. The only things acting weird now are the arms, which still continue their twist each time I change the switch. But I think once I build a new character from scratch that problem may be resolved. Thank you for your help. It is much appreciated.
Hey , I just checked your website again and noticed there hasn’t been a blog post since January. Would you like to fill us fans in on what you’ve done in that entertaining writing style you do through that platform?
Issue with vert weights
Hi, Thanks for tracking down that root motion issue , I am back with another issue! Chances are this is my lack of understanding about something, but I was trying to edit the vert weights on my mesh Using “Edit Rig File” (because I wanted to test wrist movement and associated forearm twist while painting the weights). I didn’t see any description of “Edit Rig File” in the docs, so I am not sure if it is even ever supposed to be used, my guess is that changes to weighting in that file won’t propagate to any exported animations? When I went to “build control rig”, I got an error:
# Error: setAttr: The attribute 'root.translateX' is locked or connected and cannot be modified.
# Traceback (most recent call last):
# File "F:/[xxxxx]/RawArtAssets/AnimationTools/MayaTools/General/Scripts\ART_skeletonBuilder_UI.py", line 8883, in publish_UI_TakeScreenshot
# self.screenshot_thumbnailCreationAndCheck(project, characterName, handCtrlSpace)
# File "F:/[xxxxx]/RawArtAssets/AnimationTools/MayaTools/General/Scripts\ART_skeletonBuilder_UI.py", line 8650, in screenshot_thumbnailCreationAndCheck
# self.publish(project, characterName, handCtrlSpace)
# File "F:/[xxxxx]/RawArtAssets/AnimationTools/MayaTools/General/Scripts\ART_skeletonBuilder_UI.py", line 7659, in publish
# self.setRigPose_Skel()
# File "F:/[xxxxx]/RawArtAssets/AnimationTools/MayaTools/General/Scripts\ART_skeletonBuilder_UI.py", line 6924, in setRigPose_Skel
# cmds.setAttr(mover + ".tx", float(tx))
# RuntimeError: setAttr: The attribute 'root.translateX' is locked or connected and cannot be modified. #
Is this expected? Are you only supposed to edit weighting on the “Export Rig”? Also, I notice that by default the lowerarm_r gets the bulk of the vert weights assigned which messes with the forearm twist from the wrist. Should only the twist bones be included as influences (I am using two)? I want to understand the intended use of the rig. Thanks!
Finally, I was having a lot of trouble getting the range of motion tool to work. When I would click it with bones selected from the list, it usually complained that nothing was selected. Sometimes it would generate motion, but not for the bone I had currently selected, and any future attempt to generate motion would just regenerate the same bones, ignoring my selection.
awesome! Yeah, if you rebuild from the export file, you should be all set.
It’s on my to-do list for tomorrow! I made some videos today though that I was going to put in the blog post. You can view them here if you don’t want to wait!
ah!
So edit rig file was added way after the docs and I never updated them, but it’s used by us for two things mainly, to write and test our post-build scripts and to edit weighting on the actual rig.
However, with weighting, you can do it, but you will not be able to manipulate the joints as they are being driven by the rig. So, if you’re trying to get back to model pose, that won’t really work (you could do it by exporting that pose from the export file as an FBX and import it as mocap using the import motion tool). Also, if editing the rig, it’s honestly best to save out the weights and load them in the export file. The rig file will get re-created any time a rebuild happens, so you don’t want to lose those changes!
What I prefer to do, is open the rig file, animate a test that I want to weight to, and then export that out as an FBX animation using the export motion tool. Then in the export file, I can just import that animation onto my skeleton and weight from there. When I’m done, I just delete all the keys and ‘assume rig pose’ to get everything back to normal.
Ooooahh now you tempt me with exciting new content without the funny and informative backstory…! No, Shrooblord, patience! PATIENCE
Great stuff - always a fan of your work.
Thanks ! - That was the issue - there was also a pending install in a 2016 Ext 2 installation
BTW - Is Art V2 also available on DropBox or Github?
Really looking forward to it 
Another Art V2 feature request if you don’t mind … and if it’s not already there, after all I haven’t used it yet
I’d like an additional control that can rotate the upper arms. It’s to help prevent gimbal lock when either lowering the arms to the sides or raising them (depending on rig pose etc). Rather than putting another control there, it could simply be an attribute on the upper arm control rotating the one above it on Y.
Edit: Clavicle controls already do this, except the rotation attributes are hidden.
V2 on the way! Great!
sorry to bother you again but could you take a look at the mocap I sent you thru PM? the twisting of the knee when the mocap is applied is very time consuming and using animation layer ( additive ) makes things worse most of the time.
Hello! I just wanted to make sure you were aware that the import tool doesn’t work on Maya 2016. 
Thank you!
, I have been using the import button (if by that you mean the button to import mocap or anims) without any issues in Maya 2016. What are you seeing when you use it?
I start by adding my character into the scene for animation using ART, clicking the import button, specifying the .FBX animation to import and then when I press import, nothing happens.
Well, that is the same thing I am doing. Are you certain that the bone names match between the character file and the import source?
publicly, not yet Working on some stuff to make that happen. My latest blog post covers the Github stuff.
Hey there!
Sorry about that, I’m terrible at checking PMs. I’ll take a look and report back by around this time tomorrow at the latest.