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default0ydctiio2bvl
New Participant
April 20, 2021
Answered

Animation doesn't export with my character

  • April 20, 2021
  • 3 replies
  • 11452 views

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! 

    3 replies

    Ussnorway7605025
    Ussnorway7605025
    Brainiac
    April 28, 2021

    well done!

    Ussnorway7605025
    Ussnorway7605025
    Brainiac
    April 22, 2021
    1. 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
    New Participant
    April 22, 2021

    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!

    D
    default0ydctiio2bvlAuthorCorrect answer
    New Participant
    April 27, 2021

    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
      Ussnorway7605025
      Brainiac
      April 21, 2021

      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
      New Participant
      April 21, 2021

      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:

       

       

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