Uploading 3D model into Mixamo with textures

[john5E9F]

Hi. I'm a teacher creating animations for my students during the pandemic to keep them motivated.

Believe it or not, I'm animating in PowerPoint with Mixamo models and backgrounds done with PS.

I uploaded a free model from the Valve game L4D2.

https://www.models-resource.com/pc_computer/left4dead2/model/12699/

The upload worked perfectly as far as I can tell but not with the textures (these are included in zip).

I tried to export from Photoshop but it didn't work and Blender is very complicated for a noob like myself. In PS I could see the textures properly mapped.

I've searched 3 hours of youtube videos but none provided any answer.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers

John

[esaa5FCE]

goooood

[john5E9F]

LOL. Is that your suggestion?

🙂

[filmwomyn]

I had this same issue before as well with the textures not coming into Mixamo....
To get the textures to go, you need to create a ZIP file of the OBJ AND the textures  0 save it to the same folder.

Here's what I did on a Surface Studio which is Windows....I'm not sure what you need to do on a Mac,,,,
1. Choose the folder you'd like to zip.
2. Right-click the folder, point to Send to, and then click Compressed folder(zipped).
3. A new zipped folder will appear.
4. Upload that ZIPPED folder to Mixamo.
5. Animate, and export.

Then, you can bring that into Photoshop. You can keep the animation you have on it, and replace the background OR, you can click on its head and all of the other animation options still come up.

[john5E9F]

Hi and thanks for the suggestions.

Unfortunately the model i linked to is not in OBJ format.

I have tried several conversions from the fbx into obj, adding the textures, zipping, uploading.

The textures never appear.

Cheers

John

[filmwomyn]

Have you tried to take it into Photoshop and then replace the textures?

I just unzipped your file and did a replace color in the Materials Properties panel and it filled in his head.

[filmwomyn]

It let me fill in the entire body. I did the following:

1. Went into Photoshop

2. Imported the DAE file - it comes in without textures

3. Made sure I was in the 3D workspace

4. Clicked on top of the character's head with the "Move" tool

5. That displaces the "Materials" to the right panel in the properties

6. Went back to the tools and selected the "3D Material Eyedropper"

7. Clicked on an area I wanted to fill in

8. Clicked on "Base Color" in the "Materials" panel

9. Opened the twirl down menu and selected "Replace Texture"

10. Went back to the folder where the textures are and selected the one I wanted

11. It fills it in

12. Went back to do the rest

The two photos are above of how it turned out.

[john5E9F]

Hi again

Once more thank you.

The problem however is not with viewing the textures. I can see the model perfectly textured in both Photoshop as well as in Powerpoint.

The problem is that I can't load the model into Mixamo and benefit from the animations.

I get a model that is essentially in plastic material, no colors, no textures.

[john5E9F]

[filmwomyn]

Hi again, 

Yeah - it doesn't seem to like the file. I've tried to export it as a 3D OBJ export from Photoshop with the textures zipped, still no textures. Maybe you can import into Mixamo without textures, add the animation, and export as a DAE. It's an extra step but, you could relink the textures in Photoshop and render as a video. Not sure how you are using it in your Powerpoint though. 

Another solution, if you are not set on using that exact character is make a character in Fuse, and to  to export as textures and use the Photoshop configuration. This will save straight to your Creative Cloud Library. You can then import the character into the 3D work space in Photoshop and use the built in 3D animations there on your character and export. Good luck! 🙂 

[john5E9F]

Hola

I'm going to keep trying. Unfortunately I don't have Fuse and my understanding is that it is no longer available.

I will try Blender although the learning curve is steep and definitely overkill for what i'm doing.

With respect to PowerPoint: I prepare backgrounds using photoshop, clipart, and 3D objects. I then add models with animations from Mixamo and then export the PPT as an MP4. It then goes into Da Vinci Resolve for editing and audio (also use audacity and OBS and VLC as tools).

I should have specified that the character I was working with, Coach from a classic PC game, was only one example. I've had similar issues with almost all 3D models other than the ones on the Mixamo site. I find the models on Mixamo overall to be pretty dismal - it is the animations that are interesting.

thanks so much for your help.

[filmwomyn]

You're welcome - on a PC Fuse still works, not sure for a Mac. But, looks like someone answered it below. I was missing the PNG step. 🙂

[Dpoon]

You can download Adobe Fuse in Steam. I just did.  Works fine... its an older version though.  I am having the same issues you are. Uploading to Mixamo, but the textures aren't being uploaded as well.. Did you find a way to upload it with textures yet?

[markmn]

where did the original dae come from? and what textures did you apply? Can you do a short video demo on your process? Am I to understand you used a character from Mixamo? Or did you create  a character outside mixamo?

FYI i am building simple robot character with objects from Dimension, applying dimension materials and export as obj. WHen I upload to mixamo, I can rig and animate but loose all my textures and don't know how to reapply them in the dae file from mixamo inside Photoshop...

any thots

thanks

many thanks

[markmn]

but when u send the file to Mixamo, does it retain all textures? Animation is great but loose all my textures I have a applied to my obj. Can you do a short demo video so I can see how works for you? thanks

[Byron5E80]

Thanks for posting this. Much appreciated!

[Fábio2488914152sl]

Thank you so much!!!!!!! ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️

[Ussnorway · Accepted solution]

the steps you need are;

1. load dae model into Photoshop with all textures
2. export as wavefront Obj with Png textures... not Jpg or default!
3. zip all the files
4. upload the zip and place your markers

if you still need help let me know mate

[john5E9F]

Hi and thanks so much! I'll try this tomorrow night. I'm beat. Going to bed.

I came back because I found a solution using blender.

I imported the .dae file because blender didn't seem to recognize the fbx file.

The I exported the .dae file from Blender with these options.

Again, really appreciate your help. I think your colors, for some reason, are closer to the orginal than mine. Or my eyes are just tired. 🙂

Thanks to both of you. Stay healthy. Stay safe. Happy Holidays.

 

 

[john5E9F]

Not sure if i can edit previous post (hitting more does nothing in Firefox) so just wanted to add a few comments that might not be clear if another noob like myself wants to try the blender route.

I exported in FBX format (one of the 2 Mixamo formats) because it was simpler than the OBJ route which potentially could have caused problems due to incorrect paths in the .mtl file and i was too tired to experiment.

Also in the screenshot, for those new to Blender like myself, the little box on the right is to embed the textures.

I had a lara croft model which also worked but this time the textures weren't all faithful. legs and face were red.

So I will try the photoshop method tomorrow and report back.

🙂

[andrew5C6D]

Hi John,

I don't nornally reply to forums, but I noticed you are a teacher, and we are in the middle of a pandemic. I'm afriad I don't know much about Blender. If you just want a simple way to demonstrate to the kids how to use animations, Mixamo figures work 'out of the box' in Unity. The are so many tutorials and vids for Unity, you can't go far wrong. Where did my textures go...?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOeodlLTx8g. 

Also, DeepMotion is a lot of fun in Unity, especially for kids. Again, the tutorials are excellent, and also deal with the questions about importing the Mixamo Character's textures. I know its not the answer to your orignal question, but Blender is a mind-bender for beginners. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2l96l_VX3Q

Honestly, it really is that easy in Unity.

[andrew5C6D]

Also if you don't particularly like Mixamo models because of their datedness, Unity UMA + o3n models are free assets. I've had UMA+o3n working with Mixamo /DeepMotion. Also, to go a stage beyond Mixamo, you can get free animations in the Unity Asset Store. It's all so easy to use, and stress free.

[john5E9F]

Thank you Andrew. Actually I'm teaching languages, not animation.

I will take a look at your links however.

I had a bad experience with Unity, their free environment was full of bugs which they really didn't seem to care about. I've been tinkering with Unreal instead.

Cheers

John

[andrew5C6D]

If you import the UMA characters, they will work straight out of the asset store. Adding o3n to a UMA makes the characters more bearable to look at, and they have slightly better clothes. Animation of UMA models is a cinch, no bugs. Follow the latter part of the DeepMotion video, as it is gerneric to creating an Animation Controller and transopsing your animations onto your UMA+03n model in the Heirarchy. (Remember to drag and drop the the o3n file, in the Project Window, into the UMA Global Library, otherwise it won't add it to your UMA figure. It's not the automatic process one would expect.)The video's content is not exclusively helpful for working with DeepMotion animations, but is applicable to most models, controllers and animations in Unity. It is succint and clear, which is why I suggest following it. There are plenty of free posing and animation assets in the Unity Store to drop into the Animation Controller once you have created it. Honestly, it's so easy.

[Ussnorway]

just be aware that both Unity and Unreal don't really like Fbx2019 but well done for actually trying to teach kids something cool!