Can this be done? - Proxy select

[bblevins]

Is it possible to select an item in XSI by selecting another item?

Example: I want to have a couple of different pick curves outside of my character that the animators can use to pick a control item buried deep inside the character.

I don't know exactly what such a feature would be called other that it is similar to a proxy parameter, but for an item.

-B

[mechis]

I don't know how to do it with curves (although I think there was a discussion about this on the xsi mailing list that solved the problem), but you could just set up shadow objects for your nulls (turn off the null's display, turn on the shadow object, use the sliders to move the shadow wherever you want). That's what I do b/c it's quick and easy to set up.

~Mechis

[bblevins]

I don't know how to do it with curves (although I think there was a discussion about this on the xsi mailing list that solved the problem), but you could just set up ghost objects for your nulls (turn off the null's display, turn on the ghost object, use the sliders to move the ghost wherever you want). That's what I do b/c it's quick and easy to set up.

~Mechis

Yeah, thats what I'm doing in the meantime. The problem is that I can only have one shadow object.

I'll check out the XSI mailing list. Thanks for the tip

-B

[csaez]

This sound like a synoptic view, its not exactly what do you want but is very close :)

[thiago]

you can do an OnSelectionChange event and a property page to tag your rig components.

So it would work like this:

- Make a custom property page (lets call it ChangeSel), this PPG has a String field. This string stores the path to the object you will change the selection.
You apply this ChangeSel ppg to each object you wanna change the selection.

- then you have the OnSelectionChange event.
First thing the event will do when you change the selection is dig the object and see if it has that ChangeSel property applied.
If it has the property, the event will get that path you have in the ChangeSel, and execute an Select() command.

thats one way to do it.

[anim]

use your curves as a control objects
or
if you seek more flexibility, pose contrain control object to a curve
before doing this make sure their pivots are aligned
the easiest way to implement this is
select curve
match all its transforms to the control object
pose constraint the control object to the curve
now go to point component selection
select all curve points and offset them to desired position
if you have any custom parameters on the control object create proxy parameters on the curve
you can even script this to make adding control curve a one click button

[andystopps]

you can do an OnSelectionChange event and a property page to tag your rig components.


Thanks for that, Thiago; I've been meaning to figure this out a way of doing this for some time, but never got around to it...

[bblevins]

you can do an OnSelectionChange event and a property page to tag your rig components.



Thanks Thiago! Its over my head but I'll play around a bit and see if I can get it to work.

[bblevins]

use your curves as a control objects
or
if you seek more flexibility, pose contrain control object to a curve


Yeah, I'm using curves as my control objects. The problem comes up when I want to have two curves control the same thing.

One place where I like to do this is on the main transform of a character. We like to have a pick curve around the feet that the animators can pick. We also make a pick curve that floats above the characters head so that in a crowd it is easy to pick. Both pick curves are attached to the same transform.

In Maya, we put the two curve shapes under the same transform node. I don't know how to do that in XSI.

[mantom]

Yeah, I'm using curves as my control objects. The problem comes up when I want to have two curves control the same thing.

One place where I like to do this is on the main transform of a character. We like to have a pick curve around the feet that the animators can pick. We also make a pick curve that floats above the characters head so that in a crowd it is easy to pick. Both pick curves are attached to the same transform.

In Maya, we put the two curve shapes under the same transform node. I don't know how to do that in XSI.

The name of the game is to select a part of a character as fast as possible. You only used curves in Maya because that's what was available. Now that you're in XSI, you should consider other options.

An Embedded Synoptic view would be better because you can apply as much logic to it as you want but it still only takes up one node in the hierarchy. It's often easier to select any part of the character then press F3 to display the synoptic than to hunt and peck for a component (curve) in a viewport.

If you don't like synoptics, you can also use Netview to do the same via HTML - which opens up the ability to use the editor of your choice to make a nice GUI for your tool. A netview tool wouldn't have to be attached to your character either.

If you don't like synoptics or netview, you can use the object view to isolate the curves you want to work with. One viewport is the main viewport the animator does all his work, the other viewport is an object view only displaying the controls he needs to work with (or at least the difficult to reach controls).

[thiago]

Altough I agree 100% with Matt and I believe that change your maya worflow would benefit you a lot... I couldn't resist on code this :P


http://www.xsi-brasil.com/proxy_select/proxy_select.jpg


>>> Download ProxySelect addon here (http://www.xsi-brasil.com/proxy_select/tc_ProxySelect.zip)

how to use:
- drag and drop into XSI
- select the object you want to be the proxy, go on Render>Property>ProxySelect
- this property page has some options as you can see in the image.. like branch selection and inspect the path...
- the preferences button is a global switcher, so you don't freak out...

You create your curve for example, and put it under the bone you want to select, then is just add this property into the curve and pick the bone. And thats pretty much the maya workflow you would had. (I used that a lot in maya too... not in XSI anymore because of shadow rigs).
it's easy to script a circle creation > match transfomation > add property

Well good luck, and tell me how that works for you. And let me know if you find any problem... suggestions are always welcome.

[thiago]

had a bit more time today and fixed a few nasty bugs...
I also added a link to the preferences in the Property menu. So you can deactivate the whole thing more easily...

I also added some support so you can point to properties and parameters... So it would select and/or Inspect whatever you point to...
you can for example:
- have a geometry inspect it own material when you select it.
- a rig icon point to a bone/chain/etc.
- select a light and have it inspect it own shader
- select a sun light and have it inspect the Physical sky of the pass...

So it's pretty flexible right now... Feedback is very welcome. :)

link is the same
>> Download ProxySelect addon (http://www.xsi-brasil.com/proxy_select/tc_ProxySelect.zip)

[pboucher]

Nice one Thiago. Very nicely executed.

[thiago]

thanks Patrick! I'm glad you liked it :)

I'll be doing some icons to place under transforms... thats gonna be fun to do.

I found this tool pretty useful today to select a camera and have the interest selected at the same time.

[bblevins]

Well good luck, and tell me how that works for you. And let me know if you find any problem... suggestions are always welcome.


Thanks a bunch! This is very cool. I did get this error when I tried to add it to my workgroup however...

# ERROR : 2356 - This plug-in is not installed: tc_ProxySelect_Options

Although it seem to work fine.

Just curious... would it be possible to set the property to select multiple items?

Thank you very much!

-B

[thiago]

Ah I guess this is the preferences PPG...
Try to see if you still can access this preference in file>preferences.
This is the pref that let you totally deactivate the plugin... It's working fine here in my workgroup.. but I'll double check this.
What system do you use? Linux? what XSI version?

Is will be possible to add many items... It's going to be like have many of the same property but pointing to different objects...
So you could have as many tc_ProxySelect as you want in one object, and it would read all of them.

Right now you can just have one per object.


Glad you liked it ;)

[bblevins]

Ah I guess this is the preferences PPG...
Try to see if you still can access this preference in file>preferences.
This is the pref that let you totally deactivate the plugin... It's working fine here in my workgroup.. but I'll double check this.
What system do you use? Linux? what XSI version?



XSI 6.5 on WinXP64

The plugin works fine (32 and 64 bit) incl. the pref, so I think it must be something strange with my workgroup.

-B

[alanf]

thiago, does the addon need to be installed for the proxy select effect to work? or only when applying it?

[thiago]

Thanks for the comments guys,
If you have any suggestion just post here I'll see what I can do for the next version.


thiago, does the addon need to be installed for the proxy select effect to work? or only when applying it?

Need to be installed on the network or user folder. It's one event and 2 PPGs (one for the preferences page and another is the property itself).

[guillaume]

Nice addon Thiago :)

[Serguei]

I have a plugin I wrote (posted on the List sometime ago) that allows you to change the look and style of your control curves on any transform based on an XML library of objects you can define. So its basicaly it's like a more robust and customizable shadow icon system. I've been meaning to clean it up and post it to this site so I might do it this week.

[thiago]

Hey Serguei, this sounds pretty interesting.

I was wondering where did you get the coordinates for the icons? or you draw it and output to the XML file?

I was looking for that but couldn't find much.

[Serguei]

Yes the workflow is that you draw your controls any way / shape you want then add them to the xml database.