Talk:Character Setup Overview

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This page has a lot of usefulness but is (obviously) incomplete, and contains errors in terminology and in the actual instructions. I suggest using it as an Overview to:

  • provide general descriptions of the processes for creating a Character Model, referencing other more detailed articles if they exist (many came into being after it was originally written) for more complete instructions
  • provide cautions and tips for those processes. Those cautions and tips should be added to the more detailed articles as well. That may prove useful to beginning and advanced modelers both.
  • provide techniques for processes which do not have their own page and are perhaps too brief to deserve their own page.

Problem with .vta Export in XSI

I followed this character setup overview and actually created facial animations for my character in XSI, but when I try to export them (.vta export) the "vertexanimation" section of the .vta file is empty. This also happens if I try to export the .vta file for the SDK_Male that comes with the sourcesdk for hl2 who comes with the source XSI scene.

Does anyone know if this is a problem with the exporter, or is there something that needs to be done before exporting that is not specified in the tutorial?

Facial Shapekeys

Two questions. One, do I make a point cluster or a polygon cluster when defining the facial animation clusters? I've been using point clusters so far, but was wondering if one or the other is preferred.

Two: In XSI Mod Tool 6, I've noticed that after I've initialized the shapekeys and start making flexes changes to Frame 1 show up in Frame 0. That is, Frame 0 seems to duplicate Frame 1 instead of staying in the neutral state. Is this normal?

--15:56, 6 September 2009 (UTC)

SMD Import for XSI

The link for the valve addon is broken on the page for me. It can be found on the Autodesk site, here. To install the addon go to File > Addon > Install > then find where you saved it and hit OK. --Taralqua 12:51, 14 September 2011 (PDT)