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Animation doesn't export with my character

Forum|Forum|4 years ago
April 20, 2021
3 replies
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Hello. I'd appreciate some help!
I've imported characters and animations downloaded from Mixamo into Blender a lot without any issues. For the first time, I uploaded a character I made into Mixamo, used the site's auto-rigging, and animated it using the Mixamo prepared movements. And it all works! So far, so good.
When I download that animation and import it into Blender though (as an FBX file) it's just in a T-pose with no animation data. This doesn't happen with the Mixamo characters, and the animation works with my character on the Mixamo site with no issues. I'm using the same procedure when I export my animated character as I do when I export the Mixamo characters with their anim
Has anyone experienced something similar? Any idea why that might be happening?

Correct answer default0ydctiio2bvl

Once again, thank you for your help! I'm amazed I hadn't come across 3D Viewer and I can see that being very useful. I didn't know I could use Photoshop for 3D work and that's something I'll have to look into too.

I've followed all your suggestions but no change, I'm afraid. The FBX model works in Blender, works perfectly in Mixamo and then imports into Blender as a T-pose.
The OBJ doesn't work at all, by the way - I get the same "Sorry, unable to map your existing skeleton" message.

By 'floating body parts' I was referring to things such as halos, which hover above the head but aren't connected to it, and I gather from your answer the way to do that would be to have an object connecting it to the head and then make that object invisible once the animation is successful.

Ah well. Unless something else has occurred to you which might be worth a try, I'll give up. The model can still be posed in Blender so I'll just animate it the old-fashioned way.

Many thanks for the support you've given!

I found a solution, thanks to my helpful landlord! It's obvious, really, and not something that would work for every animation situation. But the answer was to side-step the issue entirely by importing the animation using a generic model from Mixamo, then parent each body part individually to the bone corresponding to its equivalent in the working model, and then delete the generic model mesh.

Thanks again for the advice and have a pleasant day!

Ussnorway7605025

Legend

well done!

Ussnorway7605025

Legend

there is animation in that file but Blender can't read it because the model hierarchy is busted i.e, you need to fix the model so that all the parts join up and count as a single object

as a side issue your model is just a hair under 1G and I would cut the size by around 50% - 75% of this so networks can handle it better

D

default0ydctiio2bvlAuthor

Participant

Thank you very much for help. I appreciate it very much.
I realise it's not your role to teach me Blender! I'm unsure of my next step and would be grateful for any insight.

Is there a way for me to edit the model so that the existing animations can be used? Or must I start from scratch?

In your example photos, what program are you using? If it's Mixamo, how do I get to that page? When I upload my character, the auto-rigger works it all out without presenting any options for me to edit the points of the model.

There must be a way of having floating body parts (such as a halo) without having invisible objects linking them. The model works fine in Blender (and can be posed as one would expect, with all the parts, both connected and unconnected, moving along with the bones). And of course Mixamo comprehended the model with no issues. But if I join the model together in Blender before uploading it (with Ctrl+J), Mixamo says "Sorry, unable to map your existing skeleton".

As I say - I'd be grateful for any pointers!

Ussnorway7605025

Legend

Is there a way for me to edit the model so that the existing animations can be used? Or must I start from scratch?

By @default0ydctiio2bvl

Blender is not the best choice (except that its free) and I don't use it that much for model work so 'not as far as I know'... you could repair the animation in 3Dexchange which is the software I would use if I had to fix this but repair the model first is the best option and what I recommend

In your example photos, what program are you using? If it's Mixamo, how do I get to that page? When I upload my character, the auto-rigger works it all out without presenting any options for me to edit the points of the model.

By @default0ydctiio2bvl

the software I show in my screengrabs is 3Dviewer... this is the default tool that you get for free with Windows 10 and is good for quick testing of models just to see if they are corupt

When I upload my character, the auto-rigger works it all out without presenting any options for me to edit the points of the model.

There must be a way of having floating body parts (such as a halo) without having invisible objects linking them. The model works fine in Blender (and can be posed as one would expect, with all the parts, both connected and unconnected, moving along with the bones). And of course Mixamo comprehended the model with no issues. But if I join the model together in Blender before uploading it (with Ctrl+J), Mixamo says "Sorry, unable to map your existing skeleton".

By @default0ydctiio2bvl

if the Mixamo auto-rigger doesn't give you options to add markers then the file already has them
as a workflow, converting models to wavefront Obj is better than uploading Fbx because that auto removes any bones or other animation data from the models... once you have a 'working' bone rig you can add extra bones to it then upload that as Fbx and Mixamo will ignore the bones that are added as long as they don't clash
yes you can have floating parts 'headless horsemen' type models after rigging but at the time they are made they must be whole models... Mixamo is just a simple script... you rig a robot, man or whatever then remove the bits you don't want after in post workflow. for example Unreal engine could be set to have the head as tranperent in order to make your horseman.
how to fix the model = grow the arms a bit longer so they touch the ball joins of the hands, move the head down to touch the nech ball and tilt it back so its not looking down [optional but I would]... that is the min and the model should work from there but extra options include adding a pipe bone inside the arms so they are not hollow then add a clear join 'ball' between the washing machine and microwave join so the spine bone has something to work with... I would also test making the legs a bit thicker and these are all things you could do inside Blender but Photoshop is what I would use because the convert to Obj step is what stops the busted hierarchy from moving hand bones without bringing the arms along

honestly use whatever modelling software you feel works best for you but understand they all have pitfalls so after a while you end up mixing and matching them for different stops of your workflow

Ussnorway7605025

Legend

sounds like you are loading it into Blender wrong but we can test the file you downloaded from Mixamo if you want to share it

D

default0ydctiio2bvlAuthor

Participant

Thanks for the reply! I'd be grateful for any help. I have attached one of the files I downloaded from Mixamo.

I'll reiterate that I am using exactly the same procedure for downloading my own character performing the actions as I do for downloading the Mixamo characters performing the actions and then for importing them into Blender (Import > FBX > file). The Mixamo characters work without any issues; my own character is in a T-pose with no animation.

Here's my character working in Mixamo:

Here I am downloading it in the same way I download the Mixamo characters:

Look_Around.zip

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