Content Dev:CC Clothing Rigging Guidelines

1 CC Clothing Rigging Guidelines
- 1.1 Maya Rigging Guidelines
  - 1.1.1 Standard Rigging Procedure
  - 1.1.2 Preliminary Rigging Workflow
- 1.2 3ds Max Rigging Guidelines
2 Skeleton Binding & Custom Bone Regulations
3 Shoe Rigging and Precautions
- 3.1 Preparation (DCC Tool)
- 3.2 Import Workflow (Character Creator)
  - 3.2.1 Method 1: Comparison Import (Recommended for Heel Calculation)
  - 3.2.2 Method 2: Direct Import
4 Accessories Rigging and Precautions
- 4.1 Accessory Production Guidelines
  - 4.1.1 Rigging and Bone Constraints
- 4.2 Importing Accessories into Character Creator (CC)
  - 4.2.1 Method 1: Direct OBJ Import (Static/Rigid Accessories)
  - 4.2.2 Method 2: Skinned FBX Import (Converted to Accessory)

Main article: CC Asset Development.

CC Clothing Rigging Guidelines

Maya Rigging Guidelines

Standard Rigging Procedure

Command: In Maya, use the Skin > Bind Skin command to perform the rigging operation.
Process: Ensure the clothing is correctly aligned with the Base Mesh before executing the bind command.
Refinement: The initial binding result typically requires fine-tuning. You must ensure weights are distributed evenly to prevent mesh inter-penetration (clipping) during animation.

Preliminary Rigging Workflow

Verify that the clothing corresponds to the character's Base Mesh and is positioned correctly.
Select the clothing mesh, navigate to Skin > Bind Skin, and configure the binding parameters.
Use the Paint Skin Weights Tool to manually refine the weights, specifically optimizing areas with deformation artifacts.

3ds Max Rigging Guidelines

Basic Operation

Execute the Modify > Skin command in 3ds Max to apply the rigging modifier.

Using the "Skin Warp" Workflow

The Skin Warp modifier is used to transfer weights from the Base Mesh to the clothing as a preliminary binding method.

Important: Skin Warp is only a starting point. It is not the final quality standard. You must manually refine any imperfections after the conversion.

Skin Warp Steps

Position the clothing correctly over the Base Mesh.
Add the Modify > Skin Warp modifier to the clothing.
Assign the CC Base as the Target.
Adjust relevant parameters.
Click "Convert To Skin" at the bottom of the panel. The Skin modifier will automatically be added to the Modify List.

Notes for Max

Crash Prevention: After adding Skin Warp and adjusting parameters, save a backup before clicking "Convert To Skin". Wait a moment before executing the conversion to prevent 3ds Max from crashing.
Manual Refinement Areas: Particular attention is needed for shirt collars, hood geometry (hoodies), suit lapels, cords/strings, and buttons.

Chest Spring Dynamics

The character's chest often has Spring dynamics enabled. To prevent bouncing that leads to clipping, the weight of the clothing on the chest must match the Base Mesh exactly (or strictly follow the Skin Warp result).

Testing: Always test Spring effects in iClone; iterative corrections may be necessary.

Sleeveless/One-Shoulder Garments

(e.g., vests, camisoles, bras, off-shoulder tops). Ensure strict weight checking to prevent the underlying skin from clipping through.

Weight Consistency Adjustment (Thickness)

For garments modeled with thickness:

Vertex Matching: The weights of the vertices on the edge of the thickness (Vertex A on the surface and Vertex B on the inner/thickness edge) must be identical.
Tolerance: The weight difference should not exceed 0.1.
Purpose: This prevents the mesh from tearing apart or intersecting with itself during movement.

Skeleton Binding & Custom Bone Regulations

1. Skeleton Restriction

Standard Skeleton Restriction: For standard body deformation, garments must be bound exclusively to the default CC Base skeleton. The core garment mesh must not rely on custom bones for basic character movement.

Exception for Spring Dynamics (Extended Bones): Content developers may create and add custom bones (Extended Bones) to clothing or accessories strictly for spring physics simulation, such as swaying ribbons, pouches, or other dangling accessories.

Animation Limitation: These custom spring bones are driven entirely by Character Creator's physics simulation. They are not recognized as standard motion bones and cannot be manually keyframed or animated through the timeline.

2. Head Bone Restriction

Rule: Do not bind clothing to the CC_Base_Head bone unless it is functionally required (for example, a hoodie with the hood worn up).

Reasoning: When a user adjusts the character's body morph independently, the head bone does not scale proportionally with the body. Garments bound to the head bone will therefore scale incorrectly, often forcing users to manually adjust the head morph to restore proper visual proportions.

3. Locking Non-Skinning Bones (Preventing Weight Bleeding)

Before executing the skin weight process, it is critical to prevent weight bleeding onto bones that are not intended to drive garment deformation. Assigning skin weights to these non-skinning bones is strictly prohibited in the CC garment creation pipeline.

Risk Factors

Maya Workflow: Automated tools such as Smooth Skin Weights or Copy Skin Weights may incorrectly distribute weights to non-skinning bones if those bones remain unlocked.

Character Creator Workflow: During manual weight painting, users who are unfamiliar with the CC bone structure may accidentally select these bones, resulting in incorrect weight distribution.

Action Required: Lock Influences

For users performing skin weighting in Maya, first-time CC users, or anyone unfamiliar with the CC Bone Specification, we strongly recommend locking these bones before proceeding.

Maya Implementation

Right-click the target mesh and select Paint Skin Weights Tool.
Open the Tool Settings window.
Under the Influences list, locate the non-skinning bones (refer to the list above).
Click the padlock icon next to each target bone to lock it.

Locking these influences helps prevent weight bleeding caused by Maya’s auto-normalization process.

The image above illustrates the Paint Skin Weights Tool interface.

The image above displays the Influences list. Please strictly follow the Character Creator 4 reference image below and lock the corresponding Motion Bones (indicated by the padlock icon). This action effectively prevents weight bleeding onto the Motion Bones.

Non-Weighted/Non-Skin Bones

Left Side Bones	Center Bones	Right Side Bones
CC_Base_L_Thigh	CC_Base_FacialBone	CC_Base_R_Thigh
CC_Base_L_Calf	CC_Base_Tongue01	CC_Base_R_Calf
CC_Base_L_eye	CC_Base_Tongue02	CC_Base_R_eye
CC_Base_L_Upperarm	CC_Base_Tongue03	CC_Base_R_Upperarm
CC_Base_L_Forearm	CC_Base_Teeth01	CC_Base_R_Forearm
	CC_Base_Teeth02
	CC_Base_UpperJaw

Shoe Rigging and Precautions

Preparation (DCC Tool)

Foot Pose Adjustment: In 3ds Max or Maya, adjust the character's foot angle to match the exact slope or incline of the shoes.

Export: Export both the character and the shoes together as a single FBX file.

Import Workflow (Character Creator)

There are two distinct workflows for importing shoes into CC:

Method 1: Comparison Import (Recommended for Heel Calculation)

Step 1: Open a nude (neutral) base character in Character Creator.
Step 2: Import the iAvatar or FBX (containing the shoes and the adjusted foot pose).

Reasoning: This method allows the system to compare the height difference between the original flat foot (base) and the adjusted foot position (high heel). This comparison is required to automatically calculate the correct high heel offset.

Important Note: If you modified the body shape before exporting to external software to create the shoes, you must use that modified body shape as the "un-shoed base" reference instead of the default neutral base.

Method 2: Direct Import

Procedure: Directly load the file into Character Creator without pre-loading a nude base.
Note: This method skips the comparative calculation step.

Accessories Rigging and Precautions

Accessory Production Guidelines

Rigging and Bone Constraints

Custom Bones: Accessories may contain their own internal bones. However, when binding/skinning, the accessory must be bound only to its own custom bones. It cannot be bound to both the character skeleton and its own bones simultaneously.
Format Limitation (.iAcc): The Accessory format (*.iAcc) does not support skin weights bound to the character. Therefore, accessories cannot deform or bend with character movement. For deformable items, use the Cloth format instead.

Importing Accessories into Character Creator (CC)

Method 1: Direct OBJ Import (Static/Rigid Accessories)

This method is suitable for rigid items that do not require skinning.

Step 1: Create the object in external 3D software and export it as an OBJ file.
Step 2: In CC, navigate to Create > Accessory and select the exported OBJ.
Step 3: Set up the pivot and parent:
- Adjust the pivot position based on the item's function (e.g., set the pivot at the handle for a handbag).
- Adjust the scale and size.
- Use the Attach function to link the accessory to a specific bone (e.g., R_Hand) and position it correctly.
Step 4: Select the item and save it individually as an Accessory file (*.iAcc).

Method 2: Skinned FBX Import (Converted to Accessory)

This method allows positioning relative to the character in external software prior to import.

Step 1: Create the object in external 3D software and position it correctly relative to the character.

Step 2: Skin (bind) the object to the CC base skeleton.
Step 3: Select the character (including the accessory) and export as an FBX file.

Import Check: When importing into Character Creator, a status panel will appear.
- Green text indicates the source file is valid.
- If red text appears, correct the source file according to the error message.

Technical Note: Accessory vs. Cloth Classification

Classification Logic: When importing into Character Creator, the distinction between Accessory and Cloth is determined by the presence of skin weights:
- Requires skinning → Treated as Cloth.
- No skinning (rigid) → Treated as Accessory.

Cloth Settings (Conform): If the item is categorized as Cloth (e.g., buttons, necklaces, belts that need to move with the body), you must configure the Conform / Non-Conform status.

RL Made Standards: For official "RL Made" content, ensure the item is correctly assigned to the appropriate Embed / Cloth / Layer category to guarantee proper collision and layering behavior.