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[IMVU] Easily make IMVU furniture using nodes (transcript & translation)

kat · 1 · 15348

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Offline kat

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For more "How to..." info see "Make IMVU Furniture using Nodes".
Starter file/s - download Blender/FBX starter files for IMVU here.

Transcript (E&EO).

To use a node-based set-up for IMVU furniture items with Blender. First make sure the Root node is positioned at grid centre and rotated relative to the furniture type; the widgets blue arrow should point upwards for floor items, inwards for wall, and down for ceiling.

So right-click select and in "Object Data" properties ensure "X", "Y" and "Z" "Location" and "Rotation" properties are set to "0"; left-click the input field, type "0", pressing "Enter" to confirm.

Next position the furniture mesh relative to the node and the items eventual use, right-click the object and again in "Object Data" properties set the "Location" and "Rotation" values to "0". With the mesh still selected, reset its physical properties using "Apply". This locks any "Rotation", "Location" and "Scale" changes in place.

In "Edit Mode" ensure a vertex group named "Root", upper-case "R", is assigned to the mesh; in the 3DView select all ("A") then in "Object Data" properties click the 'plus' button to create a new vertex group. Double-click and rename "Root", upper-case "R", then click the "Assign" button under vertex group to assign.

Once this is done, in "Object Mode" select the mesh then node, and Parent together. That's, shift rich-click select the mesh, then node, then from the "Object" menu in the 3D View, select "Parent", "Object", "Object (Keep Transform)" ("Object » Parent » Object » Object (Keep Transform)"). This creates the necessary hierarchy, relationship between the two objects needed for IMVU.

For basic furniture items this set up can then be exported to FBX; select the mesh and node then from "File", "Export", click "FBX" ("File » Export » FBX (.fbx)"). In the browser that appears change the name and save location as required, then amend the FBX export options; under "Main" enable "Selected Objects"; under "Armatures" disable "Add Leaf Bones", leave the remaining options as is and click "Export FBX" top-right.

Blender will then export the selected objects to the chosen location ready for import into IMVU.