Smooth Bind not working.

[FPiresGD]

Hello there. I just started with Maya LT and I already got a big issue.

After importing my model from ZBrush, any bone I try to set up (even a single bone) and link with Smooth Bind results in the following message:

Geometry "ModelShapeOrig" contains non-manifold vertices or edges. Use Mesh > Cleanup to locate and remove mesh irregularities.

Clicking Continue binds the mesh using a slower, more permissive solver, and weighting results may vary.

Naturally the first thing I did was going to Mesh > Cleanup and marking "Nonmanifold geometry" under Remove Geometry. It didn't work. I tried every combination between the options in Remove Geometry and Fix by Tesselation. Operation is set to Cleanup, not Select. Nothing. As far as I know I have the Service Pack 1.

If I click "Continue" it indeed binds using a "slower" solver. It takes 30-40 minutes and the result is unusable.

So I decided to download Maya 2014 Trial and give it a try. I imported the exact same model. The same operation (Skin > Smooth Bind) worked instantly, perfectly. No errors, no message, barely any wait. I tested and it was pretty much perfect. Out of curiosity I opened Maya LT 2014 again and nothing. Same error message.

Am I missing something here?

[Anonymous]

hi

I'm student in the korea

I solve the "Smooth Bind not working." 

the answer is maya reset.

To reset Maya is

1. Make a folder where Maya is installed.

2.Put all the folders in the folder you created

3. end

[FPiresGD]

Hi, thanks for your reply.

Unfortunately I tried that and it still doesn't work. I've also tried reinstalling Maya LT, including with the Service Pack 1.

[paulkind]

Would you mind posting the problemed exported model?  It may help myself and others manage the problem.

[MatthewDoyleArt]

Sorry to hear you're having issues. As Paul asked, it would be good if we could get the model and try it out on our end. One thing I'd like to mention is that you can expect some very cool stuff coming soon to Maya LT that makes skin binding far less problematic, and far more forgiving of non-manifold issues like this. Can't go into details yet, but stay tuned!

[FPiresGD]

---

@paulkind wrote:

Would you mind posting the problemed exported model?  It may help myself and others manage the problem.

---

Here's a very simple .obj exported from ZBrush. It was created entirely there from a bunch of ZSpheres and subdivided four times. It loosely resembles an animal shape but I made it simple so you can see even a very basic mesh model won't work.

It's within the 25k poly limitation from Maya LT and can be exported to .fbx with no issues.

However when I reduced the subdivision to three (the 3b_lowerpolycount file) it worked.

I'm on Maya LT Service Pack 1. Extensions are not really an option for me at this point since I didn't sign up for subscription when I bought Maya LT as it wasn't really on my budget.

[FPiresGD]

---

@MatthewDoyleArt wrote:

Sorry to hear you're having issues. As Paul asked, it would be good if we could get the model and try it out on our end. One thing I'd like to mention is that you can expect some very cool stuff coming soon to Maya LT that makes skin binding far less problematic, and far more forgiving of non-manifold issues like this. Can't go into details yet, but stay tuned!

---

I'm not sure there's actually any non-manifold in the model, which is what makes this issue specially frustrating. Either way, can us non-subscribers get at least a hotfix or an update for this problem?

[paulkind]

Hrm, I had no problems using smooth bind on your model.

[FPiresGD]

@paulkind wrote:

Hrm, I had no problems using smooth bind on your model.

---

Both of them? Which version are you using? SP0, SP1, any Extension?

[MatthewDoyleArt · Accepted solution]

I had the same non-manifold issues in Maya LT 2014 Ext 2. But I have determined the problem area in your mesh (the high res one). It is the under arms on one side. There are polys that overlap or are too close together. So Maya LT's smooth bind has trouble figuring this area out. I simply went into vertex select mode, turned on soft select (B key), and began moving the verts in the underarm until I was certain none of the polys were overlapping. Then smooth bind worked perfectly in less than a second. I didn't even use the Mesh Cleanup tool. So, the best course of action would be to fix the original ZBrush model so that none of the under arm polys overlap.

 

Mesh Fixed Below - used soft select to move the verts of the under arm area so the polys didn't overlap. It's ugly, but it worked.

[FPiresGD]

I'll check it later. Thanks for the reply.

What I don't understand is, why did it work perfectly when I tried in the Maya 2014 Trial Version? Shouldn't the algorithm be the same?

[MatthewDoyleArt]

Not necessarily. But I don't know that for certain. Maya and Maya LT are based on the same code base, but development is segregated. Some fixes and changes that go into Maya may not make it into Maya LT at the same time (though Remi below indicates that most of the time bug fixes will be synced). That being said I need to try the file in Maya myself. I'll let you know how that goes. Otherwise there are,as I said, new skinning algorithms going into Maya LT very soon that will make skinning a whole lot better and easier.

Matthew

[remimcgill]

Hi, the reason that it works in Maya and not MayaLT is probably because Maya's default skin bind is using a basic binding method, whereas MayaLT only uses the heat map binding.  Updates are coming to allow different binding methods so there are alternate methods to bind the mesh if Heat Map has an issue.

Also in almost always fixes to Maya will appear in MayaLT.

Thanks,

Remi

I think I posted this before, but if you want to use the basic bind method that is used in Maya you can use this MEL script:

skinCluster -bindMethod 1 -maximumInfluences 4;

[FPiresGD]

Aren't MEL Scripts for people with access to the Extensions? As I stated, I didn't subscribe when I bought Maya LT, and I can't do it now.

[MatthewDoyleArt]

Yes. MEL Scripting was added in Extension 2 for Maya LT 2014. Unfortunately, if you aren't a rental customer, or aren't on subscription, Extension releases are not available to you. Extensions aren't normal patches or bug fixes (which anyone with a perpetual license is entitled to). They are special updates that add new functionality.

My best advice would be to avoid perpetual licensing in the future, and instead rent Maya LT. You can rent for as low as $33/month (with a yearly plan). Alot of software is going this route these days. And I tell indie developers it is really the best way to go for them. Why? Because 1. They save money by only renting when they need the sofftware. 2. Renting entitles you to all major updates (Extensions) and even the next major versions of Maya LT - 2015, 2016, 2017...etc, as long as you rent.

Otherwise, if you prefer to go with a perpetual license, then get on subscription service. This will give you access to the Extensions, and lower upgrade costs for major version releases. http://www.autodesk.com/subscription/overview

Beyond that, you'll just have to stick to heat mapping as the skinning algorithm. It really isn't a bad algorithm. You just have to be careful to ensure your mesh is water tight, and has no overlapping polys, etc.

[FPiresGD]

I would have rented if I had the option. There's a redirection loop from the Renting site to the local store site, and from the local site to the American renting site. When I go to the store site there's no link to renting. Renting is unavailable in Brazil.

And adding a subscription service to an existing package is only available through local resellers, none of which have an online store, and none of which replied back to me. I'm throwing money at the screen but it doesn't work. I wouldn't be so frustrated if I actually had access to these services, but as it stands right now there is literally no way I can get these things other than buying a new Maya LT copy with subscription on. 

So yeah, I am frustrated.

[matthew.carpenter]

Hi,

>>So yeah, I am frustrated.
Sorry to hear the process has been less than ideal.

Indeed, at the moment, the Brazil estore only offers perpetual licenses (w/ or wo/ subscription).
I asked internally and you should be able to purchase subscription as an add-on from a local reseller, or Direct Autodesk Sales person after the fact.  You mentioned that you had difficulty contacting a reseller.  I don’t know your location but I see several for your country.  I used this link:

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/ps/searchform?id=1088201&siteID=123112&productID=MAYALT

If you still have difficulty getting the issue resolved by contacting a local reseller, then please send me an email.  Add ‘@autodesk.com’ to my profile name.
Supply me with as much info as you can like contact info, purchase order number, serial number, etc.  I will try to redirect your email to the right individual.

Regards,

-matt

[Anonymous]

Same problem here (smooth bind works in Maya 2014 (fast) but not in Maya LT 2014 (trying to get service pack 2, but can't get into subscriptions hmpfh (hopefully this'll fix the problem).

[Anonymous]

Thanks very much remimcgill (your mel solution helped a ton)!:D

[Anonymous]

I'm having the same issue. I just downloaded the trial. It looks like it doesn't come with any of the Extensions? Is there a way to try them too to see if they'll fix the issue?

I'm testing with a clothing piece designed for Second Life. Neither the Second Life avatar or the pants I'm using to test will bind to the SL skeleton. I also did a test with a simple cube, and it'll only bind if directly overlapping a joint. The avatar and the pants give the error that was discussed above and the cube gives a different error message: // Error: Unable to perform heat map binding. Geometry `pCubeShape1Orig` does not contain any influences defined inside mesh volume.