Inconsistent Results

[molemansd7]

Okay, hopefully we can find some clarification...
I have a script that will copy the skin weight from one vertex to a second vertex, in that selection order. When I setup a test scene, with simple spheres and a single joint chain, it works flawlessly in all situations I can think to test it. BUT, when I'm trying to use it on a character in production, it gets to the part where I set the all second vert's skin weights to zero, and doesn't seem to execute the rest. Here's that part of the code:

CODE
//--Check to ensure that both verts are influenced by the same joints.

    for ($eachJoint in $firstVertexJoints)
        {
        int $jointInfluence = stringArrayContains (($eachJoint), $secondSkinClusterInf);
        if ($jointInfluence == 0)
            skinCluster -e -ai ($eachJoint) $secondSkinCluster;
        }

    //--reset the second vert's percentages to all zeros

    skinPercent -prw 1 -nrm off $secondSkinCluster $secondVertex;

    //--For each joint affecting the first object, set its weight to affect the second.

    for ($i = 0; $i < $firstJointsSize; $i++)
        {
        skinPercent -nrm off -tv $firstVertexJoints[$i] $firstVertPercents[$i] $secondSkinCluster $secondVertex;
        }

Can anyone possibly see or think of a reason as to why this is?

[jimtheartist]

This script assumes that each vertex is exactly influenced by one and only one joint.
Your character probably has smooth binding with many joint influences per vertex.
All your tests probably have 1 joint influence per vertex.

To fix this script you'd have to loop through each vertex in the first, grab it's joint influeces (maybe 1 joint, maybe 5 joints), record each of those, then loop through each vertex in the second mesh and set each joint influence and weight for that vertex.

why don't you use the big idea save weight script?
no reason to replicate work that has already been done and released for free...

[molemansd7]

I have this all cycle through fine in the test scene, with 3 or four joints affecting a point, and it doesn't have an issue. Its only when I run it in my actual production file. Either way, I'll look into the big idea script...I've never heard of it. Do you know where I can get it?

[jimtheartist]

you'll find the answer soon. I can only truly guess without the whole thing.

Here is the big idea save weights script:
http://www.highend3d.com/maya/downloads/me...ights-1201.html

I have found that when I apply the weights back to a mesh I need to sometimes disable weight normalization and set all verts to 0 so they pile up on the origin. The when I load skin weights it all works.

At the very least you can crack it open and have a gander.

[molemansd7]

Thanks,
I'll definitely look into that script. Here's what I have so far for the full functionality of my script...maybe this'll clear up something:

CODE
/*This script takes the result from the sz_ReturnComponentSelectionInOrder script when two verts are selected and
and matches the skinweighting from the first vertex selected to the second vertex selected.
I also modified it, so that you can clear the vert selection in between iterations of running the script. So, it
will run directly after the vert selection is made, or after you clear a selection, then select the verts you want to affect.

Its convenient for gaming especially where swapping heads and other parts are necessary, and vert weight must be matched exactly.
This will work on verts from the same skinned mesh, or two separate skinned meshes.
Script by Sean Danyi http://animandmel.blogspot.com 11-07. */

global proc sdMatch2VertWeights()
{

    $realVertSelection = sz\_ReturnComponentSelectionInOrder;
    $realVertSize = size $realVertSelection;

    //--Some Error Checking.-----------------------------------------------------

    if ($realVertSize == 3)
        stringArrayRemoveAtIndex(0, $realVertSelection);    //--This eliminates the "select -cl" command from the list if it was used.--\
    if ($realVertSize > 3)
        error "Please select only Two vertices.";
    if (gmatch $realVertSelection[0] "*.vtx*" != 1)
        error "Please select only Two vertices.";
    if (gmatch $realVertSelection[1] "*.vtx*" != 1)
        error "Please select only Two vertices.";

    //--Define the first and second vertices.-------------------------------------

    string $firstVertex = $realVertSelection[0];
    string $secondVertex = $realVertSelection[1];

    //--Find the objects they belong to.-------------------------------------------

    string $firstObjectBuffer[];
    string $secondObjectBuffer[];
    int $firstNumTokens = tokenize ($firstVertex) "." $firstObjectBuffer;
    int $secondNumTokens = tokenize ($secondVertex) "." $secondObjectBuffer;
    string $firstObject = $firstObjectBuffer[0];
    string $secondObject = $secondObjectBuffer[0];

    //--Find the skin clusters affecting the objects.-----------------------------

    string $firstSkinCluster = findRelatedSkinCluster ($firstObject);
    string $secondSkinCluster = findRelatedSkinCluster ($secondObject);

    //--Find the joints affecting the components, and the size of their array.-----------------

    $firstVertexJoints = skinPercent -ib 0.001 -q -t $firstSkinCluster $firstVertex;
    $firstJointsSize = size $firstVertexJoints;
    $secondVertexJoints = skinPercent -ib 0.001 -q -t  $secondSkinCluster $secondVertex;
    $secondJointsSize = size $secondVertexJoints;
    $secondSkinClusterInf = skinCluster -q -inf $secondSkinCluster;

    //--Find the weight percent of each joint for each vertex.--------------------

    $firstVertPercents = skinPercent -q -v $firstSkinCluster $firstVertex;
    $secondVertPercents = skinPercent -q -v $secondSkinCluster $secondVertex;

    //--Check to ensure that both verts are influenced by the same joints.

    for ($eachJoint in $firstVertexJoints)
        {
        int $jointInfluence = stringArrayContains (($eachJoint), $secondSkinClusterInf);
        if ($jointInfluence == 0)
            skinCluster -e -ai ($eachJoint) $secondSkinCluster;
        }

    //--reset the second vert's percentages to all zeros----------------

    skinPercent -prw 1 -nrm off $secondSkinCluster $secondVertex;

    //--For each joint affecting the first object, set its weight to affect the second.---------------------

    //for ($counter = 1; $counter <= 5; $counter++)    //--This will run the weight matching 5 times, since Maya automatically maintains a value of 1, this ensures precision.--\
    //{
    for ($i = 0; $i < $firstJointsSize; $i++)
        {
        skinPercent -nrm off -tv $firstVertexJoints[$i] $firstVertPercents[$i] $secondSkinCluster $secondVertex;
        }
    //}

    //--Final Touches.-------------
    //select -r $firstVertex;    
    //select -tgl $secondVertex;    
    print "Vertex weights successfully matched.";

}

Note: this is how it stands as my WIP.

[jimtheartist]

I will check this out.

Are you aware of the substitute mesh functionality? It works pretty well. If you aren't please check it out in the maya docs. Good stuff.

Maybe that does what you want?