kogen 05.11.2013

Mirko Haenssgen’s

Autoweight v.1.00 User’s Manual

CONTENT

1. Why Autoweight… .......................................................................................................................................... 2

2. Things you can do with Autoweight… ............................................................................................................ 2

3. Things you can’t Expect from Autoweight… ................................................................................................... 2

4. Autoweight’s UI Explained… ........................................................................................................................... 4

5. What the Legal Note is About… ...................................................................................................................... 6

6. How you can contact me… ............................................................................................................................. 6

7. What you can do if you encounter strange errors… ...................................................................................... 7

1. WHY AUTOWEIGHT…

“Autoweight” (Automatic Weighting) is a Max Script that was designed to make skinning more comfortable and

faster than it comes with Basic 3DS Max.

Please note that Autoweight comes to you as a “two version” script. On one side there is “Autoweight Lite”

which holds the very basic functionality. On the other side there is “Autoweight” which holds all features of the

software. “Autoweight Lite” can be used freely. “Autoweight” is available for 39.95 $ on

http://www.kogenspage.com. At the end of its trial version, “Autoweight” becomes “Autoweight Lite”.

2. THINGS YOU CAN DO WITH AUTOWEIGHT…

Autoweight will find bones (normal, biped and CAT) and customized boned objects such as any other objects

specified and adds them to a skin modifier. Autoweight is as well able to determine automatically which parts

of your 3D mesh belong potentially to which bone-object, this process is called automatically region definition.

You can also manually refine those regions and write them to a file to use later-on. Autoweight is also able to

set the bone weights and the transition weights from one bone to another in the object where the skin is

applied to.

3. THINGS YOU CAN’T EXPECT FROM AUTOWEIGHT…

Autoweight is an aid for skinning and most of it automatic features can be enough when it comes to the

skinning of 3D objects in 3D Studio Max but you can’t expect Autoweight to do all of your skinning work. There

are times when you will manually have to make some region-additions or tweak the skin-weights afterwards.

However, Autoweight gives you a solid base to start from when it comes to skinning.

Another thing to keep in mind is that Autoweight will not recognize overlapping regions. If you work with two

bones in the same space (e.g. for twist bones) Autoweight will pick one of them and apply it to a distinct

regions.

4. ACTIVATING AUTOWEIGHT…

After having Autoweight installed to your 3DS Max Folder, you can find it under “Kogen Tools” in the

“Customize”-menu of 3DS Max (Image 1). Please note that the category has changed compared to “prior”

versions!

Image 1: Autoweight as a Quad menu icon

When using Autoweight the first time, a new dialog pops up (Image 2) asking you to activate the software.

Activation is totally free. Please note that without activating the full version of Autoweight is not activated

either. Functions belonging to the full version will not be unlocked. If you only want to use Autoweight-Lite

deinstall Autoweight and reinstall only Autoweight-Lite unchecking “Autoweight Trial” in the install dialog.

Image 2: Autoweight Activation Dialog

After activating the software you can continue using the trial for 5 days. If you want to buy Autoweight click the

“Purchase” button, to order your personal license code and unlock the software (Image 3). After ending the

trial period Autoweight will lock all its non Autoweight-Lite functionalities again. You can always uninstall the

software and switch to “Autoweight Lite” to not being bothered by the licensing system again.

Image 3: Autoweight Activation Dialog after activation

5. UNINSTALLING AUTOWEIGHT…

If you want to unsinstall Autoweight, go to your 3DS Max Root Directory (e.g.: C:\Program

Files\Autodesk\3DSMax 2013) and run “AutoweightUninstall.exe”. This will delete all program components of

Autoweight.

6. AUTOWEIGHT’S UI EXPLAINED…

Import and Export

Image Name Description

Import Allows the user to import Autoweight-data from a file to use formerly set-up

regions. The file is a binary file (AutoWeight-Binary, AWB) storing region colors. (This feature is not supported by Autoweight Lite)

Export Allows the user to export Autoweight-data to a file to use defined regions later-

on. The file is a binary file (AutoWeight-Binary, AWB).

- Threshold Sets the color threshold that combines colors together. The higher the threshold the more colors will be merged to a region. Normally “1” is enough to get the same result that was exported.

Get and Set

Set Sets up a color for a new region according to the selected vertices.

Select one or more points to define a specific new region.

Select no points to create regions for bones or elements automatically (radiobuttons). (This feature is not supported by Autoweight Lite)

Select all points to redefine all regions that already exist on the model (the functionality works like exporting all regions and importing them immediately).

(This feature is not supported by Autoweight Lite)

- Bone, Element

Colors regions automatically based upon the closest bone to the 3D object or individual elements of the 3D object.

Get Selects all vertices that belong to a region.

Selects on or more regions from one or more selected vertices.

Mirror

Mirror Mirrors the selected region(s) along the –/+X, -/+Y or -/+Z direction.

Select all vertices of those regions you want to become “mirrored” on the other side, make sure you’ve checked the right “Mirroring Direction” and click the button. If you’re experiencing imprecise results, try selecting and mirroring each region separately or raising the Mirror Threshold.

(This feature is not supported by Autoweight Lite)

- X=>-X, Y=>-Y, Z=>-Z, -X=>X, -Y=>Y, -Z=>Z

Mirroring direction. Mirrors selected regions from one side e.g. –X to the other side e.g. X

- Threshold Mirroring precision, the higher this value is the more tolerant the mirroring algorithm will be with vertices on the other side.

If you encounter problems by having an imprecise mirroring result set this value higher and mirror again.

Clear – Calculate – Skin

Calculate Regions

Calculates the colored regions and stores them in the ”Regions”-listbox. If “Auto-Find Bones” is checked it uses the closest bone for the specific region. If it is unchecked only the region is stored in the listbox.

Add Skin Adds a skin modifier using the bones and regions from “Regions”-listbox and

the transition value and the transition “From”, “To” and “Dec” values.

Erase Clears all stored colors and makes the 3D object one single region.

Object and Bone Setup

- Select EPoly Object…

Set the editable poly object for which the skin shall be created.

Rightclick on the pickbutton, to clear the object from the button.

- Get Hierarchy…

Allows the user to define a root object and use it’s complete child-hierarchy as a bone-structure. Only these bones will be used for the region calculation then.

Rightclick on the pickbutton, to clear the object from the button.

- Auto-Find Bones

Uses the closest bone for the specific region and stores it in the listbox, visible and changeable to the user. (This feature is not supported by Autoweight Lite)

If it is unchecked only the region is stored in the listbox.

Up / Down Moves one or more bones from the selected region in the listbox to the upper / lower region.

- Trans Sets the transition value for one or more selected regions in the listbox. Select no regions and the transition value is set globally for all regions.

- From Sets the start value for the decline of the transition falloff. Select no regions and the transition value is set globally for all regions.

- To Sets the end value for the decline of the transition falloff. Select no regions and the transition value is set globally for all regions.

- Dec Decline – function, at the moment linear decline is the only available method of the falloff of the transitions.

Normal View Mode

Sets the picked object into “normal view mode”.

Vertex Color View Mode

Sets the picked object into “vertex color view mode”. Defined regions can be viewed in a colored scheme here.

Influence View mode

The strength and the maximal influence of one or more selected regions can be seen in this mode. The right influence of a region might be just seen when the spinner “Trans”, “From” or “To” is changed.

Remove Removes one or more bones from the selected region(s) in the listbox.

- Pick Lets the user pick a specific bone for the selected region in the listbox. If no custom hierarchy is provided it is only possible to select bones (normal, CAT, Biped). If a custom hierarchy is provided by the “Get Hierachy” button it is possible to select any object.

7. WHAT THE LEGAL NOTE IS ABOUT…

Though “Autoweight” and its attached files were tested on viruses and errors Mirko Haenssgen won't

guarantee that. If the script or other files you receive from Mirko Haenssgen cause damages to your data, hard

disc or computer Mirko Haenssgen is not responsible for that and won't be liable for defects.

Furthermore you accept to use the software on your own risk.

If you do not agree to these conditions, do not install or run the script and delete all provided data.

8. HOW YOU CAN CONTACT ME…

Website: http://www.kogenspage.com

Email: M.Haenssgen@kogenspage.com

9. WHAT YOU CAN DO IF YOU ENCOUNTER STRANGE ERRORS…

Please don’t get mad on Youtube or Scriptspot, write me an email describing what you did as detailed as

possible and what error occurred. You may also add an image or even better if you are allowed to attach the

current object you’re having trouble with in a maxfile. I will get in contact with you shortly afterwards.