It has the following hierarchy:
Zombie_0_1
->Bip001->…{skeleton bones off this}
->Zombie_0_1 {skinned mesh render}
The skinned mesh render (Zombie_0_1 highlighted in the attached image) has a transform but it looks like the transform is ignored when rendered. I’m trying to change the rotation in the transform, but the rendered mesh does not rotate (note that this skinned mesh is the zombie body).
However, 2 objects above the highlighted one, Zombie_0_1_002 is a mesh render (not skinned) for one of the pick axes. If I click that object and change the transform rotations, I do see the pick axe rotate as expected.
So why does the main body not use it’s skinned mesh object’s transform? Is there some setting that’s causing it to be ignored?
A skinned mesh is a mesh that is controlled completely by a animation rig/hierarchy. The base control is probably the root/bip/com of the hierarchy. This is the object that needs to be rotated to properly orient the character.
The transform is ignored by design. The transform is inherited from the root node. Skinned meshes should not be manipulated directly.
If you want to manipulate the facing direction of this model, edit the rotation values of the root node.
This mesh is not a skinned mesh, therefore is not inheriting its transform from a rig/hierarchy. Even if the mesh is parented to a control node, the mesh can still be modified.
Hmm, so if the transform is ignored, that means I cannot attached a skinned mesh to the bone of another mesh.
Let’s say for example I have a ‘ball and chain’ in the zombie’s hand instead of a pick axe. Suppose the ‘ball and chain’ has it’s own animation and I want to attach it to the hand of the zombie.
Since the skinned ‘ball and chain’ ignores the attached node’s transform, I wouldn’t be able to do this without building the ‘ball and chain’ into the zombie model right? Which would make it difficult to swap what’s in the zombie’s hand.
No - you CAN actually parent a ballnchain to the zombie hand. First make sure optimize hierarchy in the rig setting is not checked. This will allow you to parent the ball and chain to the hand bone.
Second - you will not be parenting the ballnchain itself to the hand bone, you will instead be parenting the root node/bone that the ball and chain is skinned to. This bone/root node should be located in the handle of the model, where it’s main pivot point should be. But don’t be distracted by pivot point info for the mesh.
Just parent the root node of the ball and chain to the hand.
