How to create a new BCS setup?

See Chapter 3. Getting Started for an introduction with examples of how to create new BCS setups.

How to add objects as targets?

If you want to add an existing geometry object as a new target to the BCS, follow these steps:

  • open the GUI (e.g. with the MEL command DPK_bcsUI;)

  • in the GUI’s BCS node drop-down menu, select the BCS node you want to add the object to

  • select the object in the scene

  • choose “Data Points->Add Selected Objects” from the menu.

This will automatically create a new weight with the object’s name, add a WPos at 1.0 and create a dataPoint with the selected object as geometry.

How to setup the jaw?

Creating one weight with a dataPoint to open the jaw has the advantage, that this allows you to comfortably sculpt the combinations with the opened mouth without worrying about integrating joint deformations into the shapes.

How to rename a weight/dataPoint?

To rename a weight, select it in the weight list. Its name will be shown in the Weight Settings box. Just change the displayed name and the weight will be renamed.

Renaming dataPoints works the same way: you select the dataPoint and enter the new name in the Data Point Settings box.

How to do automatic left-right separation?

The left-right separation is done when a weight is set to bilateral. All dataPoints that use weightPositions of a bilateral weight are bilateral. To make a weight bilateral, select it in the weight list and activate the Bilateral box in the Weight Settings part of the BCS GUI.

For more information see 5.7 The Automatic Left-Right Separation.

How to create an inbetween?

  1. Select the weight which you want to create an inbetween for and double-click it to see its current weightPositions. It should have at least one wPos at 1.

    If it doesn’t have any wPos, you haven’t created a dataPoint for it yet. In this case you should first create a plain dataPoint and then come back and create an inbetween.

  2. If the weight already has weightPositions at values between 0 and 1 (e.g. at 0.5), you might want to use them for the new inbetween dataPoint and continue with step 6.

  3. If not, select the weight (or one of its wps).

  4. In the Create Weight/WPos part of the UI enter the position 0.5 and press the Create button. The new wPos should be selected.

  5. In the Weight Settings box press the ‘>>’ button to put the inbetween wPos on layer 1.

  6. With the wPos still selected, choose “Data Points->Create->New” from the menu.

You now have created a new inbetween dataPoint. Geometry to edit the dataPoint has also been created, so that you can start right away and model the inbetween.

If you want to know more about weightPositions, inbetweens, interpolations, etc., see 5.3 Inbetween Basics: WeightPositions and the following pages.