Contents of furniture template file
For more information, tutorials & downloads click here . If you get stuck you can ask questions on either my IMvu dev group or my forums, both of which are good places to get information on developing and/or using Blender 3D to do so.
Please note : the following is a "quick and dirty" tutorial on how to use the template file to create furniture items for IMvu using Blender 3D, it is not intended to cover the finer details of the process.
mesh_object : Base Template mesh object. Parented to furniture armature before export. Mesh object can be any shape/size relative to item/product required in IMVU as 'furniture'.
RIG_furniture : Master armature to which everything must be connected either directly in the case of other armature sections, or indirectly using 'parenting' (Ctrl+P). DO NOT alter the position or rotation of this object.
RIG_sitting
RIG_sitting : Seat node template for avatar in sitting/seated generic pose spot. Once positioned correctly, need's 'joining' to 'RIG_furniture' (Ctrl+J) - un-parent 'helper' (see below) before joining (Alt+P).
HELPER_sitting : A visual aid to assist in placement of sitting pose nodes. This object is not required for furniture items so needs to be 'un-parented' (Alt+P) before exporting completed product. Select 'RIG_sitting' when moving the 'sitting' unit.
NOTE : Select 'RIG_sitting' when moving/rotating/positioning the 'sitting' node unit. NO FURTHER EDITING IS REQUIRED, simply use the objects as is.
RIG_standing
RIG_standing : Seat node template for avatar in standing/upright generic pose spot. Once positioned correctly, needs 'joining' to 'RIG_furniture' (Ctrl+J) - un-parent helper (see below) before joining.
HELPER_standing : A visual aid 'helper' to assist the placement of standing pose nodes. This object is not required for furniture items so needs to be 'unp-parented' from 'RIG_standing' (Alt+P) before exporting completed object.
NOTE : Select 'RIG_standing' when moving/rotating/positioning the 'standing' node unit. NO FURTHER EDITING IS REQUIRED, simply use the objects as is.
Once you have your furniture item modelled (your 'mesh'), the various elements that make up an actual IMVU product must be positioned relative to each other and the desired look you want the end result to have; seat node units need to be duplicated (if/where required) and positioned/rotated for the desired effect.
NOTE : furniture items DO NOT REQUIRE seat nodes to work
All these separate part then need connecting together;
Un-parent the helper meshes (Alt+P - select "..keep transform..")
Select all the armatures and fix their positions/rotations (Ctrl+A)
Select all the armatures - "RIG_furniture" must be selected last (so that it is outlined in brighter pink than the others) - and join them together (Ctrl+J) into one larger armature unit.
Ctrl+A to fix position/rotation of now joined armature to make sure it's position/rotation is set correctly.
Ctrl+A to fix rotation/position of MESH
Select mesh and enter EDIT MODE ('TAB' key)
Select all faces/verts/etc ('A').. and press 'T' to triangulate the mesh ('tessellate').
Still in EDIT mode, in "LINKS & MATERIALS" panel add a new VERTEX GROUP and call it "Skeleton.Scene"; select all face/verts ('A') and "ASSIGN" the group to the mesh. Exit edit mode (TAB).
Select Mesh then the armature, then parent the mesh to the armature (Ctrl+P), you can check this by selecting and moving the armature, if parented correctly the mesh will move with the armature (the mesh will outline 'white' when moved in this way).
Open up the ACTION EDITOR (SHIFT+F12) and add a new action, call it "idle".
Select the armature only and go into POSE MODE (Ctrl+TAB).
Select all ('A') and then press the 'I' key to 'insert keyframes' for "LocRotScale" - (yellow) markers will appear in the Action editor window. Exit pose mode (Ctrl+TAB).
Select the mesh then the armature and export the files - "File > Export > Cal3D", leave defaults in pop up window and 'OK'. Export process saves all the relevant files at the same time to the same location (your project folder) as the working file.
Build product using IMvu Previewer tool using the exported assets
Upload to catalogue.