SFM Help: How do I scale properly in blender? (SOLVED)

[The Quack]

So, this is another cry for help, because I can't scale anything cause it either does one of two things,
1.) Breaks the entire model and deforms it
2.) Armature being way too small.
I tried to scale it in edit and object mode and it doesn't work.
What do I do?
The model ends up being broken and in addition
THE FREAKEN ARMATURE WONT GROW!?!?

Screenshot: http://imgur.com/gallery/qu4wveu/new

[Pte Jack]

Make sure your armature and the object you want to scale are the same scale and are aligned the way you need them.

In OBJECT mode select the armature and ALL the objects you want to scale.
(I usually change my scaling tool to use the 3d cursor, with it centered I scale everything to the scale i need.)

Then in the 3d viewer menu (bottom) I select Object, Apply, Rotation&Scale (I'll also apply the location as well)

In the Transform panel (right of 3d Viewer Press N if not there) The transforms for Location, Rotation, should now be 0 and the scale should be reset to 1

[The Quack]

Well Pte Jack, good knews is that the model is no longer ♥♥♥♥♥♥ up, but here is the main issue, the armature doesn't grow even if I scale it in object mode and pose mode doesn't do anything else, what do I do? It seems the mesh grows but the Armature doesn't, when imported into sfm, in blender it does grow with the mesh

Screenshot: http://imgur.com/gallery/2BLIvoj/new

[The Quack]

Originally posted by Pte Jack:

Make sure your armature and the object you want to scale are the same scale and are aligned the way you need them.

In OBJECT mode select the armature and ALL the objects you want to scale.
(I usually change my scaling tool to use the 3d cursor, with it centered I scale everything to the scale i need.)

Then in the 3d viewer menu (bottom) I select Object, Apply, Rotation&Scale (I'll also apply the location as well)

In the Transform panel (right of 3d Viewer Press N if not there) The transforms for Location, Rotation, should now be 0 and the scale should be reset to 1

Well Pte Jack, good knews is that the model is no longer ♥♥♥♥ed up, but here is the main issue, the armature doesn't grow even if I scale it in object mode and pose mode doesn't do anything else, what do I do? It seems the mesh grows but the Armature doesn't, when imported into sfm, in blender it does grow with the mesh

Screenshot: http://imgur.com/gallery/2BLIvoj/new

[Pte Jack]

Looking at the armature scale in the picture, it is 480.xx blender units. I don't know what the mesh is. But to get the armature to 1, take it it back into object mode and select that Object, Apply, and scale option again. the mesh and the armature must match in scale for studioMDL to recognise the actual scale it.

[The Quack]

Originally posted by Pte Jack:

Looking at the armature scale in the picture, it is 480.xx blender units. I don't know what the mesh is. But to get the armature to 1, take it it back into object mode and select that Object, Apply, and scale option again. the mesh and the armature must match in scale for studioMDL to recognise the actual scale it.

I'm confused about setting the Armature to 1.. What do you mean by apply?

[Pte Jack]

Sorry for confusing you, not intended... Maybe this will help.


Ok, here is a situation. I have imported a model, the mesh is parented to the armature. The model needs to be scaled. I scale the armature in Object mode and the mesh grows with the armature.

http://i.imgur.com/WjV1e22.png

If I select the armature and check its scale I find it is 20.291 BU (Blender Units) but when I select the mesh I find the scale is 1. (on all 3 planes x, y and z)

So, in object mode I APPLY the current scale to the armature making it the current size its real size, the scale changes from 20.291 to 1.

However if I select the mesh after applying the scale to the armature, I find that it has changed from 1 to 20.291. To fix that so the armature and the mesh have a 1:1 relationship, I have to apply the scale to the mesh as well. (I have to do this to all objects that have been parented to that armature the I scaled.)

http://i.imgur.com/y94VJSd.png

If I export the model without applying the scale to ALL objects that were parented to the armature, I end up with the mesh being on a different scale from the armature (or vice versa)

http://i.imgur.com/5vVpn2Y.png

Does this make sense to you now?

[The Quack]

I get it to a degree, so both the mesh and the armature have to have matching scales which makes the 1 to 1 raitio make sense that both have to match in order for it to work, Thanks Pte Jack, but I'm abit confused.. my models have 10-20 different body parts and meshes do I have to indivusally select all of them and make sure their scale matches the armature? Is there a way for me to select the entire mesh and apply these setting. In addition in your last screenshot where the aramture is very small and the mesh is big in a preview how do I do the same ?

[Pte Jack]

I've tried to multiselect objects and apply the scale but I find most times the scale will only update to the last selected object. (might be something I'm doing wrong!) But if I want to be sure, I'll either join the objects I can and set the scale or walk through them individually just to be sure.

That last shot, I think I scaled the mesh but not the armature. (Armature was at 1 but I rescaled the parented mesh to 20.291) I did it to show you what your Exported armature to the mesh would look like if compiled and the mesh/armature were not equal to 1:1.

[The Quack]

Thanks! It works
Thanks for your tutorials and help!
I just have a few more questions.
How do I make a model have mutlipule skins?
Like the models have mutipule colors to their body parts and instead of making 3 sepreate models how can I make one model have mutipule skins?

[Pte Jack]

You can try this, hit a until all objects are selected, then try the Object - Assign - Scale function. Go back through an touch each object in oject mode to see if the object's scale is 1.

[Pte Jack]

Multiple body part that can be changed out (like turning the scout's hat and headphones on or off) are controlled via the $bodygroup command in the QC.

Multi skins (like changing from red to blue) are controlled via the $texturegroup command in the qc.

[Pte Jack]

If you watch this video,

https://youtu.be/0yqibB3qRdQ

I go into qc writing on a simple model, give the model 4 different skins. I touch on body groups, but don't go into it because the model used in the video only has one.

But in the qc, If i wanted to turn the photobadge off. I currently have

$bodygroup "body"
{
studio "nameofDMXfile.dmx"
}

If I wanted to replace this bodygroup (say it was a hat) I would write the bodygroup like this

$bodygroup "body"
{
studio "nameofDMXfile.dmx"
studio "nameofreplacement.dmx
}


If I wanted to replace or turn off this bodygroup (say it was a hat) I would write the bodygroup like this

$bodygroup "body"
{
studio "nameofDMXfile.dmx"
studio "nameofreplacement.dmx
blank
}

So, the hat "nameofDMXFile" would be the default object when it spawned, I could change it out with nameofreplacement or the blank would turn both off completely.