Exocortex Species 1.5 Released!

[Chris Covelli]

Exocortex Species 1.5 Released!

Species 1.5 is now available at Exocortex.com. This is the third major update in six months that adds functionality and further optimizes user work flow.

What is Species?

Exocortex Species simplifies the process of human character creation from designing your character’s unique attributes, integrating sculpting results, to rig creation, even animation. With Species, you will create higher quality animated characters faster and at a lower cost, while avoiding the generic look that often come when purchasing off-the-shelf models. Exocortex Species supports Autodesk Softimage 2010 through 2013 on both Windows and Linux. Floating and node locked licenses are available starting at $299.

Improvements in Species 1.5

    Documentation

• Expanded Docs to include Installation instructions and more detailed info on many features
• New easy to read Google Docs format

   
    New Feature Anim Tools! - A new set of tools to speed up working with our AnimRig

• Mirror Pose allows you to mirror the pose of the selected controls to the opposite side of the animation rig
• Mirror Select swaps the selected control to the opposite side
• Biped MatchFKIK will switch the selected limb from the current FK or IK mode to the opposite while maintaining the same pose.

    AnimRig Changes

• New preset hand poses!
• Hand Follow IK Option
• IK Offset controls for Arms and Legs
• Hand Anchor control to AnimRig for attaching props and other objects
• HeadLookAt Control Option
• Align LegIK controls to world

    AnimRig Build Changes

• AnimRig build option to adding Transform Setups for Fingers

    Synoptics

• Update synoptics with new controls   
• Add hand poses to AnimRig Synoptics

    Bug Fixes

• Left ForearmRoll deformers misaligned
• Hide FK arm bones on PropRig by default ( hides IK arm bones when switched to FK)
• Bank Param on right foot inverted
• AnimRig build cancel button doesn't cancel
• Only display Dual Quat option if available
• Change preferences to be per user not per addon

Getting Species 1.5

If you are not yet using Exocortex Species, give it a try by downloading the trial from the Exocortex Species product page.

For those already using Exocortex Species, you can download the 1.5 update directly from here.

Join the Species User Community

Get the most out of Exocortex Species by joining our user support and discussion mailing list, and check out our many tutorial videos on our Vimeo group.  These are the best places to learn about Species and get the latest news directly from the developers.

[Clinton Parker]

Awesome!

I recognise some of the bugs, I thought it was me! :)

Can't wait to try it out. Is it compatible with current rigs?

Clinton

[Chris Covelli]

Thanks Guys,

@Clinton - Should be fine between 1.2 and 1.5 i.e; after you update, if you take a 1.2 PropRig and run the Hominid>AnimRig function it will produce a stable 1.5 AnimRig with all the new features.  I have gotten errors trying this with PropRigs from versions 1.0 and 1.1 however. 

@Tim - The easiest way Ive found to update to new versions is through the Workgroups section of the Plugin Manager.  Open the Plugin Manager, go to the Workgroups tab, right click on the entry to your old Species workgroup and select disconnect workgroup.  Then hit the Connect button, navigate to your Species 1.5 Workgroup ( remember to navigate inside the folder called Workgroup ) and hit OK.

Id also restart XSI after connecting to the new workgroup.

Hope this helps,

-Chris

[Roman K]

Hi!

Probably you will laugh, but at me again a problem with the new version of Species 1.5!

Species gives out a mistake and It crashes when AnimRig is build.

Crash report:
INFO EXOCORTEX: Valid RLM license found for Species 1.5
INFO Species Info: Species_ImportHominid_Execute
INFO Species Info: Hominid_ToAnimRig_Execute
INFO Species Info: Hominid_CreateControls_Execute
ERROR Species Error: Unexpected Species Error Occured! ================================
ERROR Species Error: Message: NameError: global name 'versionMajor' is not defined

ERROR Species Error: Line: 623
ERROR Species Error: Full Strack Trace:
ERROR Species Error: ( File "<Script Block 2>", line 623, in Hominid_CreateControls_Execute
, File "C:\Users\XXX\Autodesk\Softimage_2013_SP1\Addons\ExocortexSpecies1.5\Application\Plugins\..\Modules\species_tools\rig.py", line 211, in createCon
speciesProductName = "Species " + str(versionMajor) + "." + str(versionMinor)
)
INFO Species Info: Softimage Version: 11.1.57.0
INFO Species Info: Species Version: 1.5

I use Windows 7 64, SI 2013 Sp1
I try to build an AnimRig from standart Hominid_Male_PropRig.
I am using the Python installed with Softimage.
There are no problems with the old version 1.2.
I attached a scene!

Best regards,
Roman

[Chris Covelli]

Hi Roman,

Ill take a look at your scene to see if i can find whats happening

--
Chris Covelli
http://kylevargas.net/

[Chris Covelli]

Hi Roman,

At a glance I cant seem to figure out whats causing your crashes.  Ive opened your scene and have ran the Hominid>AnimRig function a few times and it finishes clean every time.

Do you have other plugins installed in your version of XSI?  When you try to build the rig, are you enabling either the Dual Quaternion or Finger Transform Set-up options?

Thanks,

-Chris

[Eric Thivierge]

Worth noting,

If you had 1.2 connected via workgroup, and disconnected / reconnected to the 1.5 workgroup you MUST restart Softimage to refresh the Python modules.

--------------------------------------------
Eric Thivierge
http://www.ethivierge.com

[Roman K]

Hi!

I tried different options, including reconnected to the 1.5 workgroup and then restart Softimage but the problem has not disappeared.
Species crashes when AnimRig is build.
I also enabling the Dual Quaternion and Finger Transform set-up options, and then do not use them, but all the same :(

Yes, I have other plugins installed in my version of XSI: Exocortex ImplosiaFX1.6,  Exocortex Momentum3.7, all Mootzoid, gear, mbFeatherTools, and other.

When I remove Species 1.5 and then instal 1.2, everything works perfectly, but only if i change the following line in the Hominid.py file from (Eric helped me last time):
oVersionParam = oAnimRig.Properties("Hominid_Rig_Info").Parameters("Version").Value = str(versionMajor) + "." + str(versionMinor)
to:
oVersionParam = oAnimRig.Properties("Hominid_Rig_Info").Parameters("Version").Value = versionMajor + (versionMinor * 0.1)

Any ideas?

[Eric Thivierge]

I'll try to take a look tonight. What were your system specs and Softimage version again (sorry just want to get the info centralized to this thread).

--------------------------------------------
Eric Thivierge
http://www.ethivierge.com

[Roman K]

Win7 x64, 12GB Ram, i7 970 3,2 GHz
Softimage 2013 Sp1
Species 1.5

Thanks Eric!


Tue, 10 Jul 2012 16:48:25 +1000 от Eric Thivierge <ethiv...@gmail.com>:

I'll try to take a look tonight. What were your system specs and Softimage version again (sorry just want to get the info centralized to this thread).

--------------------------------------------
Eric Thivierge
http://www.ethivierge.com

On Tue, Jul 10, 2012 at 4:32 PM, Roman K <romk...@mail.ru> wrote:

Hi!

[Eric Thivierge]

I can reproduce this issue. We'll be working on a fix and will keep you posted.

--------------------------------------------
Eric Thivierge
http://www.ethivierge.com

[Ben Houston]

It is my fault. It is the new licensing code. Basically it requires
that we have those variables defined at the top of each file so that
when we call licensing code the product name with version is known.
-ben

--
Best regards,
Ben Houston
Voice: 613-762-4113 Skype: ben.exocortex Twitter: @exocortexcom
http://Exocortex.com - Passionate CG Software Professionals.

[Roman K]

I'll wait for good news!
Thanks in advance!

Best regards,
Roman

Tue, 10 Jul 2012 19:28:18 +1000 от Eric Thivierge <ethiv...@gmail.com>:

I can reproduce this issue. We'll be working on a fix and will keep you posted.

--------------------------------------------
Eric Thivierge
http://www.ethivierge.com

On Tue, Jul 10, 2012 at 6:16 AM, Roman K <romk...@mail.ru> wrote:

[Clinton Parker]

Hi Ben

It's crashing for me too. When making standard AnimRig from standard propRig.

Licence file is in user/Autodesk.../Addons/Species 1.5 folder

Attached are screen grabs and error txt file copied from script editor.

Hope this helps.

Clinton

[Eric Thivierge]

Thanks guys. We're definitely on it and should have a fix posted shortly. Sorry for the inconvenience.

--------------------------------------------
Eric Thivierge
http://www.ethivierge.com

[Eric Thivierge]

Actually Clinton, its saying Python isn't installed. Can you double check that Python is showing up as an option in the Script Editor?

--------------------------------------------
Eric Thivierge
http://www.ethivierge.com

On Tue, Jul 10, 2012 at 11:21 PM, Clinton Parker <cli...@blondimage.co.uk> wrote:

[Clinton Parker]

Yes that's why I included one of the screen grabs. It shows python being used. Also in preferences I've got it clicked.

Unless I've misunderstood something - not the first time... :)

[Eric Thivierge]

Oh right I see now. If you can give us a little while and test it out with the fix and see if that problem persists it would probably be best. Stay tuned.

--------------------------------------------
Eric Thivierge
http://www.ethivierge.com

[Chris Covelli]

Hey Guys,

It turns out the errors were arising from a simple licensing version number problem that Ben has now fixed.

You can download an update here -
http://exocortex.com/releases/ExocortexSpecies1.5.1.zip

The links on the main product page have also been redirected to the above link.

We apologize for any inconvenience.

[Gavin Marais]

Hi guys, I used Species 1 and 1.1 for an entire project. I didn't upgrade to 1.2 due to the size increase. Now that 1.5 has arrived, I have the problem that there will be a sequel to the first project, needing both the original characters + new ones. I guess I'd now have to re-rig these? Could I at least use the weighting to skin them, or are there subtle changes to some of the hierarchies that will not allow this? Any other recommendations on how to proceed?

Thanks very much!

[Eric Thivierge]

Hey Gavin,

You can go two ways, keep using Species 1.1 for the sequel to keeps things consistent. Or re-rig the meshes from the first one with the new Species version. I would not suggest mixing them as it will be very hectic on your part to be going back and forth when edits are needed. Species doesn't have dependencies on the plugin version however the AnimTools won't work with the older rigs (alignments changed a bit).

You could save the weights out from your original Species 1.1 rigs and reapply them when you get them redone with the 1.5 version. 

--------------------------------------------
Eric Thivierge
http://www.ethivierge.com

[Gavin Marais]

Ok thanks Eric. Skinning is the biggest pain for me because I'm using custom models and replacing with our armored or clothed meshes. The laying out of a new rig should hopefully be the easy part.

On Monday, July 9, 2012 4:03:06 PM UTC+2, Chris Covelli wrote:

[Clinton Parker]

Hi Eric

Yep, still getting the python error message. Although it no longer crashes and it seems to be working...

[Roman K]

Well done!!!
New  update Species 1.5.1  works fine for mi now! 
Thanks guys!!!

Best regards,
                            Roman


Tue, 10 Jul 2012 09:46:41 -0400 от Chris Covelli <kylev...@gmail.com>:

Hey Guys,

It turns out the errors were arising from a simple licensing version number problem that Ben has now fixed.

You can download an update here -
http://exocortex.com/releases/ExocortexSpecies1.5.1.zip

The links on the main product page have also been redirected to the above link.

We apologize for any inconvenience.

[Eric Thivierge]

Sorry to dig the thread up but wanted to keep things centralized as much as possible. 

Exocortex Species 1.5.4 is now available!

http://exocortex.com/releases/ExocortexSpecies1.5.4.zip


This release fixes two bugs that were reported over the last week or so:

• Replace Mesh option to transfer Body Type shapes is now working correctly

• Match FKIK utility now matches correctly regardless of key frames and or reference models

• We've also updated all of our Example Scenes with current versions of the rigs
  

As with all of our releases, please uninstall the previous version of Exocortex Species before
installing this version or you will run into a lot of trouble.

Thanks,

[druitre]

Thanks for the update, guys! Haven't found time yet to test but will do soon...

cheers,
Jasper

[John Estes]

Have any of you our there had experience with using species generated characters in a gaming engine using mocap?  I have some experience in the mocap capture, but conversion  to a game engine and use within it utilizing softimage and species I am lacking.   Any examples out there?

 

Any suggestions significant issues or tutorials you can point me to that will shorten the learning curve? Advise? 

 

Thanks