Corrupt Scene.

# 1 01-12-2006 , 09:02 AM

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Many of you may have noticed that I've been sounding out many questions recently though there is a genuine reason other than to boost my post count user added image

You will have to pay attention now...

I need to export a fully rigged character intended for gaming purposes as a direct x (which I have the plug in and works) though when I export this particular model the output file is only like 13kb and subsequently doesnt work. (Others have output files much larger). I decided to export as an obj in the presumption that maybe there is some corruption in the current scene, when I re-read the obj into a fresh scene and export the as a .x the model is fine in the direct x viewer.

BUT... somewhere between the export and import as obj the model becomes as 1 and no longer is it rigged. which is a major pain in the rear. Could this be to do with an option box needing checking? If not, maybe I have to export initially as another file extention which can keep the rigging data. I know this may seem a ludicrus work around but it's the only way that I can export some kind of working .x file at the minute from this current scene, other scenes have worked no problem.

cheers guys.

If you believe in telekinesis, raise my right hand.

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# 2 01-12-2006 , 01:43 PM

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Any ideas fellas?

If you believe in telekinesis, raise my right hand.

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# 3 04-12-2006 , 06:32 AM

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I don't do too much importing/exporting of files, so I can't help you too much, but I'd like to ask a few questions I hope will at least be able to help nudge us both in a helpful direction (you, being helped; me, understanding).

Anyway...:

1) You modeled/rigged in Maya, aye?

2) Is the program you're trying to import the file INTO able to understand Maya's Rigging information? Do you know if it can/can't?

and lastly:

3) Do .obj files contain rigging information, or only geometry information?

I know that computers work on a deeper level, but knowing that .obj essentially means "object (file type)," I'm curious as to if a .obj file only contains geometry information, or any/all information like rigging (thus my question :p).

If, ultimately, .obj's continues to not work, are there other file types you can export/import as, so see if those work instead?

EDIT:

p.s., always save before trying something new; keep backup files user added image

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# 4 04-12-2006 , 07:07 AM

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1) Everything done in maya - modelling and rigging and animation.

2) I'm trying to export from Maya as a direct x ready for use in a game engine, not into another programme.

3) Very good point! I'll have to look into that myself. My main issues is that I think the current scene is containing corrupt data, so need to keep only the good model and rig data and put into a fresh scene, the only way this has worked so far has been to export as an obj and reimport into a fresh scene, though subsequently I've lost the rig data. I'm currently trying to solve this issue as we speak so hopefully can let you know a little more later

If you believe in telekinesis, raise my right hand.

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# 5 04-12-2006 , 07:20 AM

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Allrighty; and always be sure to save your work incrimetally, and if you get the feeling that your latest file is corrupt, be safe and give it the axe and go back to a file you know for sure is clean.

Last edited by severinianthony; 04-12-2006 at 12:02 PM.

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# 6 05-12-2006 , 04:33 PM

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I'm sure you've already done it, but if not here's a pair of suggestions:

1) In hypershade, Edit->Delete Unused Nodes

or

2) In the hypergraph, hit the Input Connections button (as in the one to the left of the icon with a book and a red + symbol)
Then go through and delete any nodes that you know shouldn't be there.

3) Failing that, as a last resort I'd just save as a .ma and then go hunting through the file for anything that's not meant to be there. I'd just copy the file, do a search and replace (replacing found text with a single space) for everything I know I need. After I'd done that, I'd be left with a file full of spaces and nodes that (a)shouldn't be there, or (b) I'm yet to discover more about.

I've had a problem with screwed-up scenes that stop responding correctly, usually when I convert from polys to subds and then rather than converting back again, I hit undo. This appears to create another instance(a copy, not a true instance) of the geometry, that is not selectable seperately to the original.

Some of the poly ops stop working at this point and the filesize doubles. I've found trick #2 to fix anything remaining after #1.

Simon

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# 7 05-12-2006 , 05:15 PM

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Cheers enhzflep, I have done 1 and 2 though will have another look, though could you explain 3 more for me, what am I to search for in the ansi file? and what am I to do when I find certain things?

Thanks.

If you believe in telekinesis, raise my right hand.

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# 8 05-12-2006 , 07:05 PM

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j5ive,
No worries.

As to number 3 - It's not something I'd tried before, just something that came to mind.

I have just tried it on a scene that I broke intentionally. But even something so simple, with just one object consisting of 416 faces broke the idea.:blush:

What I did was to search for all instances of "CreateNode" in the ascii file. I then one by one, deleted everything between successive instances of the createnode command.

I was able to rid myself of an extra node in the hypergraph, BUT the model still refused to respond to an extrude polygon or extrude edge command. WTH??

In this instance a cylinder was created and extruded some, before being converted into a subd and then onto a nurbs object. I then deleted some patches before converting back to polys. Delete some more faces, try to extrude but NOTHING. nada, zilch, zip.

I get a node created for the extrusion, but the extrude handle never appears, nor does entering a value into the offset field of the channel box have any effect..

Gad dammit!!

The only other thing I could offer, is that one of the pieces of geometry in your scene is 'broken', but the rest are ok. If no other method proved fruitfull, perhaps something to try would be exporting just parts of the scene in a bid to locate the rogue geometry...

Even with a lot of pieces, you could divide the task up in a binary fashion, i.e try the top half, then try the bottom half. Once (IF..) one half saves, then go on and divide up the 'broken' half again and again until you can identify the problematic area.

e.g
1) TopHalf saves ok
2) Bottom Half is broken
3) Bottom Half, <front half of> is ok
4) Bottom Half, <back half of> is broken
5) Bottom Half, Back, left half of is ok
6) Bottom Half, Back, right half is broken.
etc, etc

Now, I'll say it upfront this time:blush: , don't know if this method will work, but I suppose it's gotta be preferential to re-modelling and rigging if nothing else does..

Simon.

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