You can use the template tools to save your mapping data of different type of characters. And Animcraft can automatically seek and reuse the template if you work again on the same type of character in the future. Also, you can share the templates in your team for saving time.

Introduction

  • Maya Mapping Template stores the pairs data of controller name and corresponding meaningful part to Animcraft, for example which controller is upper arm and or which controller is left foot, ect.

  • Mapping Templates are some .zrt files and can be shared with others. :::success Tips

  • The keywords which are stored in template: controller and joint names.

  • No hierarchy information is stored in template. ::: **

Instructions

Load Template Data

  • When you select any part of a non-mapped character rig and open the mapping window, the system will automatically search the directory /animcraft/maya/template and find the most matched mapping data for the current rig.
  • This is a dedicated mechanism to reduce your possible repeated work if you previously mapped the same type of character rig.

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Refresh Button**

  • If you open the mapping window without selecting any part of the rig, the mapping window will be blank. And you can select any part of rig and click Refresh to display the corresponding mapping data of this character, the system will automatically seek the best matched template for current character if there isn’t.

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Change or Cancel the Template**

  • If you don’t want to use the template the system seeked for you, you can change the current template.

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Change template from mGear to mixamo

  • Or you can cancel the current template by selecting the None in the templates list.

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Change template to None to remove any applied template

:::tips Mapping data in Template vs on Character
(Important concept, please read this carefully)

  1. If your character(rig) was not mapped and you’re in first time to open the Mapping Window for this character, the system will try to find a template for this character. If the system is able to find a matched template for this character it will display the template name (Left), while if cannot find one, it will display None (Right).

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(LEFT) read and apply a template, (RIGHT)cannot find matched template

  1. Once the template data was applied to the character, or you’ve started to map your character manually, the mapping data now acutally will be stored and operated in character rig. Then when you open the Mapping Window again with this character, the template selection will display Global Node. It means the character already have mapping data in itself and it won’t read template anymore.

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Read the mapping data from the character once there is data on it. :::

Save Template

  • Save the mapping data from character to the template file. You need to specify a name for the template. If you specify the name which already existed, it will overwrite it.

image.png :::success Tips

  • Maya Mapping Templates data are saved in /animcraft/maya/template.

  • To work with more templates in Maya, please save the templates into this folder. :::
    Delete Template Button**

  • Delete the current template file.

Video Demo(Mute)

Video is recorded in Animcraft 1.0.0, some UIs, file names may not coincide with the current version. tp.mp4 (1.87MB)