Three Man Band

[ThePump]

I've done something right, so I'll try to upload it for others.

The drummer has each stick glued to a hand and he's sat down on thin air (so's you could seat him as you pleased). He is a virtual actor and you can slide something 14" tall under his butt (I use a blue foam box called "Drummer's Foam Seat.uzp") and push both drummer and seat into position at the drums.

There is a relationship with the drumset that will automatically position him for you. Also, there are relationships between the actor and the drumsticks that will automatically position the drumsticks in his hands when they collide with him.

If you haven't installed poses and relationships before then READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS to avoid overwriting your poses and/or relationships.

[ThePump]

Ah, hmmmm. Maybe I wasn't so clever.

I developed the ManDrummer in my DEMO version. When the character is dragged onto the set he brings his sticks with them and immediately sits down (as seen in the character icon).

However, in the REAL version, the character comes in kicking and screaming, leaving his sticks behind and *standing up*! I can apply the pose in the REAL version, but the sticks don't appear.

I glued the sticks to the character in the DEMO version before storing the character (I'm pretty sure I did, because the sticks move with the hands).

Gosh, I spent a LOT of time getting those sticks in exactly the correct angle to the hand.

So, what happened? And how do I "fix" it? I still have the DEMO files, and copying from them to the REAL files doesn't change the missing sticks problem in the REAL version.

[Innoventive Software, LLC]

Ah, hmmmm. Maybe I wasn't so clever.

I developed the ManDrummer in my DEMO version. When the character is dragged onto the set he brings his sticks with them and immediately sits down (as seen in the character icon).

However, in the REAL version, the character comes in kicking and screaming, leaving his sticks behind and *standing up*! I can apply the pose in the REAL version, but the sticks don't appear.

I glued the sticks to the character in the DEMO version before storing the character (I'm pretty sure I did, because the sticks move with the hands).

Gosh, I spent a LOT of time getting those sticks in exactly the correct angle to the hand.

So, what happened? And how do I "fix" it?

I'm not sure exactly what happened but fixing it is very easy. With the guys set up in the demo as you like, save the file. Now, open up the real program and load that file which should have them all posed as desired. Store a new relationship and/or poses as appropriate. I'll take a look at what you posted over the next few days and see if that can give me a better clue as to what happened... or didn't... <g>

[ThePump]

Great! I'll try it. I now have a pose for man skateboarding *and I made a skateboard* - but I'm reluctant to share until I can send a workable solution. Dinky things happen, like when I hit the man with the skateboard he doesn't jump up, the skateboard sinks into the floor! Also, even though I asked the items to glue together, once the two connect, I still have to click on both skateboard and man to do twists, or the board gets left behind.

[Innoventive Software, LLC]

Great! I'll try it. I now have a pose for man skateboarding *and I made a skateboard* - but I'm reluctant to share until I can send a workable solution. Dinky things happen, like when I hit the man with the skateboard he doesn't jump up, the skateboard sinks into the floor!

This is due to the man's position being preserved rather than the skateboard's position. You have the option of specifying which one gets preserved when the two collide, and in this case you need to choose the skateboard.

Also, even though I asked the items to glue together, once the two connect, I still have to click on both skateboard and man to do twists, or the board gets left behind.

Hmm, not sure on that one. Email me the stuff off-list and I'll see what I can make of it.

[ThePump]

Why is it that when I click on download within 3 man band, that Drummer Man and Drummer Foam download, but Man.pose, Drumset.relation and Man.relation simply explode on the screen into xml code? Been happening several days now. I have no problems any other download, nor any other web site, than these three items. Yep, rebooted several times.

[jamesw]

ThePump wrote:

Why is it that when I click on download within 3 man band, that Drummer Man and Drummer Foam download, but Man.pose, Drumset.relation and Man.relation simply explode on the screen into xml code? Been happening several days now. I have no problems any other download, nor any other web site, than these three items. Yep, rebooted several times.

What OS and what browser? We've been trying to set up the server so that these files will just download, but some browsers try to be "smart" and look inside the file to decide whether to display it or download it. Rebooting won't help, but trying a different browser might.

[ThePump]

Win2kSP4,
IE 5.0
...with all the updates to both as of this week.

But - I'm only having problem with just these three objects, and on just FF3D site. Every other download from FF3D works as planned.

Donchajustlove modern technology what's got an attitude?

[Innoventive Software, LLC]

Win2kSP4,
IE 5.0
...with all the updates to both as of this week.

But - I'm only having problem with just these three objects, and on just FF3D site. Every other download from FF3D works as planned.

Donchajustlove modern technology what's got an attitude?

Try RIGHT clicking, and then choose SAVE AS...

[ThePump]

Right-click + save-as allows me to download. Thanks.

Now that I'm trying to import the pose, I notice that I already have three defined poses in MAN all called "<Drumming, Seated>", plus the one ready to import. This brings up several questions, such as "Which copy gets used?" and "How do I know which copy is the *best* one to keep?" and "Can I try each pose separately until I know what I want to keep?" and "Is there a pose-management system to see if I've previously used a pose name?"

Also, who is "Man_788" (relation to drumstick)?

Finally, after getting all this imported (except for the 4th "<Drumming, Seated>", I left that alone) I notice I still have no option nor action that attaches drumstick to hands. I have to pull out the Character "Drummer, Seated" to get a guy with drumsticks.

[Innoventive Software, LLC]

Right-click + save-as allows me to download. Thanks.

Now that I'm trying to import the pose, I notice that I already have three defined poses in MAN all called "<Drumming, Seated>", plus the one ready to import. This brings up several questions, such as "Which copy gets used?" and "How do I know which copy is the *best* one to keep?"

Poses should normally have unique names, but you've hit a bug whereby it's adding the pose anew every time you drag in the user object. It's not a big deal and I'll fix it soon.

"Can I try each pose separately until I know what I want to keep?" and "Is there a pose-management system to see if I've previously used a pose name?"

Um, not per se, but normally each pose should have a unique name so there's no harm in importing them all and then just deleting the one(s) that you don't want.

Also, who is "Man_788" (relation to drumstick)?

This is a server issue where the server has automatically renamed the man.relation to man_788.relation because it already had a man.relation stored somewhere on it. Annoying but true. So, simply rename the file to man.relation and then import it to get the man and the drumsticks working together.

Finally, after getting all this imported (except for the 4th "<Drumming, Seated>", I left that alone) I notice I still have no option nor action that attaches drumstick to hands. I have to pull out the Character "Drummer, Seated" to get a guy with drumsticks.

See above comments.

[ThePump]

If doctors could fix patients the way you folks fix FF3D, we wouldn't need hospitals. You folks are very very good.
I love the way a drumstick will go into the closest hand.
Thanks for the suggestions.

[Innoventive Software, LLC]

If doctors could fix patients the way you folks fix FF3D, we wouldn't need hospitals. You folks are very very good.
I love the way a drumstick will go into the closest hand.
Thanks for the suggestions.

We try!

[Innoventive Software, LLC]

Poses should normally have unique names, but you've hit a bug whereby it's adding the pose anew every time you drag in the user object. It's not a big deal and I'll fix it soon.

Sorry to be quoting myself but it seemed the clearest way. This fix has been posted (Windows only as that's the only place it was happening) and it is available for download via webgrab.