I am using Blender to create Collada files for import into Marvelous Designer for avatars. First, I created the character in Make Human, export it with a skeleton as a Collada and import into Blender. That works perfectly. Then in Blender, I can go into Pose mode and move the armature to get the character into a new position. No problems so far.
The issue is that when I export my character out of Blender as a Collada, the armature resets back to the base pose. The character is in perfect shape and the skeleton is there, just not posed correctly.
My pose mode modifications aren’t sticking. I’m not making shape keys or anything, just moving the armature.
I realize there is a rest pose, and I thought that was what was exporting. I tried to set my changed armature as the rest pose, but I don’t think that was successful. I’ve tried to search for an answer, but I fear I’m not asking the question correctly because I can’t find anything.
How do you apply a pose on the character/armature so that the exported Collada has that pose? Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time and consideration.
You can set the Pose position as the Rest position, Press spacebar and type “Apply Pose” - Blender does the rest and finds the command, then just click the command in the popup menu window. Armature should be in Pose Mode.
CAUTION - this permanently changes the armature’s rest position, backup your file first to avoid much heartache if you did it wrong!
Thank you so much for your response. I did as you said and the armature did apply the pose. However, my mesh didn’t stay with the armature. Please see the image.
I test exported, thinking perhaps the export would have the new pose, but it doesn’t.
How do I get my mesh to stay deformed with the armature? Sorry if I’m being dense, I definitely have a lot to learn about posing and animation.
I think that before to apply pose as rest pose to the armature you have to apply the armature modifier to the character in that pose, then, after you have to set up a new armature mod, that is to parent to armature maintaining the old vertex groups.
clockmender,
I just took the screenshot in Object mode, but I was working in Pose mode. To answer your question, yes, the mesh did deform in Pose mode. It just jumped back to the original rest pose when I did the Apply as Rest.
sourvinos,
You are correct. I tried it again and applied the armature modifier to the mesh BEFORE applying the pose as the rest pose and it WORKED!! The mesh stayed in the new pose.
Unfortunately, applying the modifier messed up her orientation in 3D space on export. When I exported the Collada and opened it up in MD she’s flat on her back, but her eyes are above in the correct position. Very strange.
I’m not sure why that happened. All the prior export/imports had her standing correctly. That must have something to do with applying that armature mod??
Thank you both very much. I’m closer than I was to getting this to work.
Back to square one with a question: When you first tried exporting after posing your rig/model, did you keyframe the pose? If not, you’re not really exporting that pose, as it is created via keyframes. Seems to me Collada will have no way of knowing how the armature has been adjusted to that pose without keyframe info, so it treats the armature as if in Rest position, no keyframes.
With keyframe data exported, there should be no reason to reset your rest pose or to apply the modifier to accomplish your desired pose.
Maybe during the process you have changed something about location or rotation of either the armature or the object, I would start again and keep an eye on loc/rot of both along the way.
