Difference between revisions of "Content Dev:CC Import Process"

Latest revision as of 23:41, 12 August 2020

Developers can decide to export each asset individually or batch export a set of diverse assets at the same time. Whichever way one decides, always export the base body along with its skeleton and the bound or parented asset(s) into a FBX file. Any missing items from the base body will cause a critical error and failure to import.

CC Base Body includes:

• CC_Base_Body (Mesh)
• CC_Base_Tongue (Mesh)
• CC_Base_Teeth (Mesh)
• CC_Base_Base_Eyes (Mesh)
• CC_Base_BoneRoot (Skeleton)

General Workflow

1. After the garment is made, select the it along with the entire character.
2. Perform a (*.fbx) export with FBX API 2012 version (if possible).
3. Make sure (*.FbxKey) file is exported along with the character.
4. Import the character into Character Creator and fill in the Decrypt Key File with the (*.FbxKey).
5. Complete the layer order assignments according to Collision Layer Assignments.
6. Complete the visibility assignement according to Auto Hide Model Polygons (AHMP) Methods.
7. Select the garment and save it as an asset.

Import Dialogues

Once an FBX file is imported or dragged into CC, a couple of dialog windows will pop up one after another:

Creating Assets

The first Create Asset(s) window requires the Decrypt Key File. This (*.FbxKey) file will contain DRM information along with bone transformation related data.

If the imported character is wearing gloves or shoes then CC needs the base body template to calculate the contact point offsets and retain them with the saved assets. There are 3 body template options:

Default Character- if the male/female default character was used as the template for asset creation. Current Character- if the base used for asset creation is identical to the character in the current scene but not to the default template. File- if the base used for asset creation differs from the one currently in the scene and the default template. This will require the developer to supply the template file in it's original pristine condition (before any changes to its posture and hierarchy and without the addition of other assets on the character). </span>

Error Handling

CC import dialog has 3 degrees of status report:

Error Type	Result	Possible causes
Pass	The asset is compatible.	No errors were found, the asset is inline with the import parameters.
Warning	Passable but may have issues.	The item is skinned to the wrong bone, etc.
Critical	The asset has failed, a log is filled.	Tampered hierarchy, missing bones and meshes, etc.

If there are no critical errors then one can start to set the asset Type, and collision Level. CC will automatically assign a Type while the Level will default to “1”. Always double check the Type because auto-detection in CC can make mistakes. Do set the Level so that cloth ordering does not clash, more details are available in the next section.

Assets with passing states.

Collision Layer Assignments

Collision layer ordering is required for the correct sorting of garments when the Conform feature is performed.

⚠ A clash on same type clothing collision layer will result in the replacement of the previous garment.

CC supports upwards of 24 layers of clothing. Broadly speaking there are 3 main categories: Cloth, Gloves, and Shoes. Cloth has 3 subcategories: Upper Body, Lower Body, and Accessories. Collision layer assignment will not fix intersecting geometry at the default state. It does however, come into effect when calculating collisions with the Conform Clothing tool and upon loading. Use the type and layer table below for your reference:

Garment Type	Total Layers	Classification
Lower Body (LOWER)	7	Cloth 2, 5, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14
Footwear (SHOES)	2	Shoes 1, 2
Upper Body (UPPER)	9	Cloth 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 15, 18,19, 20
Extras (ACESSORY)	4	Cloth 3, 6, 16, 17
Handwear (GLOVES)	2	Gloves 1, 2

Layering of the garment is not an exact science as it depends largely on how it relates to the other layers surrounding it. Even though CC allows you to change the layer order on the fly, you will still need to set a default layer value for production as a factory preset. The following reference table demonstrates the relationship between the layers as well as the factory suggested presets:

Layer	Purpose	Category	Intended Usage	CC Default
1	1st layer of clothing	Underwear, Shirt, Piecemeal	For underwears, lingerie, leotards, swimsuit, and tights.	Cloth 01
2	1st layer gloves	Gloves	Gloves that lay under the sleaves.	Gloves 01
3	1st lower lower body	Underwear, Pants, Skirt	For undies, swimshorts, and leggings.	Cloth 02
4	1st layer accessories	Accessories and other items	For socks, headband, and other personal accessories.	Cloth 03
5	1st layer shoes	Shoes	For ordinary shoes.	Shoes 01
6	2nd layer of clothing	Shirt, Leotard	For clothing that needs to be tucked into tight fitting pants or tight dresses.	Cloth 04
7	2nd layer lower body	Pants, skirt	Tight fitting lower wear such as narrow skirts.	Cloth 05
8	2nd layer accessories	Accessories and other items	Arm sleeves and other similar sized accessories.	Cloth 06
9	3rd layer clothing	Shirt, Piecemeal	Garment that is layered under the tight fitting Cloth 5, also includes ordinary dresses.	Cloth 07
10	3rd layer lower body	Pants, Skirt	For ordinary pants and skirts.	Cloth 08
11	4th layer lower body	Pants, Skirt	For wider and losser pants or skirts.	Cloth 09
12	2nd layer shoes	Boots	Boots and boots for bunched trousers	Shoes 02
13	4th layer clothing	Shirt, Piecemeal	For looser, baggier clothing and dresses that touch the floor.	Cloth 10
14	5th layer lower body	Pants, Skirt	For looser pants and skirts that lay on top of Coth 5.	Cloth 11
15	6th layer lower body	Placeholder	Unassigned placeholder layer.	Cloth 12
16	5th layer clothing	Coat, Others	Light, thin coats and vests.	Cloth 13
17	7th layer lower body	Placeholder	Unassigned placeholder layer.	Cloth 14
18	6th layer clothing	Coat, Others	Light, thin coats and vests.	Cloth 15
19	2nd layer gloves	Gloves	Handwear that is layerd on top of the sleaves.	Gloves 2
20	3rd layer accessory	Accessories and other items	For cloaks and clothing tied to the waist, etc.	Cloth 16
21	4th layer accessory	Accessories and other items	Placeholder layer	Cloth 17
22	7th layer clothing	Coat	For suits, coats, and jackets.	Cloth 18
23	8th layer clothing	Cloak	For cloaks, smocks, gowns, overalls, and frocks.	Cloth 19
24	9th layer clothing	Placeholder	Unassigned placeholder layer.	Cloth 20

Testing Skin Weights

Character Creator does not support animations, however it does support single frame poses, useful for testing skin weights. One does not have to be a perfectionist, just make sure the asset conforms well to gestures related to its intended purpose and it should be sufficient. Nonetheless, one should not rely on CC to perform a comprehensive skin weight test, instead, one should already have performed a complete test inside one's choice 3D tool. There are 3 ways to apply poses:

Saving Content

The base body serves only as an import facilitator. Follow the steps below to store an asset:

1. Browse to the appropriate content category by using the Quick Selection Panel.
2. Select the asset in the 3D viewport.
3. Press the + button under the Content Panel to save out the content and name the asset.

Technically, content can be saved under any category, however for the sake of organization, developers should be familiar with the Quick Selection Panel. The selected item in the 3D viewport will save to the Custom section of the active category.

⚠ The imported Base Body should be discarded once the assets have been saved.

Once a CC asset is saved, the textures are embedded with the asset. If one creating an entire character, it is best to create or reload a new character in CC, reapply the clothing and accessories, and save it out in (*.iAvatar) format or save a (*.ccProject) file.

For more details about content publishing, see CC Asset Publication.