IK + big tree of mesh objects??

IK + big tree of mesh objects??

Hi All,

Relatively new to Cheetah but am loving it so far!

I have a model that is a tree of mesh objects, I'm trying to fit IK onto it...I got it to do what I want but it looks like I am going to have to add a skeleton to each of the 100 mesh objects!

Hopefully not!

Mesh hierarchy is like:

1. Upper Arm
.......2. Arm Detail 1
.......2. Arm Detail 3
.......2. Elbow
.............3. Forearm
.............3. Forearm Detail 1
.............3. Forearm Detail 2

What I would like is for the skeleton to be attached at Upper Arm, Elbow, and Forearm...but the Arm Details only move when I also attach a skeleton to them.

So the question is, is there some way to lock the mesh children of a mesh that has a skeleton, without essentially duplicating the skeleton for each child??

thx!
Scott

Hi Scott and welcome.
Not sure if you´re really in the need of an IK-set-up. Maybe this kind of hierarchical alignment will work for you: http://www.cheetah3d.com/forum/showpost.php?p=45634&postcount=11

Cheers
Frank

Hi Frank,

Wow, thanks for the quick response!

Well, I've got the hierarchy set up in a nice tidy tree already...

From my experiments so far with the bones, it looks like IK will be great for posing and animation. I think the IK motion will (ironically) be more natural than whatever I could do by hand.

It's not going to kill me to add all of the skeletons, but I was just hoping for a little simpler way to lock a child object's IK behavior to its parent.

thx!
Scott

I´m not sure what you have in mind, but IK works just well with just a hierarchical set-up.

Cheers
Frank

Bitnotic said:

...

Well, I've got the hierarchy set up in a nice tidy tree already...

... I was just hoping for a little simpler way to lock a child object's IK behavior to its parent.

Click to expand...

Hi,
The simplest way is Frank's solution. And you can even add constraints.
Just in case :

Hi Guys,

Thanks again!

That is basically what I have set up and it looks like once I get it all hooked up it will be great!

I drew some fake cubes on the forearm in Frank's example...if those are children of the forearm, from what I can tell, they will not move automatically with the forearm in IK.

If you move the forearm mesh, they will move. But not if the forearm is moved via IK.

To get those children objects to also move with IK, I have to add the same IK tags as for the forearm. I would just like to be able to lock those cubes to the forearm, so they behave the same whether i move the mesh or it is moved via IK.

Maybe I am abusing the IK!?!?!?

thx!
Scott

Put the cubes in the right spot and it will work:

Cheers
Frank

THANK YOU!!!!!!!

Problem was that I had the IK Constraint on the joint and not on the mesh.

Cheetah is super cool and you guys are awesome for your help!!

thx!
Scott