IMPORTANT NOTE

Head Over Here For The Latest Version

https://sites.google.com/site/mcasualsdazscripts6/mcjautolimb2015

Click on this image to view the animation

History

June 28 2014 8:60 PM release

July 20 2014 10:21 PM new version improves finding an re-using previous "pole" nodes

Introduction

Say you want to create a dance animation, you animate the hip sways

now comes the hard part where you must, for each frame of the animation,

carefully re-position the legs so the feet don't float above the floor or sink below the floor

this takes a lot of time and you often end up with shaky trembling feet

With mcjAutoLimb, you select the foot, and the script makes all the leg work for you -

you get super stable feet!

mcjAutoLimb it also can help you for animations where you want a foot or a hand to follow something or grab something

For example, you create a null node and position it where you'd like the figure's left wrist to be

select that node, then select that hand, run the script

and presto, the hand moved precisely where you wanted

this works for animations too ! it saved me hours of work over the years

the "old version" is and will remain here : https://sites.google.com/site/mcasualsdazscripts/mcjautolimb

The new version adds "poles of attraction" or "poles" for short

Since there's an infinity of ways to position a leg so that it reaches its target

the poles help mcjAutoLimb decide how much "twist" to apply to a leg's thigh joint or an arm's shoulder joint

In the case of arms, mcjAutoLimb will "point" the elbows toward the pole you specify

in the case of legs it will "point" the knees toward the pole you specify

if you don't specify a pole, the script will create one based on the current knee/elbow aim

Installation

The zip package is found at the bottom of this page

unzip it in your daz content folder, typically

C:\Program Files\DAZ\Studio\content\

or

C:\Program Files (x86)\DAZ\Studio\content\

once installed, it will appear in your content library, under Studio / Scripts / mcasual

or

C:\Users\Public\Documents\My DAZ 3D Library\

once installed, it will appear in your content library, under My DAZ 3D Library / Scripts / mcasual

USE - Single node

This mode is used to keep a foot or an arm where it is, even if the rest of the body is moving

Select a hand or any node parented to a hand

this can be a finger or a sword, as long as it's parented to a hand

or select a foot or any node parented to it

this could be a toe or this cold be a null node positioned at the bottom of the shoe sole

run the script

Specify the range of frames to process and press the "do it" button

the selected foot or hand or finger .... should now stay put!

note how the script created a target node for you

it also created a pole node far in front of the knee or far behind the elbow

or if a pole node was previously created for this figure and this leg/arm, then it will be found and re-used

you can optionally make the script delete them on exit

USE - Two nodes : a target and a Targeter

You have a "target" node and you want the left hand to follow the movements of this node

select the target node

press the CTRL key, and select the left hand ( which we will call the targeter )

node that the selection order is very important

if you select the hand, followed by the target ... it wont work

so, target first, hand second

launch the script

Specify the range of frames to process and press the "do it" button

if the target stays withing hand reach, everything should be fine

here again, the script took care of creating and parenting the Pole node to the figure's collar bone

if the targeter was a foot, the Pole node is parented to that leg's buttock

and you can have that node deleted upon exit

or if a pole node was previously created for this figure and this leg/arm, then it will be found and re-used

the script will not attempt to delete that type of pole node

USE - Three nodes : a Target, a Targeter and a Pole

You have a "target" node and you want the left hand to follow the movements of this node

and you created and animated a Pole node to control the elbow's behaviuour

select the target node

press the CTRL key, and select the left hand ( the targeter )

still holding the CTRL key, select your pole node

( the selection order is very important )

Specify the range of frames to process and press the "do it" butto..

Done !

This image shows how mcjAutoLimb rotates the plane passing through the shoulder, fore-Arm and thumb joints, so that it passes through the Pole ( green ball )

Tips for problematic cases

Tip 1

The default limits for foreArm joints is sometimes -5 degrees to 135 degrees

this can cause mcjAutoLimb to hesitate between applying a "Bend" of 5 or -5 degrees

mcjAutoLimb is trying to make the arm a certain length and those two angles satisfy the condition

so you may want to go in the parameters tab of the foreArm and change the range of Bend to 5 to 135 degrees

Tip 2

sometimes setting "limits off" on the thighs/shins or the shoulder/foreArm is needed

Tip 3

make sure your target is reachable for the duration of the animation

Tip 4

Read the manual ( web page ) of the old version of mcjAutoLimb

License

// =====================================================================

// by mCasual/Jacques

// You can use this script freely for personal or commercial use.

// You may not sell, resell, sub-license or rent this script in any way.

// you may credit this script to mCasual/Jacques

// THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND,

// EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES

// OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND

// NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT

// HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY,

// WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING

// FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR

// OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.

// =====================================================================