I've just begun to play with the .obj import feature, bringing in models made in 3d studio max, and a few key questions have arisen:
1. If you import a 3D set-piece, such as the sample in the Moho Tutorial 6.8.2, and place a character within that set - it's fine until you rotate or pan to a view where some piece of the set should be obscuring the character - but then the character is not obscured, fully visible, seemingly according to the layer order. This really diminishes the functionality of the set-piece. If you were to construct an elaborate set it would be great to animate a 2D character within, but you'd run into problems every time he went through a door, behind a railing, etc. Has anyone come up with any way around this yet???
2. What is the best way to handle your material if you're going for the toon-shaded (flat colours with black outline along edges) look? Moho draws an offset outline along the outer edge, but every other edge is invisible. Does anyone know of a method (or 3dstudio plugin) that would bake black outlines onto the edges of a model?
Big questions, I know.... big props to whoever can help.
2D characters in 3D sets
Moderators: Víctor Paredes, slowtiger
Dont have to to elaborete much right now, but on #2 I've had some luck with selecting the edges I wanted outlines on (all at once), applying a very small bevel to then, and then assigning a black material to the newly created faces. If you do it all at once, and the shape isn't horribly complex, it works pretty well. If you do that, then you can set the edge offset to zero (no Moho outlining).
1-. Yes, belive me if I say you that I can understand you... I don't work with 3D models but the Depth interaction issue always have been for me the most problematic thing over all the other Moho program issues, yes... and a possible solution could be if Vector and Image Layers were compatible with Z-Buffer information, with a Reset Z Buffer check box like 3D layers have for reactionary people compatibility 
...I'm asking a long time ago for this magic feature cause I think that without this Moho SUPER limitation, the program it'd be ready to reach the inminent perfection 
as I have said in other occations, I think this change must arrive sooner or later (I HOPE more sooner than later... 
) but not a real solution exists for now but one that you can reach for your own and your work method, I'm almost two years with Moho and I've could not found it... I'll treat to explain me: Actually, if I organize my proyects based in depth, I can't have it organizate and grouping it in a logical way in Layers Window, and if I organize and grouping it in Layers Window is impossible get a logical depth order... anyway result in a mess, and more talking about complex proyects... and (like I've said in other occations too) is a pity... But well, the good new is that exist a Post HERE (the ultimate one about it) where this issue was discussed and LM seems understand the situation and [...] think/consider in a possible solution! 
2-. I think that if you make polygon details (I mean, extruding, or making holes, or little waves, etc...) then Moho can render lines for this details inside the model (according to the perspective, of couse...), but I don't think that you can obtain very good results in easy way and probably you should try to do it by classical Mapping technics or playing with Masked Vector Layers possibilities... CIAO!!!
...I'm asking a long time ago for this magic feature cause I think that without this Moho SUPER limitation, the program it'd be ready to reach the inminent perfection as I have said in other occations, I think this change must arrive sooner or later (I HOPE more sooner than later... ) but not a real solution exists for now but one that you can reach for your own and your work method, I'm almost two years with Moho and I've could not found it... I'll treat to explain me: Actually, if I organize my proyects based in depth, I can't have it organizate and grouping it in a logical way in Layers Window, and if I organize and grouping it in Layers Window is impossible get a logical depth order... anyway result in a mess, and more talking about complex proyects... and (like I've said in other occations too) is a pity... But well, the good new is that exist a Post HERE (the ultimate one about it) where this issue was discussed and LM seems understand the situation and [...] think/consider in a possible solution! 2-. I think that if you make polygon details (I mean, extruding, or making holes, or little waves, etc...) then Moho can render lines for this details inside the model (according to the perspective, of couse...), but I don't think that you can obtain very good results in easy way and probably you should try to do it by classical Mapping technics or playing with Masked Vector Layers possibilities... CIAO!!!
Re: 2D characters in 3D sets
The way I've gotten around this was to import the set pieces individually. That way, the center of any given piece is calculated for only that piece, and the characters can move in between set objects, etc.BA wrote:1. If you import a 3D set-piece, such as the sample in the Moho Tutorial 6.8.2, and place a character within that set - it's fine until you rotate or pan to a view where some piece of the set should be obscuring the character - but then the character is not obscured, fully visible, seemingly according to the layer order. This really diminishes the functionality of the set-piece. If you were to construct an elaborate set it would be great to animate a 2D character within, but you'd run into problems every time he went through a door, behind a railing, etc. Has anyone come up with any way around this yet???
Re: 2D characters in 3D sets
ok, this is the direction I've been thinking in....jorgy wrote: The way I've gotten around this was to import the set pieces individually. That way, the center of any given piece is calculated for only that piece, and the characters can move in between set objects, etc.
now, let's say you have a somewhat complex set. Like a room with several pieces of furniture, a staircase with a bannister, and windows/doors looking into other rooms. I can see how you could identify certain groups as potential layers and save them as separate objects - then the question would be, how do you import them as a batch of objects so that they all match up and appear where they should be?
Or will you have to import each piece separately, and painstakingly re-scale and re-align them?
Re: 2D characters in 3D sets
BA wrote:jorgy wrote:Or will you have to import each piece separately, and painstakingly re-scale and re-align them?
Bingo! We have a winner!
Actually, I think of it as "dressing the set", and once I get it all done, I don't move any of the pieces. But yeah, it can be time-consuming.
No really easy way I can think of, but might be able to make it not too painful.
I don't know if you had it, but I made a little update on the Batch Importing script that I expanded from Janimatic's concept, in this thread. Imports every Moho importable file inside a directory (it's a menu script, run it, choose any file inside the directory, and the script imports everything in the same directory. If it's just those 3D objects, you're good) into a new group layer.
It shouldn't be hard to work out a mod of the Scale Layer script to let you choose one layer in the group and scale all the other layers in the group along with it. That shouldn't take me long.
Then, for positioning I think that probably the fastest way would be to also import a copy of the non-chopped up environment, and then just position the individual bits so they overlap the master. Some work, but should take some of the guesswork out of the juggling.
I don't know if you had it, but I made a little update on the Batch Importing script that I expanded from Janimatic's concept, in this thread. Imports every Moho importable file inside a directory (it's a menu script, run it, choose any file inside the directory, and the script imports everything in the same directory. If it's just those 3D objects, you're good) into a new group layer.
It shouldn't be hard to work out a mod of the Scale Layer script to let you choose one layer in the group and scale all the other layers in the group along with it. That shouldn't take me long.
Then, for positioning I think that probably the fastest way would be to also import a copy of the non-chopped up environment, and then just position the individual bits so they overlap the master. Some work, but should take some of the guesswork out of the juggling.