I've got worms

[djembeplay]

New problem - scaling again!

I just rigged up this relatively simple character in C4D. It's ready to merge into my scene and be animated. It is, however, way larger than it needs to be in order for it to fit my pre-existing scene. To be specific, I need the size to be .03 of the initial state.

For some reason... I cannot seem to get it to scale properly no matter what I try. I've posted my scene file for anyone who is interested in helping:

http://www.fileshost.com/download.php?id=20FFB5B61

This also leads me to another question - why does scaling an object using the coordinates box under the timeline yield different results than scaling the same object using the coordinates box in the attributes manager?

Thanks all-

[Raptor365]

It's because your axis of the cube, it's hyper nurbs, the first joint and it's root null are all different, you need to make them all have the same axis (at least for me anyways).

For the cube I deleted the skin, lined it up then scaled it a longer to match the joints.
Then I set the cubes axis to the same position as the first joint under the worm root.
The axis of the worm root null was also different than the first joint so set it's axis to be the same as the joint. Now when I scale the worm root null, it will scale on the same axis as the first joint.

I did the same thing with the cube's hypernurbs axis as well and slipped that under the worm root null.
Now when you select the worm root null and manually scale it with the scale tool, it all scales from the same axis and works properly. If you type in the values for scale it goes nuts, I don't know why.

He's the updated file. I didn't bother to add the skin back to the Cube, just add it again after you've scaled it to where you want.And you'll also have to do the same thing with the eyes. Set those axis to the worm root null also and place them under the root null as well, reskin it, ect.

//Oh btw, that's a cool texture. Looks like a slimy green maggot. Cool, haha.

///After some thought, I guess the problem stems from the fact that normally you can select an axis and everything under it would scale from that. That does not appear to be the case with the character module. At any rate, there should be an option to scale from the 'Selected' object axis (more sense) or from the 'Source' objects themselves (less sense).
Until then, we have to work around it. :thumbup:

[djembeplay]

Wow, your good Raptor.

Stemming from your process, I found that I was able to scale everything down properly using a parent null (worm root) even if I hadn't aligned all the seperate object axis centers. The kicker was those skins - apparently an object, once skinned, just cannot be scaled. Once the three skins where deleted, the world was at peace again. It looks like I will always have to re-skin a rigged character if I want to adjust the scale... unless we're missing something.

Like you, I do like my object axis to be aligned with eachother. How were you aligning the different object axis to the parent null ('worm root')? Once I had everthing under the 'worm root' null as you had described, I was trying to use the 'center to parent' function to align all of the axis. For some reason, it would not only move the axis, but would also bring the object along with it as well.... Based on my repertoir, the only other way I saw to align the axis was to manually (!!) drag it and line it up.

I hope what I just wrote makes sense - I'm a bit tired at the moment.

Thanks again-

[Raptor365]

The way I aligned the axis of the parts was to copy each x,y,z coord from the first joint and type in the new coords to whatever object with the 'Use Object Axis' tool/button selected, taking it out of the heiarchy first. There may be an easier way but it only takes a few seconds so I just did it that way. I use the Align To Parent a lot also but didn't bother this time.

[djembeplay]

Lol, this probably seems ridiculous, but I cannot figure this out - for some reason, when I do what you just described, it moves my object as well.

I just set up a simple test scene - 2 cubes at different locations at the same hierarchy. If I enter the position of one cube into the coordinates box of the other (with the 'use object axis' tool selected), it just moves the entire cube.

// woooah wait, OK... I see what I did.... it's the difference between the 'attributes' coordinates and the ones under the timeline again. If I use the coordinates under the timeline, it works... but the cube moves if I use the attributes under object attributes. I'm still hazy on why this happens - what are the differences between these two coordinates boxes again?

/// BTW, I'm glad you like the texture! I'm beginning to use Bodypaint more often now. I'm currently learning the ropes via 3DKiwi's tutorial DVD... which I believe you recommended to me some time ago, if I recall correctly.

[Raptor365]

I think the differences between the 2 coordinate boxes are the 'Attributes' one is always for the Object in Object Space. The one under the timeline can be changed from Object Space to World Space. If you use Object Space it should have the same effects but I haven't done a lot of testing to be sure.

But here's a test I did.
Took a cube and a sphere, offset them and made the sphere a child of the cube.
If you select the sphere, set the coords to 'Object' space, select the 'Use Model Tool', and type in 0,0,0 for it's coordinates, it'll align the sphere to the parent cube.
If you use the 'Use Axis Tool' instead it will align the sphere's axis to the cube.
Same as the align to parent function.
But if you set the coords the 'World' space, it will ofcourse just move it to position 0,0,0.

Anyways, I never use that method but I think that's the difference with the two boxes, the Attributes one always being in Object Space.
I would normally just take the sphere out of the heiarchy, copy each x,y,z coord and paste into the sphere's coord using Ctrl-C and Ctrl-V on a PC, doing one coord at a time. Or use the Align to Parent if that's suitable. Or you could use the 0,0,0 method I mentioned before while in Object space.

[ZazaCast]

Geeks rule!

[djembeplay]

I set up the same basic scene as you just described and played around for a few minutes -

It's interesting... your right, it does seem that the attributes coordinates is always in object space. Something else I found was that if I am in 'use object axis' mode and input coordinates into the attributes box, it moves the object regardless. This is not the case with the coordinates box under the timeline... that, as you said, only moves the object axis (when in 'use object axis' mode).

So, to add to your observations, it seems that not only is the attributes coordinates box always in object space, it also is always relating to the model as a whole (as if the edit mode was always set on 'use model tool').

Heh, this is one of those little things that only experience brings. Good to know - less to get snagged on in the future :).