[Tutorial] G1G2G3G8 Clothing in Blender 6 (JCMs)

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Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Download the .pdf version of the entire series here.

In this section, new to the 2017 update to this lengthy tutorial series, I will discuss how to set up joint-controlled morphs for your clothing.  This is especially important if you are working with Genesis 3 or 8.  Genesis and Genesis 2 were TriAx rigged figures. This means that each bone has three axes, the X, Y and Z plus the possibility of bulges that can be accessed via the Weight Mapping tab (alt+shift+W and Tool Settings tab, then select in Scene Tab the bone whose maps you want to see).  This allows some adjustment of the movement of clothing using the maps, so fewer joint controls were needed (but you still need them if you have a skirt in which anyone will ever sit down, or pants or underwear that are on a male, or anything loose in the crotch area).

Genesis 3 and 8 are single-axis rigged figures.  A bone has only one movement, which is why these have separate bones for bend vs. twist.  This means that less adjustment can be done with the maps and needs to be done with corrective morphs that only activate when a bend is active.

1.  Creating Single Bend Joint-Controlled Morphs

In order to check for the need for JCMs, load up your figure and load up your clothing item conformed to the figure.  Pose the figure.

Now bend a bone, say the left thigh.  Look at how your clothing looks.  Is it natural or distorted?  If it doesn't look as you would like it to look, leave the clothing bent but hide the figure in the Scene Tab by clicking the eye icon.  Make sure your clothing is set to SubD 0 if you've applied subdivision to it.

In the Parameters tab, make sure Show Hidden is selected via the little button at top left.  Now selected "Currently Used."  You should be able to see the name of the JCM on the figure that is being transferred into the clothing, if there is one.  If there isn't, pass on.  If there is, copy down the name, complete with capitalization.  There will definitely be a different one for forward and back thigh bends on Genesis 3 and 8, with names like pJCMThighFwd_57_L.

Go to File--Export in Daz Studio and choose Wavefront Object (obj.)  Export your clothing item to a location of your choice and name it the same name as the JCM that you copied down.

Now you're ready to import the clothing item into Blender (or the modeler of your choice, if you came here skipping tutorials 1-3) and use the sculpting and proportional editing tools to shape it into a better form.  Export to obj again.

Now, on Genesis 3 and 8, you often need to turn off JCM in the figure before you load yours so that it doesn't mess up the reverse deformation we're going to use. This button is found in the Parameters/General area on Genesis 3 or 8.  The figure and clothing will suddenly look worse because their JCMs are turned off. LEAVE THE FIGURE POSED IN THIS SPECIFIC CASE.

And now it's time to load the morph.  Start up Morph Loader Pro.  The icon looks like a flexing biceps with a P on it.

Click on "Choose Morph Files" and navigate to your JCM and click on it.  Right-click on Morphs/Morph Loader and change it to Hidden/Correctives/Base.  Set Reverse Deformations to Yes, and Overwrite Existing to Deltas Only.  Click Accept.

Now if you turn JCMs back on for the Genesis 3 or 8 figure, it should snap back into its morphed shape, and your new JCM should show up.  We didn't have to do the ERC freeze because it just picked up that code from the JCM that transferred from G3 or G8, which we just over-wrote.

Now, if you do this for a bend that does not have a JCM transferred from the figure, you'll need to set up a controller for it.  Make sure to leave your figure posed still, but there's no need to turn JCMs off.  Load your JCM per the earlier steps, but you'll need to give it a custom name that reflects what it does (JCMBendShoulderR, etc.).

And now you need the Property Hierarchy tab.  If you don't have one, you can create one using Windows--Panes (Tabs).  Find your new JCM you loaded on the list that appears in this tab when you select your clothing item.  Click to expand it and find "Controllers," then click to expand that.  Here you have 1st Stage and 2nd Stage.  We'll address 2nd Stage in the next part of the tutorial.  For now, go to the Parameters tab and find the bend that you want to control this JCM, like the shoulder bend.  Right-click in Parameters to choose Edit Mode.  Now you can click "Bend" and drag it over to Property Hierarchy to drop it on Controllers--1st Stage.

Now you probably need to set up keys so that your JCM only triggers between the right values of the joint - you don't want it to trigger at negative values if you meant it to correct only the forward bend, and vice versa.  In this case by default it's set to ERC Delta Add, but click on Attributes and then the dropdown by "Type" to set it to "Keyed."

Now you can put as many keys as you want, a minimum of two: one at 0:0, so your JCM is set at 0 when the joint is bent at value 0.  For the next one you need to put the intended joint bend on the left, 45 if it's 45 degrees, etc.  And then put 1.0 on the right.  So then the key will look like 45: 1.0 or etc.  If you do a JCM for a 15 degree backward bend separate from the front one, you might have keys for that JCM that are at 0:0 and -15:1.

In the Parameters tab you can now find your JCM, find the gear icon on the right of its name, and click on that to set it to Hidden.  Be sure to save to the library using File--Save As--Support Asset--Morph Asset (s).

2.  Creating Dual or Multi-Bend JCMs

This section assumes you read section 1 in its entirety.

In some cases you will need to create not only a JCM for each thigh, but a third JCM that only triggers when both thighs are bent, especially in underwear and skirts/kilts.

In this case you will still pose the figure with both thighs bent and export just the clothing to obj after hiding the humanoid figure by clicking the eye icon in Scene.  You will still load the morph using reverse deformations and putting it under Hidden/Correctives/Base, but give it a custom name like JCMBendBothThighs.

Now we need to set the ERC control of this morph so that it only activates when both thighs are bent, never just one.  Go to the Property Hierarchy tab and find your morph name (you can sort by typing a name in the filter text box at the top).  If you do not have this tab, you can create one using Windows--Panes (tabs).

In the Scene Tab, find the left thigh of the figure.  In parameters you should be able to see its Bend, Twist, etc.  Right-click on Bend and choose Edit Mode.

Now you can click back to Property Hierarchy.  Expand your morph so you can see Controllers, then expand Controllers to show 1st Stage (Add/Subtract) and 2nd Stage (Multiply/Divide).

Drag the left thigh Bend over and drop it onto 1st Stage (Add/Subtract).

Now repeat with the right thigh Bend, but this time drag and drop it onto 2nd Stage (Multiply/Divide).

This will cause the JCM to only trigger when both thighs are bent.  You will need to set up keys in the 1st Stage controller, in this case the left thigh Bend, so that your morph only triggers at the right bend values.  Usually with the thighs that means two keys at 0:0 and 0:90 or thereabouts.  By default the controller will be set to ERC [DeltaAdd], so you'll need to expand that heading, click Attributes and change it to Keyed.

In the Parameters tab you can now find your JCM, find the gear icon on the right of its name, and click on that to set it to Hidden.  Be sure to save to the library using File--Save As--Support Asset--Morph Asset (s).

3.  Setting "Dummy" JCMs for Genesis 3 and 8

With Genesis 3 and 8 and skirts, you will often have the problem that some JCM from the human figure will transfer inappropriately and make visual screwups in your mesh, especially in the lower leg area.  You can fix this by setting those JCMs locked permanently at 0.

To test if this is necessary, conform your item to the figure and bend the limbs to check for JCM that really shouldn't affect the item.  On a short/mid length skirt or loincloth you often will get unwanted distortion from the shin JCMs.

In this case, go to Parameters.  Make sure Show Hidden is turned on using the small button at top left of this tab.

Under the Hidden heading you should now be able to see the names of the problem JCMs, such as pJCM_ShinBend_90_R.  Right-click on the name and choose Edit Mode to make sure you can edit in Parameters tab.  Now click the gear icon to open the parameters of the morph.

Click "Use Limits," then set the Min and Max values to 0.  After you do that, check the box above for "LOCKED."  Click Accept.

This makes that morph stay permanently at 0 no matter what its value on Genesis 3 or 8 is.  Be sure to save to the library using File--Save As--Support Asset--Morph Asset (s).


Questions?  Comments?  Ask or tell below!

If you enjoyed this tutorial series, please give my stores a look at DAZ and Renderosity.
© 2017 - 2024 SickleYield
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Peenwolf's avatar

The PDF link seems to be broken.