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

[ernstAlert]

@Efrye;563898

Hey ,

I’m having a few problems exporting animations in Maya 2016 (Extension 2).
Using the ART files from UE 4.12 (or 4.11), I get the following error messages when opening the export window:

# Warning: The -bs/-borderStyle flag is obsolete and should not be used. # 
# Error: WindowsError: file C:/.../MayaTools/General/Scripts\ART_exportMotion.py line 2093: 3 # 
# Error: KeyError: file C:/.../MayaTools/General/Scripts\ART_exportMotion.py line 1211: addAnimSequence_1_TextField # 

I also tried using the latest files from your dropbox, but with those the animation interface doesn’t open at all and I get this error:

# Error: line 8: ValueError: file C:/.../MayaTools/General/Scripts\ART_animationUI.py line 207: invalid literal for float(): 2016 Extension 2 #

Is it due to the Maya version I’m using? Either way I would appreciate if you could look it.

Ah, so it is due to extension 2. There was a bug with exporting morphs in 2016 that we added a version check for, and with extension 2, it returns a string instead of a float, so it errors. I just added an update to fix it in dropbox. Let me know if that clears it up.

[ernstAlert]

@;564877

Ah, so it is due to extension 2. There was a bug with exporting morphs in 2016 that we added a version check for, and with extension 2, it returns a string instead of a float, so it errors. I just added an update to fix it in dropbox. Let me know if that clears it up.

also, looks like the export motion bug was only if weapon was set to something besides no weapon? Is that correct? That particular error seems to be in the middle of that chunk of logic. Also, make sure that the file path listed actually exists on disk. That’s the only thing I could think of that would cause a windowsError.

[Efrye]

@;564882

also, looks like the export motion bug was only if weapon was set to something besides no weapon? Is that correct? That particular error seems to be in the middle of that chunk of logic. Also, make sure that the file path listed actually exists on disk. That’s the only thing I could think of that would cause a windowsError.

Thanks for the super fast fix, everything is working again!

The other error was indeed due to a file path issue. I must have accidentally deleted the thumbnails folder of my character at one point. Restoring it did the trick. The weapon slot was always set to “no weapon”, so I guess it had nothing to do with it.

Thanks again for the great support!

[anonymous_user_73a30f7a1 (anonymous_user_73a30f7a)]

@;564843

2016 works fine, as we have switched to it in-house now. Haven’t tested ext2.

Was there any errors or anything? Setup should just be, copy userSetup.py to your maya scripts folder. Re-launch maya. Also, where did the scripts come from? (which engine version or was it dropbox). We’re working on just making it a plugin on the marketplace which will really help with stuff not being in sync.

Using 4.12.5

That’s what puzzled me, I pulled the script from C:\Program Files (x86)\Epic Games\4.12\Engine\Extras\Maya_AnimationRiggingTools\MayaTools.

I just saw what I did wrong, I put it in the application script dir instead of the documents script dir. Works fine in 2016.5 so far. Sorry for the false alarm.

[anonymous_user_391b9265]

@;559688

In 4.12, it is now an optional download. If you click the down arrow next to the engine version in your Library, you can go to options to access/download it.

Hello Mr.
I’ve just recently downloaded UE4 v4.12.5 and I am not able to locate the Animation and Rigging Tools (I have combed over this thread and noticed this post)
You mention that it’s available in the Options from the drop-down menu, I have all optional items installed, less the Editor Symbols for Debugging (I did not want to dl an additional 8gb of info)
Yet, I do not have the Epic Games Maya Animation Rigging and Tools, I have downloaded from your dropbox, only to see that it’s just an update to scripts.

Also, from one of your posts, you mention that it’s available to UE4 sub’s - how does one become a sub?

[aprejean]

@Casat;565520

Hello Mr.
I’ve just recently downloaded UE4 v4.12.5 and I am not able to locate the Animation and Rigging Tools (I have combed over this thread and noticed this post)
You mention that it’s available in the Options from the drop-down menu, I have all optional items installed, less the Editor Symbols for Debugging (I did not want to dl an additional 8gb of info)
Yet, I do not have the Epic Games Maya Animation Rigging and Tools, I have downloaded from your dropbox, only to see that it’s just an update to scripts.

Also, from one of your posts, you mention that it’s available to UE4 sub’s - how does one become a sub?

Does “Art tools” have the check next to it? If so, you should have a folder called “Maya_AnimationRiggingTools” located here: Install Location\Epic Games\4.12\Engine\Extras\

[anonymous_user_391b9265]

@aprejean;568566

Does “Art tools” have the check next to it? If so, you should have a folder called “Maya_AnimationRiggingTools” located here: Install Location\Epic Games\4.12\Engine\Extras\

Yes. Everything is checked, with the exception of the debugging tools.

[Enter_Reality]

Hi , ( slightly ot ) I have a question related to skin weights inside UE4 after the rig is imported into a scene ( not necessarely from ART ): how the skin weight is set inside UE4? meaning is there a way to access/edit/tweak directly inside the engine ( possibly by coding ) so that minor tweaks or quick character skinning can be done directly inside the engine ( e.g. for testing purpose )?

[Vaei]

@Enter Reality;570201

Hi , ( slightly ot ) I have a question related to skin weights inside UE4 after the rig is imported into a scene ( not necessarely from ART ): how the skin weight is set inside UE4? meaning is there a way to access/edit/tweak directly inside the engine ( possibly by coding ) so that minor tweaks or quick character skinning can be done directly inside the engine ( e.g. for testing purpose )?

The short answer is no. It may be possible to access vertex weighting information through a very complex set of C++ code, however that doesn’t fit the ‘minor tweaks’ or ‘quick character skinning’ or even ‘directly inside the engine’.

I also don’t see how this could exist in a way that wouldn’t encourage incorrect workflow. Takes a few clicks to re-export an fbx from your 3d software anyway.

[KWS]

I was having trouble loading pbUDK, which in turn revealed that pyMel itself wasn’t functioning correctly.

I discovered that it was caused by the inclusion of your pre-release userSetup.py to the scripts dir. the one bundled with UE 4.12 doesn’t have this problem.

More details: Error: 'module' object has no attribute '<some-random-thing>' · Issue #2 · cmcpasserby/pbUDK · GitHub

[CyberDev]

Maya 2017 has some great improvements in the graph editor, performance on rigs and more. Any chance to get the tools to work with this new release? Would be awesome!

[Brandelan]

So, I just updated my ART from the dropbox you have posted. I get this error now:

// Warning: Texture file D:/Build/usr//MayaTools/General/Icons/ART/jointMover.tga doesn’t exist

I assume that somewhere the jointMover.tga is hardcoded to your personal system? Or did I just install it in correctly, and this is a fallback default?

Also, when I attempt to publish, the window appears like this, with the bottom buttons cut off:

I’m on Maya 2015

And now also getting this error on Build:

EDIT:

Sorry, long string of edits. I realized my Maya>EpicGames>Settings was pointing to an old version of the ART.

However, now when I build, I get this error:

Error: ValueError: file C:/Program Files/Epic Games/4.12/Engine/Extras/Maya_AnimationRiggingTools/MayaTools/General/Scripts\ART_skeletonBuilder_UI.py line 7669: No object matches name: SkeletonSettings_Cache

EDIT && FIXED!!!

Turns out I had an old SkeletonSettings object in my scene from the older version of the ART, or maybe even a corrupted one from a failed save. Who knows? However, after deleting that, and remaking my skeleton, the rig creation worked!

(to show the SkeletonSettings, you have to turn DAG off).

[Enter_Reality]

Hey guys,

I’m trying some Mixamo characters as I’m downlading the UE4 version with the proper skeletal hierarchy name and setup.

I want to be able to rig the character using ART, but there are a couple of things which cause issues:

• Root joint is not at 0,0,0 and the rotation is -90° ( I guess because Mixamo assume Yup )
• If I zero-our everything ( except for the 90° ) I’m not able to build the rig since ART tells me that there are pre and post scripts in the scene, and the rig fails miserably

What I did was to open the Mannequin file and directly drop the Mixamo character into the scene, and the joints will automatically reposition and reorient themself, but I’m still not able to build the rig

Someone succesfully built a rig from a Mixamo character?

[Adeptus]

Well arent mixamo character skeletons completely different in naming and hierarchy to ue4 skeleton?
I guess the ART is hardcoded to use its ue4 skeleton so youll have to rebind your mixamo mesh to that skeleton?
Havent worked with neither too much, but just a thought…

[Enter_Reality]

Mixamo added a feature which allows you to download the character with the UE4 skeletal hierarchy which match the Mannequin one, but they assume Yup and the root is not at its origin.

[Adeptus]

Is it just missing the root bone? Or is the hierarchy naming shifted? (Root being hip, spine1 being spine2, etc, etc,). If its just missing you should just be able to recreate it manually before running ART.
Else: Just save skinning from the mixamo file. Unbind, delete skeleton, import ue4 skeleton, place it into body, reload skinning. Run ART on that cleaned-up file. Would that work?

[Enter_Reality]

Ehm…no, the ENTIRE skeletal hierarchy from the Mixamo file it’s exactly like the one created in ART ( root > pelvis and so on )

The root is rotated by 90° and can’t be freeze because it’s binded, so I tried to unbind the mesh and freeze but I can’t do that ( due to incoming connection ), and ART won’t work with Yup ( at least previously, not sure if that was added as an option ).

The whole point of creating the rigging is to have the joints already in position from the Mixamo file and the mesh is skinned ( not perfectly but acceptable for prototyping ), so the only thing left is to build the rig itself, otherwise if I have to align all the joints to the the body parts, fingers and so on I’m basically doing 99% of the job again, and just transfering the skin weights.

The perfect solution would be to drop the fbx file into a scene where the mannequin is, the joints get aligned properly following the skeletal hierarchy ( which is the same between the Mannequin and the Mixamo character ) and build the rig automatically from there.

[Adeptus]

Yep that sounds like the perfect thing.

But if its just the freezing problem. theres lots of ways to overcome that.

1. save skinning, delete history so theres no connection to bones. Then freeze. Load skinning back on.
   or
2. manually zero out root .r and .jo and offset the hip bone to match the original postion and orientation (can be done in several ways, im sure you know how)
   or
3. write your own code that converts joint rotates to joint orients using the matrix information. Thats basically all that freezing does, but if you write it yourself you can make it work even on bound geos.

But to be honest. I thought that ART would work with yup as thats the standard maya world orientation.
Seems almost stupid to have to orient to zup just for rigging if all fbx import/exports convert themselves automatically.
The converison to zup in ue4 happens perfectly seamless on import anyway.

[anonymous_user_20f3dac8]

Some issues… maya 2016 student edition…

skinned the whole character.
When i want to build the control rig i get # Error: ValueError: file C:/Program Files/Epic Games/4.11/Engine/Extras/Maya_AnimationRiggingTools/MayaTools/General/Scripts\ART_skeletonBuilder_UI.py line 7669: No object matches name: SkeletonSettings_Cache
When i try to export the skin weights i get a message that they are exported, but may freezes after that. Only way to exit maya is to end the process.

importing the skin weights to a new mesh doesn’t seem to do anything.
Really don’t want to do the skinning again
I’ve seen this Maya Tools .py error - Character & Animation - Epic Developer Community Forums but it didn’t seem to work
Any advice?

[ernstAlert]

Hey all,

I was out at Siggraph last week and had some time off this week. I will be catching up on this thread soon.
Thanks for your patience.