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Issues with exporting fbx to unity

My model gets messed up when I try to export it. How do I change it to be normal? Some parts of the model are missing, even after I join the model together.
eDIT- here is the download link

Welcome to Blender.SE! Please give us further information. What does the model look like in Blender? It says "Can't calculate tangents, because mesh 'Cube.001' doesn't contain normals." at the bottom. Did you already check the object 'Cube.001'?

Thanks for trying to help. Basically, what I found out was that when I import into unity it says that my model didn't have enough vertices or triangles, thus it split it into two parts.... How do I stop it from screwing up?

Unity splits up mesh if it contains more than 65,000 triangles. How many total triangles are in the mesh you're trying to import.

76 396 triangles, I deeply apologize for my imperfections, but could you please tell me how should I go about making it, so it works? I heard that triangles shouldn't be in the model... WHat should I do?

The triangles are just the connections between the vertices. Every proper model has the triangles. I can tell you that 76,000 is too many triangles. And it may be impossible to rig the character if Unity has to split up the model into multiple meshes. For a typical character model, the number of triangles is usually no more than 20,000 triangles, as general guide. Look up the "Decimate" modifier for help on reducing triangles.  http://blender.stackexchange.com/questions/8975/where-can-i-find-the-decimate-modifier

But does that mean, that I cannot use sub. modifier in my models, or do I just not apply it? ... or am I just stuck with a model that looks like minecraft character now?

also, it says in FBX warnings that model doesn't have tangents and binormals... what does that mean?

You have to upload the file somewhere for further help. http://blend-exchange.giantcowfilms.com/

I added the link...

The issue is the scales are not set. IF you select the mesh and choose CTRL-A -> apply position,rotation,scale the model imports into Unity fine. Secondly, a single eyeball contains 5,000 triangles. This is too excessive. You need to reduce the number of triangles. You can select everything and separate by material. Then select individual meshes and do the decimate modifier on the separated meshes. Then rejoin everything. Keep doing it until the triangle count is reduced to a reasonable level.

I just edited the above comment.

wow, thanks a lot for help... You are amazing!!!

Okay, now I tried to get it on aroun 7 500 triangles and it  looks like it's pretty much as far as I can go, do you think that it's too much for a model like this?

Well, I did as I was commanded. How exactly did it work out for you, cause after I've done what you told me, the model in unity still looks the same as on the picture, please try to specify me maybe import settings or something that might be messing it up?

Did you apply the position,rotation and scale? Generally a main character is around 10,000 to 25,000 triangles. If it's the main player character in a third person game you can get away with that many triangles. What I do is during decimation is keep decimating parts until the shading "breaks" when rendering in Unity. That is, the threshold where parts that are supposed to be smooth, no longer appear smooth because you've decimated it TOO much. Then stop there. For the eyeball, you could probably get away with just 200 triangles if you really wanted to, as opposed to 5,000 triangles.

http://imgur.com/uxkH1aI

I did apply location rotation and scale and everything seems to be the same way

It looks like some triangles are not facing the right direction. Go into edit mode, select all triangles and choose "Recalculate Normals". If it still doesn't work, upload the new file.

Now it finally woks, but it seems my textures are invisible... that's the last things I need to fix, can you work your way around that somehow? :/

Okay, it works now... thanks for everything!!!


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Mesh deformed after rigging?
The mesh has been rigged
Problem comes in weight painting, I think. I tried to weight paint everything how I was supposed to, but mesh is still deforming when posing. It's scaling up and down (for instance, if you move face) and so on...
Is there anything I did wrong?
Can I somehow make it, so mesh does not scale in posing or animating and is there any alternative solution to my weight painting?

Saying that the face "scales" when moved is uncorrect. Instead, mesh is deforming in a different way than expected. The reason lies in weighting, as some vertices are assigned only to the "face" bone while others are assigned both to "face" and "head" bones, as shown in the picures.

"A" vertex is the "correct one, as it follows exactly the face bone: face bone is child of the head bone, so the "face" vertices are moving without the need to be assigned also to the head bone: this double assignement is leading to the unexpected behaviours: double assignement (or even triple, or more) is OK only in proximity of joints, where you want the mesh to deform and stretch to get better creases and wrinkles.

Thank you very much, Does it mean, then, that I have to unsign the wights on bones where they are not needed and the stretching while animating will be normalized? :)

Yes, if a vertex is assigned to two bones and only one of theese bones moves, the vertex will stay in the middle between the two, while it should follow the moved bone

source: Stack Exchange

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

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Weight painting problems
I have a problem with weight painting in blender. As you may already know, automatic weights while rigging is not at its wisest most of the times... Is there any way of making my struggles with animating this human better?
When I move right arm his palm won't move, and some other issues occur as well... I don't know how else can I help myself...
Any advice from the "wiser ones" would be appreciated :)
Here is the blend file:

You can upload a blend here.

Related: http://blender.stackexchange.com/questions/62818/rigify-skin-overlapping-clothes/62831#62831

Select your mesh, in the modifier stack delete the armature modifier, apply the mirror, parent the object to the armature with automatic weights and put the suburf modifier after the Armature modifier (down). You'll have a good starting point to tweak with the tricks described in my comment.

Thank you very much, kind sir... I think I can work with this!!!

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Why does the rendered and baked lighting differ so much?
This is the rendered preview:

And this is the combined bake:

What am I doing wrong here? I want my baked texture to look like the rendered preview.

All I did was switch to CPU (I have GPU problems on my Mac) and decrease render samples to speed up the bake and I got this:

My thought is that perhaps your problem was with the GPU since that is the only relevant thing that I changed (depending on what GPU you have, some features of Blender don't work, for example, HDR lighting).
Here is the baked image with higher samples:

I'm running a fairly new AMD GPU, maybe that's the issue, either way switching to CPU fixed several issues I've been having with baked lighting for some time now, thank you so much!
I tried to find a list of "compatible" GPUs, do you know if any such list exists?

https://www.blender.org/manual/render/cycles/features.html AMD has awful support to say the least.


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Cryptomatte node not displaying anything?
I am not sure if a screenshot is needed. Basically, I have rendered a sequence in open EXR Multilayer 32 Bits.
When I import the files into a new Blender file in the compositor I can see the cryptomattes scrolling around the Main node (view layer). But when I use the cryptomatte node and plug the combined dot into the crypto matter does not show anything in the picker.
Do you know how can I solve this?

Thank you

@MartyFouts Done :)

Check the updated thread...There is what you are advising me..

As you can see on the node, you have the choice between Render and Image, that is because the node works in different ways when you use a Render Layer node or an external image sequence.
So push down the Image button. Then you will have to manually load up the image sequence, manually set the Frames and Start Frame (just mimic what you have in the Image Sequence node)m and set the view layer drop down.

Also make sure you don't use DWAA compression for your EXR sequence, otherwise it will look like this:

Thank you so much....I used DWAA :(  Noooooo hahahha But then the 32 bits are extremely heavy for my hard disk . Thank you so much

Hi. I am trying your advice. Is not working. I loaded the EXR in the Cryptomatte node as an image sequence. I can see the masks, but I can not select the one I want by using the + button...nothing happens.

You have to switch to the Pick output in order to be able to select the matte IDs you need. Also, I said to avoid DWAA, but I didn't say to not use any compression. DWAA breaks passes, just use basically any other compression method, like Pxr24, that would work. DWAA is fine only for regular color/beauty output, not for data/passes.

Thank you, picking from masks was not working. I still find the cryptomatte a bit un-streamlined. Could be easier if the actual EXR multilayer allows to pick from that....instead of reloading again the same thing. I will try the other compressions :)

Ok I found out why was so hard for me to click on the masks. I do not use the backdrop feature. I use the image editor window showing the viewer node. Apparently the eyedrop does not work on that image. I guess I can not escape from using the backdrop feature.

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Quad Junctions. Why are some not working the same as identical looking one nearby?
NOTE: as per Moonboots helpful suggestions. Here is the .Blend file for this problem:
Hello all I am trying to learn Blender. I've read lots and watched lots of videos and kinda understand the need for Quad Junctions to 'steer' the edge loops to make sharp edges in the model etc.
I'm currently trying to make a fairly basic car bonnet/hood. It is almost all flat, except there is a vent in the middle with a rim running around it like so:
So I traced the shape of the bonnet with vertices, keeping it lightweight and simple. I then 'Inset' the inner vent area (without boundaries) and it all seemed to be working fine.
But from the tutorials I watched/read, I gather that I will need a supporting edge-loop around either side (so inner and outer of the actual extruded rim). As stated above the inner one 'Inset' worked great but for the outer one I couldn't use Inset, and so I followed some instruction video and used 'Knife Tool'. But now as you'll see in pic below, the edge-loop doesn't continue all the way around the edge I want it to. It in-fact only goes around the one corner  (pic:)

NOTE: Here is the correct one on the inside of the area... (NB. I'm new so not certain that even that is the correct way to make such edges in my models)..

ADDITIONAL: In trying to debug this, I notice the adjacent faces which I also cut with knife-tool are just registered as single faces still, this obviously what is causing my problem. (another pic...)

ADDITIONAL 2: I know see i could delete those faces and make two new ones in the place of the old ones. This has fixed the problem almost (ie. the outer side, of that outer-rim is now a complete separate edge loop). BUT - I still have issue where the loop carries through my junction on the X-Axis (note I have this problem on the inner edge and outer edge of the vent feature).... final pic attached here:

Any help hugely appreciated. Many thanks

maybe you have double vertices or inner faces you need to remove (double vertices: select all and W > Remove Doubles, inner faces: make your object transparent with Z, select the face and X > Face)

hi moonboots, thanks for the reply. Unfortunatly when I done 'Select All > Remove Doubles' I get alert saying "Removed 0 vertices". Just in case you didnt notice in my question, the one not working I cut with knife tool, the working one was by 'Inset'

ADDITIONAL: I notice in Face Select mode the faces adjacent (left and above - which I also cut with knife) are showing as one face still!! Im posting new screenshot now

oh ok so here is your problem, you need to delete this face and recreate two faces

thanks Moon!  I did that already to be honest, but I now have further problem. Please can you tell me is this normal and if not how can I fix the loop to go around the feature (... note one more new pic uploaded in a  moment :DD) thanks again

perhaps share your file, it will be easier  ;)  https://blend-exchange.giantcowfilms.com/

sure I would love to, i will arrange it right away thanks you!!!

All done Moonboots. REally appreciate all this help, thanks muchly. hopefully this last bit can be made as simple as the first parts u helped me with :D also post it as an answer if you like so I can quickly accept it

now I don't see anymore problem, you can create edge loops with ctrl R or with the knife, and the edge you've created on the X axis is perfectly normal, if you don't like the oblique and you want to make it straight you need to correct it manually with G G for example

ok thanks mate. I will try to figure it out from here. I've certainly got a lot further than when I started. Many thanks again , and if you want to post an answer about the trying of 'Remove Doubles' and checking all the faces are individual faces instead of just one with a edge running over the top (like was my problem), feel free and Ill accept it right away. Either way cheers for your help!

Let us continue this discussion in chat.

In case anyone reads this in future with a similar confusion. The answer was that I had used 'F' to fill between the two vertices next to my knife cuts. But I didnt realise this didn't turn the one face into two. All I had to do was then delete them faces and make two there using the new edges. (hope that helps)

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Any simple way to merge two cube objects together?
I've just started using Blender to try to make some basic 3d models for games. I must admit I'm finding it very difficult to get to grips with, but AFAIK it's the best 3d software to use with Unity for animations etc. so I am going to keep at it (unless anyone can recommend using alternatives, which will import easily into Unity).
Basically like the title says, i want to merge cubes. Im making some block artwork and its done with layers of cubes.
I've spent ages try to link them, tried CTRL-J and lots of stuff on 'W' menu. And some other things, I can't believe its not just a case of dragging mouse over everything and selecting merge tbh.
Here is the picture to illustrate what I mean:

So my end result I need is for this shown above to be a 'seen' as a single piece.
EDIT: So thanks for the answers, I've tried to follow along but I find the UI very hard to understand still. I'm looking for this View Header so I can change my merge settings as described:

and

Thanks to advice from these helpful fellows, here is the finished article :)

I don't understand exactly what is your problem: pressing CTRL-J, instead of? a button? and what W menu stuff are you repeatingly doing, and why? your question title asks about 2 cubes, but you can also merge "n" cubes in one go, select them all and press one tim eonly CTRL-J, if that helps...

Possible duplicate of Join two meshes at the intersection within edit mode

Ctrl + J for combining objects only works in object mode and you are in edit mode. You should press tab then try Ctrl + J again.

I tried pressing Tab, holding CTRL-j; holding my breathe, counting to three whilst standing on one leg and rubbing my tummy in a circle shape, nothing worked. @m.ardito, my question is quite clear: I want to join the two cubes together. Thanks for your respsonses and help though. I noticed I was able ONCE to hold CTRL and mouse around the two cubes, it then allowed me to move them simultaneously , but next time I tried to grab them they where separated again.

that 'duplicate' mentioned above doesnt seem to have any thing about two cubes in it and is talking about meshes that overlap or something. i just want to bulk these two cubes into one piece. So that once I have 50 cube layers like this I can make it into one model. The app is called Blender ....fs, the irony

to be clear I spent well over an hour, in Object Mode, Edit Mode pressing CTRL-J and trying to join them. I didnt just try CTRL-J in Edit Mode only.

@Super MegaBroBro - Pressing "TAB" switches between "Object Mode" and "Edit Mode". In "Object Mode" "Right Click" on one of your cubes then press and hold "SHIFT" and "Right Click" on a different cube (This can be repeated for any number of cubes while still holding down "SHIFT") then pressing  "CTRL" + "J" will join them together.

Each editor in Blender has its own header (technically it might be footer in some cases depending on the location but for the sake of simplicity it is often called header). There are 4 editors on your screenshot; in the 2-nd Outliner header is shown, 3d viewport in the 3-rd, the 4-th doesn't show header. I suggest looking some basic tutorials on Blender's interface first, it should help greatly. Blender isn't the only application available to export models for Unity or whatever game engine, any program exporting .FBX or .OBJ format is capable. No need to hold breathe, joining works with Ctrl+J

hmm thanks for this again. I have been trying Ctrl-J in so many different ways but nothing on the model seems to have joined to me. I will do as you suggest and go thru Blender101 tutorials. thanks

see also this question, about the "in edit mode" booleans available since 2.77 https://blender.stackexchange.com/questions/83022/same-mesh-edit-mode-boolean-intersection-gives-an-error, i'm not user if it could help you but...

I finally got my head round it :) I think somehow i was holding CTRL instead of shift maybe whilst trying to select multiple objects as when i tried next day it all worked great. Here's something i cooked up a little earlier, I cant use it commercially of course and it took me ages to make but hey gotta start somewhere! Also for anyone reading suffering the same i was, SHIFT-RMB to select all the pieces, then CTRL-J to join, is defo the way to go!

two options - first, try turning on AutoMerge Editing option in the 3d viewport header in Edit mode so that vertices moved into the same position get merged. Might be able to just to press G to grab without moving, confirm action with LMB, and get the vertices to merge if Removing Doubles is not merging good enough when increasing the threshold in the Last Operator panel (press F6 to open after operator execution).

Second way can be to use the Array Modifier to model with Merge checkbox in modifier's options enabled, and then apply the modifier in Object mode.

I have been trying to put your advice and instruction into action but I've failed at the first hurdle :\   I found two View menus once I was in Edit Mode, but nothing seemed to include Enable Merge or anything like that. I've edited my question to show more images and explain what Im stuck with. Thanks again for the help

I've just removed the 'Accepted Answer' thing purely because I still dont know how to do it and still need help. I was going to leave it as you clearly deserve it for such a good answer but it wasnt quite clear enough for me (a noob) to follow. Soz

First picture shows the icon tool tip while I hover over the Merge button. That is for merging AFTER you have joined them in Object mode and then enter Edit mode. You then need to select a row of verts and then press G to grab, but confirm without moving them - and you will see the vert count of the object decrease. Rinse and repeat.

The Second Picture shows me hovering over the Merge option in the Array modifier - this method involves only one cube and an Array modifier to control how far it will extend, and with Merge turned on, the modifier can be applied in Object mode and there will be no duplicates as long as the spacing wasn't changed.

thanks for your continued help, but sadly I still cant find the merge button. Ive posted another pictgure showing how my menu is much different

The "Merge" button is only available in "Edit Mode" and is located just above the Timeline as  Craig D Jones pointed out in his first image. It's used to merge vertices that are in the same location (or very close together) and I'm not sure it's useful for what you are trying do do as your rectangles are very different sizes.

Try the Array modifier out on a  new cube, see what you can do with modeling with it before needing to apply - and see what happens, maybe you find that your modeling goes much faster using the array steps.

thanks for all the help guys. I got there with CTRL-J in the end :) Heres the little beauty here, my first Blender model :) took ages though for first time http://i.imgur.com/aVInkut.png


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Spine and Stomach deformation in Humanoïd character
I've been lurking on the forum for a long time. I'm not exactly new to blender, but I haven't started so long ago. And I happened to run into a problem that I couldn't find the solution for on the internet or by myself.
When setting up my rig for my humanoïd character (semi-realistic woman), I notice than when I bend her back, her stomach deforms in a weird way and becomes smaller when it should be sticking out a little bit. I've tried to craete more bones with stretch to constraints but it results in just making "ripples" on the stomach and looks even worse.
Here are the screenshots:

I think that my topology, although not perfect, is pretty good. And i've had the same problem and all of my other humanoïd models.
Do you have an example of a rig I could set up or of a deformer I could apply or is it normal?
Thank you in advance.

Hi, for some reason, your screenshots are not in the post...

I can't help you more on this, since your model/rig is quite complex, but are you using the "preserve volume" in the armature modfier? could it help somehow?

I do forget to turn it on from time to time, but yes I am using it and the problem happens regardless. :/

Not much into rigging myself so take this with a grain of salt, but this may very well be the limits of what a rigging system can achieve alone in Blender. It doesn't really take into account self collisions nor mass or volume like in the real world, and is not physics based. If you want a stomach to protrude while bending you may have to do that manually with shapekeys or other manual adjustments.

I've managed to improve, but not solve, the deformation problem that I had by doing the following:
1: I slightly changed the mesh, making the stomach portrude more and making a nicer back bend. That enables me to bend the back less to achieve the illusion of a bend.
2: I divided the lower spine in 3 bones instead of 4 and shifted the whole spine and chest more to the centre of the mesh.
I think it looks significantly better and the side bends (wich I will not show) look pleasant.

I will still work on it and try to add strech bones. Maybe it will help. Or maybe, as someone has suggested, this is the limit of the blender rigging system and I will have to rely on shape keys.


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Can't draw on my texture in texture paint mode
Basically i have a model with a texture. I used gimp and lot of patience to give color to the parts that needed it, but now i have to do little details and i can't do them if i can't directly draw on the model. I know this can be done becouse i've seen some videos. I select a brush but it doesn't work, i press the mouse button and the program even lags a bit when i move it on the model, but nothing changes on the texture. I'm in cycles.
Link to the file

If you can, share the file on http://blend-exchange.giantcowfilms.com/, then edit your question and paste the provided link. It could be some setting of material or brush, but in the image they are not completely visible...

Ok i removed a big part of the model becouse i need it sorry, i left just the buttstock

Weird, I still can't get what is not working there... but tried appending the object to a new empty file, and I could texture paint it, both in the 3d view and in the uv/image editor... you could try this, maybe.

Yeah i thought about that too, i think i'll do it, thanks

You have your destination texture loaded as a brush texture, so you are trying to paint on the image with itself. Turn that off, and switch from Dots to Space in the stroke type, and I am able to get paint to drop onto the new image I used since the file doesn't seem to let me open the one you are using.


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How do I bake a high poly sculpt onto a low poly mesh?
I've gone through as many questions as I can but I still don't understand how to bake a high poly sculpt onto a low poly mesh.
I have these two objects, one is high poly and sculpted and one is low poly and not sculpted. I wish to transfer the sculpted texture to the low poly. How might I go about baking??
After Baking:

I think that you have in mind baking normals from high to low poly mesh: http://bfy.tw/Frf6

That's exactly what I mean thank you. I didn't know what they were called.

@LukeD I followed everything it told me to do but my low poly stayed the exact same and nothing changed. Please explain why this happened (I added the images from after I baked it).

For the beginning, set Bias to 0 while Distance to something more than 0.1. Then start changing values while looking at how bake changes. In most cases you can leave Bias at 0 and have bake captured. Needless to say, objects have to be in the same place in 3d space.

@MrZak thanks, I'm not sure how to make them in the exact same place as the centre of my low poly object isn't centred.

Center of mass of the objects should be roughly in the same place as they are nearly the same in their volume. In case of first screenshot above, select lowpoly, Shift+S > Cursor To Selected to snap it to the highpoly, then enter Edit mode for lowpoly and use Selection To Cursor (Offset). When in Object mode, objects should be aligned. Normally lowpoly shouldn't change its position as I assume you modelled it atop of highpoly with snapping during transform or Shrinkwrap

@MrZak Do you know what the different colours on the normal map mean? For example I have parts that look good and are purple/blue and then other parts that are green/yellow

Appearing of other colors means normal map tries to contain too much of displacement from highpoly and fails. Think of it in terms of colors, where RGB is XYZ adjacently, which means green is shift towards Y. See also http://wiki.polycount.com/wiki/Normal_map, e.g. this thread http://polycount.com/discussion/146667/a-practical-guide-on-normal-mapping-for-games


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How do I make two meshes snap together in uv image editor?
I modelled an egg and for some reason one half of the egg mesh is a little bit different to the other half as they don’t quite match up when place on top of each other. I want to make them look exactly the same so I can place them on top of each other to texture paint. Is this possible to do and how would I do it?
The meshes look identical but when placed on top of eachother
They don't quite match up ^

Could you post some screenshots here or blend file: http://blend-exchange.giantcowfilms.com/?

@LukeD it isn't working?

What is not working? Be more descriptive and/or provide before mentioned files.

@LukeD there you go I updated my question with pictures.

There aren't any meshes in UV map. There are coordinates of vertices in UV space which will control texture placement. In order UV islands to be the same meshes have to be identical, otherwise map can be edited with e.g. snapping vertices in islands onto each other. The easiest way to avoid editing it manually is to add Mirror modifier and to mirror mesh again with U and V options in modifier settings unchecked.


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How to apply material to disjointed object duplicated with array modifier
Ok, so I created an object that looks like this:

The internal object is surrounded on all sides by another object.  The inner object has a marble material.  The outside object does not.
I duplicate the object via the array modifier in the x and y direction like so:

Now, if I apply a marble material to the inner object, it applies the whole material scaled down to fit in the little inner object rather than spreading it out over the entire array.
I'd like to know how to make the material apply to the entire array.  The image below is the actual blend.  The "stairs" and the individual squares on the board are the same material.  As you can see, it looks like the material is compressed into each square, versus being spread out as on the "stairs".

When dealing with the Array Modifier it's important to know that object coordinates (which you are using) are generated for the whole object, but the 0-1 texture space is matched to the un-arrayed object. If you were using UVs, the UV map would repeat on each tile, which is even less of what you want in the long run. So your approach is the right one, but instead of having UV coordinates between 0 and 1, you have them between 0 and 7, because you need 7 tiles to fill the space. That makes the texture repeat again on your tiles.
Luckily the solution in your case is simple: Plug a Mapping node right after you generate the random coordinates, and set the scale to 1/7 (or if you change the number of tiles later, fill in the numOfTiles respectively). Blender will do the math for you. Voila: The coordinates have been transferred back to 0-1 space:

You can check the modified Blend file here:

There are a few options to achieve that. Your material probably has Object as a texture coordinate, so if you apply the array modifier, material should start to look as the rest of stairs. You can also try to duplicate this material to avoid changing settings to all objects shearing this material and then lower the scale of cloud texture in this material.


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Particle system adds some pattern to a mesh
Modelling a giraffe and adding hair particle system to it for making a fur, the result is absolutely trashy

As you may see particle system adds those triangles that as I know mean mistakes in polygon structure. When particles are turned off everything is ok. Here is wireframe:

Node structure for the material:

Particle system's settings:

Thank you in advance. You are always helpful.

Hair particles will reveal low-poly geometry like this in most cases. The best way to fix this is to use more geometry, making the model smoother. Try adding a subdivision surface modifier, or manually adding cuts and subdivisions to the model.
You could also try using some larger, longer particles, and maybe some more of them as well. This would help make the hair look more "full".


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How to edit interpolation for multiple bones in armature?
Hello fellow blender artists,
I would really appreciate, if you could have a look at my attached animation in progress:
It's a printmaking press with movable desk and felt. It took me pretty long time to figure out how to make the felt go up and cover the upper cylinder - I needed to control its folding precisely. Eventually I decided to rig the felt - and since weight painting did not work exactly how I needed (it kept breaking the felt sharply or moving some parts of the felt below the moving desk), I gave the felt 85 bones and attached them by vertex groups. Now I was able to animate the felt just how I wanted.
But there I made a mistake. It was too late when I realised, that the easing-in and -out affected every single move with bones during keyframes. Now the problem is that I kept moving each bone really slightly to achieve smooth result and so in Graph editor I have no clue, how to edit the miniature bezier curves to get rid of the easing.
Additionally, when I tried to convert bone interpolation to linear (as I learned by desperate searching for a solution), I felt like this edited bone movement deformed the felt animation.
Please fellow Blender artists, is there a way to change interpolation for a whole animation - or for every animation in selected frame? Or how would you solve this problem? I will appretiate every suggestion, just so I won't make the same mistake ever again.
Thank you in advance!
Wrawraw

Select All > Key > Interpolation Mode > Linear (in the graph editor) doesn't work for you?

Thank you for your suggestion, I will play around with it. But the animation still doesn't go smoothly. This is how it looks now: http://sendvid.com/m8jr76x6


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Anyway to create this kind of rope animation in blender?
Anyway to create this kind of animation in blender? I believe this one was originally created in C4D, But i wanted to see if its possible to create something like this in blender what would be the best way to go about it?
Im wanting to create similar rope animation but cant seem to find a way to create it. https://www.instagram.com/reel/ChAJ_33A-7p/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Hello and welcome. While files, images, and external videos or links may be helpful additions they should not be the only way to obtain information about your issue. Don't make understanding your question rely on downloading a file, watching a video or visiting an external site. Use the builtin tools to upload images or gifs, along with thoroughly explaining the problem in written form so it can be indexed and searched for thus helping future visitors with similar issues.

Also please use a title that reflects the content of the question. It should be descriptive but succinct, unique and identifying, summarizing the issue so that users can at a glance understand what your post is about. Use the [edit] link below your post and avoid anything not strictly essential to the post. Remember, your title is the first thing potential visitors will see, and makes your question findable for future users. See "What is the problem with posting an image or link and asking “How do I do this?""

Screw modifier https://blender.stackexchange.com/questions/196297/how-to-make-a-spiral-lollipop/196306#196306

You could create one unique object with several cylinder meshes inside, assign the top vertices to a vertex group, parent to an empty:

Give it a Cloth physic, choose the vertex group as Pin group:

Rotate the empty. If the simulation goes too fast you can reduce the Speed Multiplier value:

Thank you! Really appreciate it!


text:
How do i texture paint specfic faces
So im using blender 2.79 and im bit of a new to using it so here is what im trying to do

so i want to know how do i texture like a specfic face like on this image like i color the selected face of an object instead of the tool interfering with the other faces i couldnot find any ways or tutorials online im not sure if im even searching correctly

Are you talking about this? -- https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/2.79/render/blender_render/materials/assigning_a_material.html

almost like it @ChristopherBennett but using the texture paint so i get the texture i made in a png file

You can activate the Paint Mask option and select the faces you want to preserve with the classical select tools + Shift, or select the faces in Edit mode and switch back to Texture Paint mode and they will stay selected. Ctrli to invert the selection:

In 2.79, it's called Face Selection Masking and use the classical selection shortcuts:

im currently using 2.79 as i said in the beginning so selecting edges arenot saved in the texture paint

oh alright thanks for the help


text:
Simulate sedimentation of solids in fluid
I want to animate the sedimentation of two different (opaque) fractions from a (transparent) liquid. What is the best way to go about this?
I want an end result that looks somewhat like centrifuged blood.

The process should look something like what is happening in the third cylinder from the left, only that whatever settles isn't poured in, but that the liquid instead starts out with a uniform color.
Video here (third tube)

Hello, do you have a video reference of the kind of animation you are talking about?

Please clarify your specific problem or provide additional details to highlight exactly what you need. As it's currently written, it's hard to tell exactly what you're asking.

@moonboots What I'm thinking of is something like this, specifically what can be seen in the third column from the left, only that the liquid starts out at a uniform color.

so you need to see the powder pouring into the liquid?

@moonboots No, that's the part I don't need. The liquid starts out with the powder evenly mixed in.

maybe a reverse smoke simulation?

@moonboots After having a look at it, yeah, that sounds like a good solution. Then I only need a translucent object to get the effect of the particles settling out of a liquid. Thanks for the help!

@moonboots After some fiddling around I have determined that smoke simulations could work, and while the end result may loom better, I have found another way: Just make a material where the properties like Alpha and some other things depend on the texture coordinates. I will be posting a solution here after I am done so that someone else maybe can use it.

Yes I've tried with some Noise Texture, not easy though

I don't actually want a lot of noise, since what is settling out is red blood cells, which are of course really small, and so they create a uniform gradient. The secret ingredient is a texture coordinate node, and some math I don't even understand myself any more. As soon as I have figured out what I have cobbled together there (because of course it's flipped the wrong way and I need to make documentation so that doesn't happen again), I'll post what I have done here.


text:
Problem with auto IK, some bones turned stiff (Auto IK doesn't work)
First time working with armatures and IK, I had a rig working and somehow I did something that broke it. I'm using the Auto IK option for it.
It's a 2D spider (don't mind the leg count) and each leg segment is a separate object.
This link has a video of it working and one of it not working
https://imgur.com/a/6oDkFQE
To describe it, it's as if the first 2 leg segments had their rotation locked, and the 3rd one didn't, but I can't find what's locking it, if that's actually what's happening.
As far as I can tell, rotation is not locked in:

The menu that appears when you press N
The Bone Properties tab

If you have any idea what might be causing it, I'd appreciate it.
The blend file:

Once you've selected the bone in Pose mode, press G and use the MMB to choose the length of the auto IK chain so that it affects more or less bones, the length is displayed at the top left of your 3D view:

Got it, many thanks


text:
slot into curved pipe
I have a curved pipe.  This pipe will ultimately be fabricated as a thin-wall stainless steel pipe.  The pipe will be approximately 4" in diameter and 6' long.  I would like to know how to cut a slot 1" wide the full length of the pipe and keep the same exact curve.  Also, the curved pipe does not curve uniformly, it has a decreasing radius as you move to the two ends of the pipe.
Here is a top and side view of the pipe:

you could make it with a curve, then convert to mesh, duplicate one of the edge on its length, give it thickness then use it as a boolean object to create a slop on the pipe. But maybe show a drawing of what you mean because I may be wrong about what you mean...

Thanks for the reply.  Unfortunately, I created this curved pipe within the first hour of ever using software like Blender.  Absolute newbie, so I have no clue what you are explaining when you say "mesh", "boolean object" LOL.

Here is a top and side view of the pipe:  https://photos.app.goo.gl/GghtkmBjcywdAkrP7

did you create your pipe with a bezier curve? does the slot cut a hole in your pipe or just a groove?

Yes to bezier curve.  See the end view - white circle with slot cutout of the pipe in the linked image:  https://photos.app.goo.gl/aaeWak6Emr4z6UxV7

The idea is that there will be a wheel or roller inside the pipe with as stud coming up through the slot where it will attach to a handle.  The slot will allow the wheel/roller to be moved from one end of the pipe to the other.

So what you could do is:

First duplicate your curve to keep a safe copy somewhere. Now give it enough resolution, you'll have to make some tests but your mesh seems already smooth.

Convert your curve to mesh (header menu > Object > Convert To)

Select the edge where you want the slot to be, bevel with CtrlB, delete the faces, you have your slot.

Give your pipe a Solidify modifier to give it thickness, apply the modifier if your object is supposed to be printed at the end.

To have an even smoother object you need to add geometry with the Subdivision Surface modifier. As it will round the corners you need to add edge loops to sharp them. Again, apply your modifier if the object is supposed to be printed at the end.

These are awesome instructions; however, after doing the conver to, no mesh appeared.  ctrl-B (command on Mac for me) didn't do anything.  I am using the latest version of Blender.

I'm on Mac and it should be ctrl by default, once you've made ctrl B then drag to scale the bevel and/or use the operator box on the bottom left of the 3D View

my email is jpgaber at gmail.  Can you email me.  I'd like to see if you can provide more direct support on this project as a contractor.


text:
Modeling character in side view
I am totally new to Blender.Following a tutorial found over internet, I have started to modeling a character on my own.I have created face loop for front view.But the problem is, I think I can not model it on the side view.I am facing some problem regarding this.I attach image to depict the problem.Please,help me out.

Can you send me the blend file so I can take a look (go to http://pasteall.org/blend/)

It's not all that clear what is your problem, If it's a free tutorial on the web please add the link so we can see what you are seeing. To share the .blend on this site please use http://blend-exchange.giantcowfilms.com/

Can you explain what "I think I can not model it on the side view" means? What problem are you encountering that means you can't model like this? Please [edit] your question to add this additional information.

http://pasteall.org/blend/index.php?id=47234 .Here is my .blend file. And the tutorial link I have been watching: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QT1GNMevfc&t=75s .Problem arises on 11:10 mark

@RayMairlot I am new to blender.So,some concepts are not clear to me.I have attached a youtube link in the comment above.He starts to do "somethng" on the side view on 11:10 mark.But when I try to do so,I jeopardize it.Hope,I have succeeded to elucidate the matter to you.I have also add my .blender file on the question and also on the comment above.Take a look.Have a good day!

@m.ardito take a look on the edited question.I have attached my .blender file.

@Ivan    take a look on the edited question.I have attached my .blender file.

How is this different from your other question?

You extruded it to the wrong direction.

@Asm Arman without having the same reference images (you didn't pack those in the .blend) is difficult to repeat your exact steps, but it seems that you just have to select each vertex on the front view and move it in the side view along Y, reaching the intended point... why you say that "you can't"? what prevents you to do so?

@AsmArman what exactly do you mean by "I can not model it on the side view" could you clarify what what you mean? Maybe you should start with a simpler task your a beginner tutorial instead.

I took a look at your blend file. If I understand correctly you want to model a the little guy with faces. You started by the front and have trouble continuing on with the sides. I have provided you the modified blend file. Please check it out and tell me if you find anything interesting.
I have fixed the extrusion you've made. It seems like you selected the wrong faces to extrude. What you need to do is select vertices you want to extrude, hit E and pull them back towards the back of the head.
Again if that wasn't the answer you were looking for, don't hesitate to tell me and I will help.
blender file download link

Some tips:

when extruding you can snap vectices to other vertices by pressing
Ctrl. Your vertex will then snap to the nearest vertex. wiki extrude tool
avoid having Ngons by keeping all faces as rectangles. This will help you model the little man.
You can select all model and click on W then click on Remove doubles

EDIT
Ok so the video tells you to model the general shape of the face in 2D, then at 11:10 he starts giving it depth by pulling forward some vertices. It's very easy: Be careful to have your side reference placed in the middle like so: then select one vertice from the "middle line":
And pull it foward on the Y axis. until it maches your reference.
Repeat this select/pull process for each vertice of this line.

Ivan, thank you for your help.In the comment section, I have attached a youtube video link.In that video, the modeling of the side part was quiet hard.I don't understand what I have done wrong.In video, he extrude the vertices on the upper portion of the nose.But trying that same thing got me into mess.Would you please check the video out on 11:10 mark? And again thanks a lot for your answer.Really appreciate it.

I don't understand what is snapping and why should I do it.Please give me a basic idea about snapping.And it would be help full if you provide me with some easy to understand and to the point,precise blender tutorial materials.

Ok, take a look at my edit

Ivan, thanks again for your co-operation.My problem is when I want to do something just like the instructor did on 11:10 mark, I face some problems.Like when I tried to extrude vertices it become messy.I think I should upload another version of. blender with  side view somehow processed.Then you can understand the problem.What do you say?

I don't really know how to help now. You should start the tutorial again and follow as much as possible your instructor. It's very important to do exactly what he does because if you start adding triangles and Ngones you will have a harder time following him after. Just take a look at his mesh, he has only squares. If you want me to really help you, the best way would be to video capture the part were you extrude so I can really see the problem you're facing.

Yeah,video capturing would be a great idea.Would you please tell me where can I share this video with you?

Looks like https://uploadfiles.io/ could work out

Ok, I wll let you know.


text:
connecting grease pencil drawing to object with armature for animation
For a project, I am creating an animation. For this animation, I need to be able to connect my grease pencil drawing to my object to then be able to animate both.. with grease pencil I clicked on the "surface" option to draw on my surface, but it did not truly connect to the surface..

If it is not possible to connect the two, is there any other way to give that scribbling pencil effect to my object?
thank you.

first how were you planing on rendering the grease pencil? Other ways: UV unwrap your guy and scribble all over a texture.

Generally you can parent GP strokes to bone armature but there appears to be the control over the movement when strokes are parented to one bone so looks like you need to have as many stroke layers as there are bones.

You can parent the grease pencil marks to the object first select the mark in object mode then the object. It's Ctrl–P to parent it to the object.

sorry it's actually control p

You can always [edit] your posts. Much better to edit, then add corrections in the comments.


text:
My texture doesn't render
I'm working on Cycles render. I first added a material, went to color and inputted my texture image. I then unwrapped my object and applied the texture. When I press "shift z" to have a preview render, my object got the nice little texture. But then when I click on render, my texture doesn't show, it's not just plain white.

shift z view

Render view

Any ideas on what i can do to solve this problem?
Thank youu

This is my settings.

(I added the texture in this one)

It's really difficult to guess at what might be wrong. Can you add some screenshots of your node setup and/or render settings? If you don't have enough rep to post more images, just add links in the comments, and we'll get someone to add them to your post for you.

Did you hide the texture from render view?

What do you mean hide the texture from render view.. where is the option to enable it, in case I have enabled it by accident. thank you

I used motion tracking, so when I clicked on "setup tracking scene" the compositing was done automatically, so I don't think that that is where is the problem.

In the file I uploaded, for some reason my texture disappeared, it turned to purple..

EDIT: This is not the right answer.
This is a common confusion that I wish Blender would clarify. Making a texture work in the viewport is not necessarily the same as making it work in the render.
The short answer is: you have to plug UV coordinates into the Vector slot of your texture node. If you have more than one UV Map, you have to do a bit of trickery (which is not at all obvious) to choose which UV map you plug in.

Documentation
To further the confusion, it's quite possible (and not terribly difficult) to make your object use a completely different image and UV map in the viewport than it does in the render.

Hello Matt, in shader nodes, I added a texture coordinate and linked "UV" to the vector of my image texture but the result was the same. I also tried to assign the object, but nothing changed. You can try it yourself with my blender file I shared. I might have done something wrong. Do you have any other ideas on what causes the problem? thank you for your repsonse by the way

Interesting... I'll check it out!

Any findings Matt?

I'm so sorry, I haven't gotten to this yet. I will, I promise ;-)

A okay, that's okay. I'll wait.

I'm really not sure what might be going on with your setup. I'll edit my answer to include details of what worked for me.

Never mind... I figured it out. There's something wrong with your compositing setup. Stand by...

The problem is a compositing problem, but I'm not as familiar with compositing, so I'm not 100% sure what's going on.
I got it working by turning off the layer mask and adding the paper guy to BOTH the foreground and background layers. Then it works, without having to change anything else.


text:
New in Baking. From High to Low mesh
I have followed several tutorials on baking normals onto a low poly mesh.
This is my High Mesh:

This is my Low Mesh:

I am also using a Cage encompassing both the low and high poly mesh:

I turned on both meshes (low and high) to share how they overlap:

This is the baked resul, bake created with the normal map disconnected and low poly mesh in smooth shading.

Properties, Max Ray half of the longest axis of my mesh:

I can see some things look a bit off:

The Normal Map colour seems wrong; watching some videos, they describe the normal map as more saturated. I followed the creation of the image texture as the instructor described, doing it at 4k and 32 bits, then specifying that the colour space should be "non-colour" in the properties panel of the image space.

the broken normal coincides with the areas (overlapped image shared before) not covered by the low poly mesh concerning the high poly.

I am not sure if the Max Distance is rightly set. I also realized the scale is applied, but the mesh is too big regarding how many meters I use; I am unsure if this affects the process.

I would highly appreciate some guidance if you have experience doing this and find something to pinpoint on the shared images.
Thank you

You don't show your low poly without the normals already connected. You don't mention the low poly is smooth shaded. So that would be my first advice: upon baking disconnect the normals texture from the low poly material, shade it smooth and make sure you bake onto the texture (easiest to create a new black texture, so if it changes the bake actually happened), set max ray distance to about half of the width of the object, so you don't hit the wrong side, thanks to which you will see where the rays miss and so will be able to play with extrusion level or cage...

Hello, I'm not sure to understand, your high and low-poly seem to have a rather similar shape, so what kind of detail are you trying to bake?

@MarkusvonBroady Hi. I am not sure If I get the first part of your reply. I did show the low poly mesh with the normal map connected. The normals were created with the normal map disconnected; Blender does give you a notification when you do not disconnect about dependencies. I did not know I needed to smooth shade it. That is a great tip.
Do you refer to the shortest side with the width?
Thank you. I will come back with your suggestions, but I am afraid there is no way to post images in the comments.

@moonboots You are completely right, and after posting, I kept reading my post, and realized that the original mesh (high) was missing the details. So great to pinpoint, the mesh I shared was actually not the one to intervine.

Updated the post with newest attempts.

"Do you refer to the shortest side with the width?" - can work. Basically, it doesn't matter, but if you make it short enough not to be able to hit the other side, you will find more easily the misses in the normal. Also very suspicious is complete lack of detail here: https://i.imgur.com/zAYdIGE.png - as if you baked from low poly to high poly by accident… If it's your first time baking, I highly recommend testing on something easier first, without a cage. Also if you share your .blend file, it will be easier for us to help: https://blend-exchange.com/

@MarkusvonBroady Can I send it to you privately?

@BrunoSuraski if you're unwilling to share it, then one reason for me not to answer is not to risk revealing something you want to hide. See here on how to remove sensitive data from .blend file: How to upload a blend file on BSE - good practices and advice

@MarkusvonBroady I am not unwilling to share; If I were, I would not be asking you to send it privately. But that does not mean I want to share with the entire google database.

you can use another platform like wetransfer or workupload

Would you be able to check it if I send you the link? Thank you


text:
Randomizing via color ramp collection linked meshes with same material
I downloaded a container from blender swap. The container is made of various parts with different modifiers and so on. I am using collection instances to replicate the container, but I would like to have slightly different paint on each of them.

I tried all outputs of those two nodes circled in yellow, and I could not manage to change the white paint.
Is this possible?
Thank you
Here I share the Object Info>Random

I would like to have all the metal parts that are white entirely different in the instances, not every mesh as a different random, but all the white metal paint shader randomized as blue and pink.
Thank you

the Object Info > Random returns different values and works for me

I did that, and I got each door and wall randomized.  I would like to share it, but I can not see the upload image option when I answer here.

Glad to hear it's working! It's strange that you don't see the upload image option. Is it a reputation restriction?! That would be weird. Do you have the option when you edit your question? If yes, you can upload the image there, copy the image links (it's 2 parts), cancel the edit and use it for the answer.

I shared in the edited post. Maybe is a status thing, but my comment tab does not have any features more than the dialog box.

You can join the parts of each container, then they have the same object info. If you want to moving parts you can still use rigging.

Thank you, joinining the meshes helped out.


text:
How to batch modify the vertex colors of different meshes
I hope to use different vertex coloring to create the effect of edge lines. Different vertex groups can achieve this effect by giving different colors. But currently I have a large number of meshes that need to be modified. How do I batch mesh vertex groups? Grouping, or how to modify the vertex color of the mesh in batches?
thank you all

Script for Inset faces.

Very basic test run on inset cube
Using same concept as How to get random color variation on a single mesh?

By looking at screen shot it appears the models all have inset faces.

Assuming this is the case then

For each unique mesh of selected objects

Get or create a color layer from setting for layer_color_name Blender uses the default of "Col"

Sort faces by area

Set loop verts colors to inset_color on "inset face" (largest)

Find all the faces connected by edge to this face and set to edge_color

Repeat until all faces processed

Test script, fill in the name of color layer, and the two colors.
import bpy
import bmesh

context = bpy.context

# parameters

color_layer_name = "Col"
inset_color = (1, 1, 1, 1)
edge_color = (0, 0, 0, 1)

meshes = set(o.data for o in context.selected_objects if o.type == 'MESH')
bm = bmesh.new()

for me in meshes:
    clayers = bm.loops.layers.color
    color_layer = clayers.get(color_layer_name) or clayers.new(color_layer_name)
    bm.from_mesh(me)
    faces = sorted(bm.faces[:], key=lambda f: f.calc_area())
    while faces:

        # big face is an inset
        def color(face, color, material_index):
            face.material_index = material_index
            for l in face.loops:
                l[color_layer] = color
        face = faces.pop()
        color(face, inset_color, 0)
        insets = set(
            f for e in face.edges
            for f in e.link_faces
            ) - {face}
        for f in insets:
            color(f, edge_color, 1)
            if f in faces:
                faces.remove(f)
        bm.to_mesh(me)
        me.update() # see result
    bm.clear()

To run the script.
Copy the script and paste into text editor. Click the run script "play" button.  Didn't make much effort to optimize for speed, for all objects may take a minute or two. Wait for the button to return to unpressed state. While it is running blender will be unresponsive.
Result of running over all objects test file.

Many of the objects have no material assigned, but the vertex colors have been set. Some use material slot 1.
Here is a fix script to ensure all objects have two materials
import bpy

mat = bpy.data.materials[0]

for me in bpy.data.meshes:
    while len(me.materials) < 2:
        me.materials.append(None)
    me.materials[1] = me.materials[0] = mat

Have edited original code to assign material index  0 to insets, and 1 to edges. (These really could use same material since it is using vert color)
Now after having run this to ensure that each mesh has two materials

Some objects are not a result of all inset faces so may not have desired result.  Other methods to look at would be looking for "skinny" faces.
Color Gradient.
To get a gradient on the "ridge"

Look for all verts that are only linked to edge faces. (Using the face material_index set in fix script above
Set every loop vert color of the corresponding vert to ridge_color

Run this after running scripts above at least once.

import bpy
import numpy as np
import bmesh

context = bpy.context

color_layer_name = "Col"
ridge_color = (0.5, 0.5, 0.5, 1)

meshes = set(o.data for o in context.selected_objects if o.type == 'MESH')
bm = bmesh.new()

for me in meshes:
    loops = len(me.loops)

    color_layer = (me.vertex_colors.get(color_layer_name)
                   or me.vertex_colors.new(name=color_layer_name)
                   )
    loop_colors = np.empty(4 * loops)
    loop_verts = np.ones(loops)
    me.loops.foreach_get(
            "vertex_index",
            loop_verts,
            )

    color_layer.data.foreach_get(
            "color",
            loop_colors,
            )
    loop_colors = loop_colors.reshape(-1, 4)
    bm.from_mesh(me)
    verts = [
            v.index for v in bm.verts
            if all(f.material_index == 1 for f in v.link_faces)
            ]
    bm.clear()
    indices = np.where(np.in1d(loop_verts, verts))[0]

    loop_colors[indices] = ridge_color

    color_layer.data.foreach_set(
            "color",
            loop_colors.ravel(),
            )
    me.update()

First of all, thank you very much, but I am not very proficient in code and cannot operate successfully,I re-uploaded the file, thank you very much

Paste script into text editor. In OBJECT mode select any or all of the mesh objects to color, then click the run script "play" button.

Great. I succeeded, but currently only one mesh can be modified. How to generate it in batches?

Had to make a small edit since all meshes aren't the result of indiv inset faces. It will modify all the meshes of selected objects. Ran succesfully on all. BUT you have not assigned a material to many of them, and hence they have no visible result. btw have you looked at using  freestyle  to marking and rendering  edge lines without adding geometry?

Added a fix it script to give each object at least 2 materials, and a GIF demo of usage.

I made it! thank you so much! I have another question. The vertex color I manually changed has a gradient effect between the two colors. Can this effect be achieved?

I do this because I need to import the vertex color content into the shader written by godot

NP, "just checking"  thought it worth asking 8*).  Re gradient query consider asking a new question.

All right, thank you very much, and have a nice day～

Added an edit to give different color to "ridge".

It's a success! Thank you again sincerely

@chunzhong If so, please consider to accept the answer, thanks. How this site works: https://blender.stackexchange.com/tour, also see: https://blender.stackexchange.com/help/someone-answers


text:
How do I made this screw tube not have an invisible wall?
So I basically want this ball to run down the ramp, into the tube and out.
But for some reason, the screw tube creates this invisible wall that prevents the ball from going in. The screw tube has Rigid body (passive), and it's shape is Mesh - Deform.

Thanks, the ball was set to Sphere, tried convex/mesh, still didn't do much, but I uploaded the file to be downloaded.

The reason your simulation isn't working as expected is because the tube has a screw modifier on it that hasn't been applied.
Apply the modifier to make the geometry real, and it will work just fine. You also should apply tranforms with Ctrl+A rotation and scale (in object mode) on  all objects involved in the simulation. Otherwise the simulation can become unstable and have unexpected results.

Thank you so much! It works! Thought the screw modifier was applied already. All works well now :) So when I keep adding new obstacles, do I just select the all again, and apply transforms (rot/scal) again, or just select the individual and apply?


text:
Graph bar with elevation/height values
How can I get a graph legend that automatically gets my maximum and minimum elevation from an object?
Basically, I have an object that dinamically paints other with waves. I have a node setup that gives me color by relative height. I want to retrieve now the maximum and minimum absolute values of height that the waves are at current frame. I need to know how to build this http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/news/uploads/WAC_color_medium.4.colorbar.png that adapts height values from current time.
this is my current situation:

the following blend file has my current code. Please fill free to change or adapt as you need/want to make it work.

This script will generate a legend plane with text on the 2nd layer.

This script assumes the terrain object's name is "Plane".
To change it, change the object's name in line 7:
obj = bpy.data.objects['Plane'] # Reference terrain object
The color ramp was generated according to the example in the question above (3 swatches with pure green, blue and red in that order). Anyway, the script takes the colors from the original terrain object's color ramp.
It also generates 7 rungs to the legend's ladder according to the provided example. To change this, find the rungs variable i the script and change its value.
import bpy
from math import radians

def update_legend( scene ):
    C = bpy.context

    ## Get global height coordinates of terrain vertices
    obj = bpy.data.objects['Plane'] # Reference terrain object
    m = obj.to_mesh( C.scene, True, 'RENDER' )

    offset  = 0.5 # The value placed in the math.add node
    heights = [ v.co.z + offset for v in m.vertices ]

    minZ = min( heights )
    maxZ = max( heights )

    ## Generate legend color bar

    legendPlane = None
    if 'legend' in bpy.data.objects:
        legendPlane = bpy.data.objects[ 'legend' ]
    else:
        # Add legened plane on layer 2
        bpy.ops.mesh.primitive_plane_add( layers = [ i == 1 for i in range(20) ] )

        legendPlane = bpy.data.objects[ C.object.name ]
        legendPlane.name = 'legend'
        legendPlane.dimensions.y = 20

        bpy.ops.object.transform_apply( scale = True ) # Apply scale (dim change)

        # Setup legend material
        cr = obj.active_material.node_tree.nodes['ColorRamp']

        legendMat = None
        if "legend" not in bpy.data.materials:
            legendMat = bpy.data.materials.new("legend")

            legendMat.use_nodes = True
            t = legendMat.node_tree

            t.nodes.remove( t.nodes['Diffuse BSDF'] )

            emit = t.nodes.new( 'ShaderNodeEmission' )
            mo   = t.nodes['Material Output']

            # Link Emission to Material Output
            t.links.new( emit.outputs['Emission'], mo.inputs['Surface'] )

            # Generate new color ramp and link to Emission node
            colorRamp = t.nodes.new( 'ShaderNodeValToRGB' )
            t.links.new( emit.inputs['Color'], colorRamp.outputs['Color'] )

            # Add another color swatch in the middle of the ramp
            colorRamp.color_ramp.elements.new( 0.5 )

            # Set color ramp colors
            originalRampColors = obj.active_material.node_tree.nodes['ColorRamp'].color_ramp.elements[:]
            for i, c in enumerate( originalRampColors ):
                color = c.color[:]
                colorRamp.color_ramp.elements[i].color = color

            # Add Texture coordiantes and Mapping nodes
            mapp  = t.nodes.new( 'ShaderNodeMapping'  )
            texco = t.nodes.new( 'ShaderNodeTexCoord' )

            # Set up texture coordiantes Y rotation
            mapp.rotation[1] = radians( 45 )

            # Set up links
            t.links.new( mapp.inputs['Vector'],   texco.outputs['Object'] )
            t.links.new( colorRamp.inputs['Fac'], mapp.outputs['Vector'] )

        else:
            legendMat = bpy.data.materials["legend"]

        legendPlane.active_material = legendMat

    ## Generate legend text

    legendTextMat = None
    if 'legendText' in bpy.data.materials:
        legendTextMat = bpy.data.materials["legendText"]
    else:
        # Generate a material for the text
        legendTextMat = bpy.data.materials.new( "legendText" )

        legendTextMat.use_nodes = True
        t = legendTextMat.node_tree
        if 'Diffuse BSDF' in t.nodes:
            t.nodes.remove( t.nodes['Diffuse BSDF'] )

        emit = t.nodes.new( 'ShaderNodeEmission' )
        mo   = t.nodes['Material Output'] if 'Material Output' in t.nodes else t.nodes.new( 'ShaderNodeOutputMaterial' )
        t.links.new( emit.outputs['Emission'], mo.inputs['Surface'] )
        emit.inputs['Color'].default_value = (0,0,0,1) # Set color to black

    # Calculate text positions
    heightRange = maxZ - minZ
    rungs       = 7
    interval    = heightRange / rungs

    ladderText = [ str( round( minZ + i * interval - offset, 2 ) ) for i in range(2, rungs) ]
    ladderText = [ str( round( minZ - offset, 2 ) ) ] + ladderText + [ str( round( maxZ - offset, 2 ) ) ] # Add min and max Z values

    legendGlobCoo = [ legendPlane.matrix_world * v.co for v in legendPlane.data.vertices ]
    legendY = [ co.y for co in legendGlobCoo ]

    minY, maxY = ( min( legendY ), max( legendY ) )
    yInterval  = ( maxY - minY ) / rungs
    yPositions = [ minY + i * yInterval for i in range( rungs ) ]

    # Set X position as legend plane's maximum X + a space of 0.5 blender units
    xPos = max([ co.x for co in legendGlobCoo ]) + 0.5

    for i, yPos, text in zip( range(rungs), yPositions, ladderText ):
        name = "rung%s" % i

        o = None
        if name in bpy.data.objects:
            o = bpy.data.objects[ name ]
        else:
            bpy.ops.object.text_add( location = ( xPos, yPos, 0 ), layers = [ i == 1 for i in range(20) ] )
            o = bpy.data.objects[ bpy.context.object.name ]
            o.name = name
            o.location.y += i * ( o.dimensions.y / 2 )

        o.data.body = text

        o.active_material = legendTextMat

bpy.app.handlers.frame_change_pre.append( update_legend )

EDITED:
Fixed the issue that occurred when running this script with a modified mesh (in this case with dynamic paint), by converting the modified object to a mesh and using its coordinates. Here's an image of the legend generated at frame 110 of your simulation:
EDITED2:
Now updates values according to current frame via an app_handler.
EDITED3:
corrected line 128 > range(1,rungs) to range(2,rungs), so legend of scale bar is correct

I gave it a try, but when I press play, it doesn't give me the max height of the plane for the current frame. It has the same problem that I have with my script, only updates the info, if I apply the dynamic paint modifier. I'll vote +1 because I like the way that instantly makes the scale bar but I will not accept as final answer.

Haven't noticed the attached blendfile. Will try to fix it on your file and update if successfull.

Fixed the problem @MCunha, it required recalculating the modified mesh with the object.to_mesh() method (line 9).

I think you are almost there mate! If I press play with your script running, It really gets coordinates for that frame but doesn't update for other frames.
I expect that on 1st frame max height and min height will be 0. After that, max height and min, should change when frame changes.
If you see my script, in my blend file, it was supposed to recalculate/update text frame by frame.

Now updates existing text with each execution.

I'm sorry again. But it still doesn't updates text. Use my Blend file, put your script there, run it, and press play... In my file it doesn't update. I think it's need to erase data at the end of frame (after render), then redo at next frame before render (but i'm really a noob with python, just guessing).

It doesn't update automatically, you need to re-run the script. To make it update automatically it should be possible to add this to an app handler (but that might not be a good idea). http://blender.stackexchange.com/questions/18463/get-actual-object-location-in-animation-handler

do you know if it is possible to do an other script, that "says" to blender to run this script every time frame changes?

Added to an app handler. Run the script once and it will update with every frame change.

It works like a charm! thank you so much! You, now, are like a God to me! You don't know how I appreciate this! Many many thanks!

Sure man :-D Nothing divine here, just some python :)

Hello TLousky! Your script has a minor bug in the scale bar (but your's It's ok for my purposes): the maximum value of the scale bar, doesn't match the maximum height of the object, yet your variable "maxZ" does! there is something on the rung calculations (I don't know what) that makes the maximum value a little bit minor than the real maxZ. I think it would be great if you take a look, when you have time, and reedit your answer, so other users could enjoy this great script! I've noticed when I was exporting CSV files for analysis, then rechecked with object dimensions.

Hello again! Corrected the bug, I've found out it at: line 128 > range(2,rungs) instead of range(1,rungs)

Awesome, see you've edited the answer, cheers.


text:
Problem with UV and texture
When I unwrapped my mesh and then fill some faces by default fill tool, I got next:

When I saw in my UV I have understood, that problem is in next parts of UV, which were not filled (why?):

What should I do to fix it?
Sorry for my english. Thank you in advance

you can paint the holes with the TexDraw brush even with no texture selected. Просто кисточкой замазать :-)

and what does this whiteness mean on your texture? if there is another UV island there filled white, then it could be some color bleeding because the UV regions are too close to each other. If it's the case, make the gaps wider. Also there is the "Bleed" parameter on the Options tab of the tool-shelf in the texture paint mode.


text:
I'm having more eye rigging problems!
So I added a copy rotation constraint to the eyeballs on my character (yes this is the same one from my last two questions) so his eyes could track to the head bone properly, which they do in its local y and z axes, but not in its local x.  Furthermore, when I use the tracking targets (cubes) to aim where he's looking while his head is tilted quizzically sideways (tilted in world y axis), sometimes his eyes snap their orientation so he's looking at the back of his skull. Probably has something to do with the way the copy rotation constraint targeting his head bone interacts with the track to constraint targeting his eye pointers.  I have the file here: https://blend-exchange.giantcowfilms.com/b/Zkxb4zPn

Without looking at your file, why do you use a copy rotation constraint? Eyes usually are rigged using some form of track to.

Yes, the eyes track to a pair of empties floating in front of them, but I used the copy rotation constraint to make them still accurately match the rotation of the head bone to which the empties they were parented to were parented.

That doesn't sound like a good idea, try parenting them to the head bone.


text:
Anybody understand why it is that the rigid bodies are not colliding in this scene?
As always, I thank anyone who might be able to help. I have experienced instances of my having followed the instructions in tutorials perfcctly with the results not having been the same as those achieved in the videos, and so it is no surprise that when extrapolating and applying the general principles to my own models, especially when rigid body collision is concerned, I am also experiencing aberrant results. I did all that I have heard and read to do to set up the one object as the catalyst in the collision, and also have taken the steps that I am aware of to cause the shards to respond to it, but as usual, nothing is happening. I have another slightly different version of this model in which the shards are just collapsing from the beginning of the animation despite the fact that they are deactivated, so I don't know what the issue is.
As shown below, the sphere doesn't break the door when colliding with it, it just pass through it.

UPDATE:
A Simple .blend file provided and can be downloaded from here:

providing a ~100MB file is not a good thing to provide, you should simplify your file and add screenshot of your problem to make it easier for people here to download and investigate your problem.

Right. I just don't want to tamper with it and possibly wind up saving things I didn't intend to or eliminating a possible cause of the problem by simplifying the file.

Here's a series of screenshots https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3iO3keGWrXMNW5tc1R2ajhYTm8

The door is comprised of shards, they are all set to start deactivated, their scale and rotation is applied, and they are set to active. The sphere is also a rigid body with the Animated box checked.

As mentioned before, you are not doing yourself any favour by uploading a 100mb file, you need to upload a simpler file so people can help you. I recommend delete everything in the scene except the door and sphere (which is the actually the problem) then once someone help you solve it, you can then apply the change in your original big file.

This is what I was trying to do in the scene, but it still doesn't work in the scene with all the settings being the same as in these simple scenes. https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3iO3keGWrXMWnQ4QVZkRUt4Tk0   https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3iO3keGWrXMX1pCMWpLMEx0SlU

I've downloaded your file and simplified your file and edited your question. Hopefully someone will be able to help

Well, thank you very much! I have made a stripped down version of the file which retains elements which may be essential to figuring out the problem and solution, the problem now being that the door collapses at the start of the animation regardless of my having done all that is described in tutorials I have watched as the necessary steps to prevent this. The problem may be with intersections between the hardware and door, but what good would smashing a door be if the door doesn't actually look like a door with knobs, hinges, etc.? https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3iO3keGWrXMUDVoWGZuZWZfTk0

..Of course, I made a different door, one piece with the internal material option in cell fracture instead of three layers, and actually used the same cell fracturing method for this one as I used for the doors in those videos.

that's good, so is it working now?

Sorry I didn't respond sooner, and no, it is continuing to collapse unless it is made non-colliding. I was referring to the one in the file linked in my second-to-last comment with the door frame, hardware, walls, floorboards, etc.

may be try posting a thread at https://blenderartists.org/forum/forumdisplay.php?42-Particles-and-Physics-Simulations hopefully someone will be able to help you. And use the simple file I used in your question so that the file size doesn't turn off people from trying to help you.

Well, the one I uploaded recently is only a few megabytes larger than yours, and it contains the cell fractured door and everything that might be interacting with it.

So can you upload it to stack-exchange and edit the question and put it instead of mine? I can do it for you if you don't know how, but I have no access to a pc right now, but I can do it later. Hopefully someone will be able to help. I'd still suggest posting it on blenderartists

Well, thank you very much for volunteering to do that, and I very much appreciate all your help with this, but I'll do that myself at some point if it turns out it's totally necessary. Thanks again!

I just uploaded your modified file and edited the question, changes to the question should appear soon. I hope someone will be able to help you. you are welcome.


text:
Compositing with render layers that are unchecked
I am making an animation that has two render layers RL1 and RL2. Frames 1-10 contains only RL1, Frames 11-20 contains a mixture of RL1 and RL2, Frames 21-30 contains only RL2.
In order to save time I have animated the check mark (see picture) of the RL1 and RL2 so that they are only checked in frames 1-20 and 11-30 respectively.
The compositing nodes are shown as the picture below. Frames 1-20 outputs what I want. However, between frames 21-30 the output becomes black as RL1 doesn't output an image.
Are there any neat ways to ignore a render layer with no output?

This link is the closest answer I've found:
"How to stop rendering a renderlayer at any moment of the animation?"
However, as gandalf3 admits, the method doesn't work if the render layers contain alpha values

Related - http://blender.stackexchange.com/questions/25937/rendering-objects-in-the-same-scene-with-different-sampling

The mix node has some oddities when given "no image" as the top input. This is because it uses the dimensions of that input to determine the dimensions of the output, so if it gets "no image", the output has 0 size. To work around this, you can use a setup like this.

It could be more efficient not to animate the renderability of the Render Layer rather than to animate amount of samples for that Render Layer instead.
Find and animate Samples option which will override scene setting for samples.

This amount of samples can be set up for each Render Layer separately. So when that layer should be empty, drop the samples amount to some small value (but not to 0 as it will mean default which is the scene values) and the perfomance will be increased.
The layers still will be overlayed; you can bypass data from one of them animating the Factor of the Alpha Over (or Mix) node (e.g. setting it to 1 to make only bottom layer visible).


text:
How can I make a wall around a road on a cars track?
I'm new on blender and I'm doing (at least trying) a Assetto Corsa track.
The question is about creating a wall on the two sides of the road.
I created a wall with a cube, added an array modifier pointing to my nurbs path and then I created a curve modifier, so the wall follows the middle of the road. But I can't edit the X axis of that wall, so I can't scale it to match the outside or the inside of the road. It looks like this:

Any suggestions?
Here I leave you my .blend so you can check anything you need.

Thanks in advance for any help :)

Hello @metaphor_set. How about to python scripts? how can I share them? Thanks

@MCunha - Python scripts are plain ASCII text files. No need to store them outside of BlenderSE. If you want to post them here, you can use the "code sample" feature of the editor.

Enter wall edit mode and move it along local Z axis, then duplicate it and move it again on the Z axis. To know better what you're doing, turn Display modifier in edit mode and adjust edit cage to modifier in modifiers stack.Like this:

Well done! I didn't remember to do that on my answer! Very cool!

Thanx mate, glad you like it :)

thank you all for answering! I've placed the walls as them should but I don't know how to select the faces of any of the walls individually

I mean, when I right click one of the walls, all the array selects

oh, one more thing, when I try to edit the texture on the UV/Image editor I can't see the wall on it (by doing a reset and then a follow active quads). IDK if it is related to selecting individually the faces or what...

You can't select single faces individually, cause they are still one object duplicated multiple times and options, that you enabled on modifiers, only helps to visualise in edit mode, how the mesh looks like after using this modifiers. To be able to select individual faces, you would have to apply modifiers to the mesh.

I noticed that your curve object is what makes it hard to model the road details. Here is how to clean it up a bit.
First, I deleted the Plane and the Cube, both of them had rotated axes, were way too small and can be recreated quickly later.
For a flat street, it's the easiest way to use a flat curve. (The "not twisted" kind of flat.)
This is not the case in your .blend file.

To flatten the curve, select all control points in Edit Mode.
Then use Alt+T to reset the tilt, or find it in the menu in Curve > Control Points > Clear Tilt.

The curve should now look like this, which already resembles a road.

If you uncheck Radius in the curve settings, you can model a section of the street easily in the same size that you want it to be when it's applied to the curve.

In order to stop the single section from overlapping with the curve, I set the objects' origins to the 3D cursor, which I snapped to the center before.
It was the easiest part to model the street section at a 1:1 scale with the correct axes.

Just make sure to add a few loop cuts to have it bend smoothly.
Have a nice day.

When I export to .fbx having done Mzidare's reply I get this error:
https://i.sstatic.net/plOju.png
Do you think maybe doing it by your way this error could disappear?
Your way seems more ordered.
Thanks for your time :) @Cebbi

I didn't try to export it yet, and I can't try it within the next 5 hours. I can't imagine any reason, why my way should export easier. Try to apply some modifiers before exporting.

it's quite easy with your data: go to edit mode (press TAB), make your selections as edges (press CTRL+TAB >Edges), select the edge loop you want (ALT+rightclick), extrude in Zaxys (press E > press Z > type 0.01. Repeat the process for the other side of the road. You should get something like the image below. Optionally, if you want these walls to be a separate object, select the higher edges (shift+alt+rightclick), press CTRL+TAB for face mode, press CTRL+plus until desired faces are selected, press P, and separate by selection.

PS.: I say it's easy with your data, because the model itself was well constructed in order to do that. However, you have areas that the same space is ocuppied by more than one face (tight curve road areas). You have to edit it, in order to don't get strange artifacts (while rendering or other operation), and so the wall don't go into the road it self.


text:
Hiding inner faces of transparent object in render
I have an animation of an object in Alembic format. The object is a tetrahedral mesh. Thus it has inner faces. I want to render it as half transparent object. However I want to hide the inner faces in render. How can I do it?

By inner faces, do you mean faces that are facing "away" that can be seen through the semi-transparent mesh? Like do you mean the outer faces of the opposite side are visible, or do you mean more like a mesh within a mesh scenario?

It is a cube which has lots of inner faces like this one: https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcRes4-KCwER-PjmR6qOnoIHR_L4wKzk2sANBA&usqp=CAU

you can create vertex groups and mask them with the Mask modifier

You can select all the outer faces and assign them a vertex group:

Then give your object a Mask modifier with the group as Vertex Group:

It is weird but I cannot only assign the outer faces. The inner faces are automatically assigned. If I select outer faces and assign them to a group, the inner faces are also automatically assigned. This is the object if you want to try: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wG2UK6a1hHHC0D5eYv7P6tY3p_V1o6y1/view?usp=sharing

yes because actually all your inner faces are made of vertices that are part of the outer surface, and therefore part of the vertex group, so in your particular case my solution won't work


text:
How to use SSS texture in Blender 2.8?
How do I properly connect the SSS texture in a Blender 2.8 using nodes?
Blender 2.8
Without and with the SSS texture:

I think your question is a bit too vague. You can plug it directly in the Surface socket of the Material Output, or mix it with other nodes like the Diffuse, in a Mix Shader...

i have black and white texture

oh ok, so what does it give if you plug your Image Texture into the grey Subsurface socket of the Principled BSDF?

before: https://ibb.co/b3npgYN
after: https://ibb.co/267hd9J

so maybe decrease its effect with a ColorRamp or a Math (Multiply) node?

Using "Multiply" works great! Thank you very much! :)

how do i mark your reply?

Hi. In future, please do not ask the same question twice. If you need to add more details to a question you should use the [edit] link below it.

Plug your Image Texture into the grey Subsurface socket of the Principled BSDF. To decrease its effect you can use a ColorRamp or a Math (Multiply) node between the Image Texture and the Principled BSDF.


text:
Unwrap option missing from menu, how to enable it?
newbie here. When I try to do Unwrap in UV layout, I can't because the option is missing from the menu bar.
I am in edit mode and I apply a new material image texture (jpg), but once I do that and go to UV layout to make the texture unwrap (or smart uv), the Unwrap option doesn't show up. The layer I am applying the texture on is a curve. How to enable the option?
P.S. I tried the shortcut A -> U, but still nothing.
I am using the latest mac version of Blender, 3.4.1 (3.4.1 2022-12-20)

Hello could you please show a screenshot of your whole interface?

Hello and welcome. Curve can't be UV unwrapped in the traditional way of using U menu >unwrap... If you want to use that, you need to convert the curve to mesh

@moonboots here you go https://imgur.com/a/sYEtkXQ it's a wall with a wooden texture (jpeg) that is distorted, and I am trying to unwrap it so it fits nicely to the shape.
Emir, I believe that, but somehow I managed to do it once with this same shape being curve and not mesh?

For the moment you're not in Edit mode, so you can't see any UVs, switch to Edit mode and select all?

I think I am? https://imgur.com/a/kVqZfS7

Could you please share your object? https://blend-exchange.com/

Here you go

Your object is a nurbs curve, not a mesh, you can't unwrap a nurbs curve. To convert to mesh, select it, right click > Convert To > Mesh, then unwrap.

That solved my problem. Thank you, much appreciated.


text:
How do I remove the line gap things after separating some meshes? (apple peeling)
I'm trying to turn this apple into a monster like thing. I've marked 4 parts that are showed in the images, which are the parts that will peel off and the apple will move on 4 legs during my future animation. Problem is, when I separated by selection for the meshes, the black lines around the areas appeared, they are not needed and I have no idea how to fix it.

do you mean you need the apple to keep appearing like a single object rather than several joined parts?

@moonboots What I meant was before I did any edits to the apple, it was completely round, and when I applied 4 parts to be separated for animation, the roundiness now has those black lines which you could see on the apple. I was hoping that the object will have no visual change but only visible during animating the peels. Imagine doing an explosion animation inside a cube, but you only want some parts of the cube to comes out, not the whole object, for that reason you have to separate some meshes manually. I'll try to explain more if I wasn't clear.

Yes, for an explosion it would not be a problem because you can create an original full object + the different pieces of the same object, then make the original disappear and the parts appear with some keyframes on their visibility. For your apple it's a bit more complicated, I haven't found a way yet...

@moonboots Crap, thanks for the trouble. Those lines will be like a flaw in my project I guess.

there must be a solution, a guy has made a banana peeling but the shape is not round as an apple, maybe check though: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6_iZN9zbfQ&     If I think about a solution I'll tell, maybe someone will find, if you find please give the answer  ;)

This can probably be done with the Data Transfer modifier. Give me an hour or so to make some screenshots then I will post an answer.

@moonboots thanks for the vid, I saved it for the future when I will try this out.

Using the Data Transfer modifier to transfer vertex normals from an uncut whole apple to an apple that has been cut up into several seperate objects, (slices).

To the whole uncut apple object, apply any modifers.
Open up the Object Data Properties panel and enable the Auto Smooth option.

Give this apple object the name apple_whole.

In Object mode make a copy of apple_ whole.
Hide the "apple_whole"object.
Give the newly created object the name "Slice"
Add a Data Transfer modifier to the slice object.
The Source Object will be apple_whole.
Enable Face Corner Data and select the Projected Face Interpolation option.
Select Custom Normals.
In Edit mode selected the different slices and separate them into separate objects.

The the apple should now be sliced up into a number of different objects and each of these objects should have the Data Transfer modifier.

If you look carefully in the screenshots below you should be able to see the difference between a sliced apple without the Data Transfer modifier(on the left) and the sliced apple with the modifier (on the right).

Note; Thankyou to BGibonus (model) and AGF81 (texture) on Blend Swap for providing the Cylcle_compatable apple, free of charge, that was used in this post.

wow interesting i'll test that

"Give the newly created object the name "Slice"", I just need to select the meshes, separate them by selection, and THEN apply the data modifier for the peel?

The idea is that at the end of step 3 (second screenshot) we have two identical objects,at exactly the same position in 3D space. The original I called "apple_whole" will be used as the source for the normal transfer. We don't need to touch this object again so we hide it so it will be easier to work on the second object. 4: This second object we add the modifier so that when in step 5 we slice it up into separate "peels" objects each object will have the modifier already added to it. You can apply the modifier to each "peel" but it is not necessary to do so.

The important thing is that the original object and the second (copy) object before and after slicing remain in exactly the same position in 3D space. So when you make the copy don't move it, instead hide the original. (disable the eye icon in the outliner)

@3fingeredfrog, nice! How would you do if you want to give thickness to the peeling? Solidify modifier works fine if you put it above the Data Transfer but the peeling edges will look sharp

https://imgur.com/a/oiqRa43 Something is bugging me, when I press "Custom normals", these weird carvings appeared. I have re-done the steps 3 times to be sure, I still get the same result. Do I have to subdivide the apple again or something? Also @moonboots, I was thinking the same, also rigging the peels too so they would bend in half during walking mode. But I'll probably have to make a separate post for them for how to do it.

@lucutes the "dents" that appear on the sides of your "peeled" apple are because you have moved the peeled apple away from the source apple. Select the peeled apple and move it back along the Y axis some and you will notice the dents (shading) change and at some point will (perhaps) disapear altogether. Remember the vertex normals direction, that effect the shading are being influenced by the normals of the source object. This is why it it is very important that the peeled apple and the source apple occupy the exact same 3D position.

@moonboots I hadn't thought of the peelings needing thickness. I don't have time today but will look into that tomorrow and get back if I find a solution. First thought is to give the source apple thicknes (inner shell) then make a copy of that and slice the copy then filling in the missing edge faces of each peel object with the Bridge Edge Loops tool.

@3fingeredfrog This is yet my most complicated tutorial I have ever followed, but it worked. I brought the "Sliced apple" (it has total of 3 objects: a leaf, 4 peels as one object and the apple body) to the original, uncut "Apple whole" object's place, and the dents disappeared. I transferred the apple to my main scene, and it works fine. I just needed to import both the uncut and cut apples, parent the uncut with cut apple and I can easily animate it, like a falling apple. Not sure with the peeling animations, but I think I'll make a separate question. Thanks a lot for your sacrificed time!!!

@3fingeredfrog, actually it would rather be: keep the original with no thickness, cut the slices on the copy, with some extrusions give thickness to the parts you've created, then you can bevel the inner edges of the extruded slices to make them look smoother but I don't know how you can do it for the outer edges of the slices, giving a Subsurf would make the joints reappear

@3fingeredfrog I got a question, when applying solidify mod. should I first use the solidify modifier and THEN the data transfer? Because those black lines appeared again after I used solidification. And do I need to apply the modifiers, or can I keep them in case I want to change something?


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How do i fix armature deformation (robot rigging)
i am having problem with my animation, the armature is deforming the model while it should be a straight bone. how can i fix that.

for objects like that (machine, non-organic), don't use With Automatic Weight when you parent, rather use With Empty Groups, it will create as many vertex groups as you have bones but for the moment it won't assign any vertex to those groups, then assign each part of your mesh to the group it is supposed to be part of

@moonboots Okay got it thankyou!

For objects like that (machine, non-organic), don't use With Automatic Weight when you parent, because it will create weight gradients along the mesh and this is not what you want, instead use With Empty Groups, it will create as many vertex groups as you have bones but for the moment it won't assign any vertex to those groups. Then, in the Properties panel > Object Data > Vertex Groups, assign each part of your mesh to the group it is supposed to be part of.