Working with CATS Rigs - Ezekial711/MonsterHunterWorldModding GitHub Wiki
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Importing the Base Skeleton:
To make a CAT Rig in the first place you'll need some skeleton as reference. Ideally you'd import a MHW skeleton so that Bone Functions and general structure can be transferred back automatically. For this purpose you need to have Blender 2.79 and the MHW Model Importer.
In Blender import with the setting Animation Armature: []
Export in FBX Format: []
For CATs animations, you probably want Z-Up and -Y-Forward. MHW Models in Blender are Y-Up, Z-Forward. So export from blender with Y-Up and Z-Forward settings, and import in 3dMax with Z-Up and -Y Forward Settings.
Otherwise if you just want to use the default settings you can simply rotate things after the fact from the Root Bone (rotate it 90 degrees on the X-Axis): [] []
On helpers find the CAT Object []
Click and Drag under the monster []
Rename it to BoneFunction. ( for ease of use later ) []
Create a Pelvis from the Menu []
Rename the Pelvis to 000 and align its pivot to the bones.000 pivot []
Now add the geometry that the monster needs and align each bone the same way ( as well as renaming it ) []
Once done select your mesh, go to utilities and hit more []
Find from the Menu "Skin Utilities []"
While clicking your mesh click extract skin data to mesh []
This will create a clone that seems empty but keeps the weight data from the original , go to your original mesh and delete the skin []
Add a new skin []
And add all the new bones you've created []
Select both and click import skin data ( then click match by name and should be done ) []
And done ( now you actually have to animate the CAT Rig, when done export back to FBX) []
When exporting back to FBX simply export with the same settings you imported, and in blender import with the settings you exported.