I have a model made with a mirror-modifier. The modifier has been applied and I’ve been doing a lot of VertexGroups and ShapeKeys since then. I have an armature with weight-painting and some animation added and I’ve been tweaking and twisting the model in edit mode using the x- and topology-mirrors turned on. That’s been working great for some time.
Now suddenly I have lost my model’s right hand. I dunno how I got rid of it but it was gone and I couldn’t control-z my way back.
So I tried to make a copy of my left hand - x-mirror the vertexes - and merge it to the right arm. But that freaked out my weight-paint completely but - WORSE - I can’t use the (x-/topology) mirrors in edit mode. Not just on the copied hand - but anywhere on my model.
So - is there a way to make a duplicate of the good hand? Or is there a way to append JUST the hand from a previous version of the file (but so many hours of work on the rest of the model is not included there - I would be very sad to go back to that previous version and start again).
Well I could do that - but that would mean that all the time I spent making ShapeKeys (etc.) that goes across the center of the x-axis (jaw-, lip, nose-, center-eyebrow-movements) are lost - and that’s the dilemma.
I did try to put on a mirror modifier, but Blender told me I couldn’t apply it when I have VertexGroups in my mesh.
I would love it if there were some sort of workaround to that (hence this question) - but going back and deleting the right side would feel very bad and I would (as I see it now, at least) loose many hours of work on ShapeKeys, VertexGroups, controlling bones, etc.
…Auch!
But thanks for your quick post/suggestion @Cybermonk - and let me know if you have the perfect work-around
this may or may not work,
go into edit mode, select the left hands verticies…vertici?..whatever, select all of the left hands “dots” and press P. that will make the hand its own model.
mirror modify the hand only, apply, then move them to where they should be, then select the hands and the body using shift. then press ctrl J and it will join the hands back then merge and delete extra verticies.
im fairly new to actual modeling but just off the top of my head that might work.
Ok I have been experimenting with this and going over some rigging tuts. How about this… Editmode -> select the faces of the right hand -> shift D (duplicate) = enter (don’t move) -> select 3d cursor -> S -> -1 -> X… that should mirror your hand. Join the hand by removing doubles… Now the problem is your new right hand is assigned to the left hand vertex group… so… select the right hand faces and remove them from left hand group -> and then assign them to the right hand vertex group … you’ll prolly have to have to adjust the weight painting on the right hand but at least It’ll just be the hand and your x symmetry should work again.
Well, I thought this looked pretty nifty but pressing p brings a message that this is not allowed on mesh with ShapeKeys :mad:
Yes I have - I am pretty sure I acciddentally deleted the right hand without noticing it and only realized many saves later.
I haven’t checked this yet but I look forward to trying. I’ll report back when I know more. Joining by removing doubles?? - do I do that by pressing Ctrl+J having doubled-vertices selected
Thanks for all suggestions - and I’m running Blender 2.5 BTW.
You can select the doubled vertices or just select everything. I’m not sure what or if there is a shortcut. There is a button under mesh tools sidebar or Hit space bar… edit mesh tools… vertices… remove doubles.
Thank you once again, Cybermonk. What I asked the last time was - and I could have been more clear in my question - if I was to join vertices and then remove doubles OR if I should remove doubles and join in one click (so to speak).
I ended up joining and then removing and that worked like a charm (I tried a remove doubles before the join and that gave me a weird line at the border between old right arm and new right hand but it still worked with the x- and topology-mirrors).
So I consider this; case solved and closed - and I am very grateful for all the suggestions/help I got here - and I’m very impressed with the speed too. Thank you gurus - I almost look forward to my next logic-breakdown in Blender-vs.-my-brain
Good luck with the rest of your project.