1. Asset creation tutorial

1.1. Introduction

To convert this manual in texinfo format follow these steps:

  1. Export in DocBook format: File -> Export -> DocBook (XML)

  2. Run these commands:

    $ pandoc -f docbook -t texinfo asset-tutorial.xml | makeinfo -o asset-tutorial.info

  3. To see the info file run:

    $ info ./asset-tutorial.info

1.2. Makehuman

1.2.1. Installation

The following steps are performed under an common installation path referred in the MHPATH environment variable.

  • Clone makehuman from source repository into $MHPATH:

    $ cd $MHPATH
$ git clone https://github.com/makehumancommunity/makehuman.git

  • Clone makehumancommunity plugins from source repositories into $MHPATH [1] [2]:

    $ cd $MHPATH
$ git clone https://github.com/makehumancommunity/makehuman-plugin-for-blender.git
$ git clone https://github.com/makehumancommunity/community-plugins-assetedit.git
$ git clone https://github.com/makehumancommunity/community-plugins-mhapi.git
$ git clone https://github.com/makehumancommunity/community-plugins-socket.git
$ git clone https://github.com/makehumancommunity/community-plugins-assetdownload.git
$ git clone https://github.com/makehumancommunity/community-plugins-perspective_view.git
$ git clone https://github.com/makehumancommunity/community-plugins-makeclothes.git
$ git clone https://github.com/makehumancommunity/community-plugins-maketarget.git

  • Clone mhx2-makehuman-exchange, makewalk and retarget-bvh plugins for blender from source repositories into $MHPATH:

    $ cd $MHPATH
$ git clone https://bitbucket.org/Diffeomorphic/mhx2-makehuman-exchange.git
$ git clone https://bitbucket.org/Diffeomorphic/makewalk.git
$ git clone https://bitbucket.org/Diffeomorphic/retarget-bvh.git

  • Install all the plugins:

    $ cd $MHPATH/makehuman/makehuman/plugins
$ ln -s $MHPATH/community-plugins-mhapi/1_mhapi .
$ ln -s $MHPATH/community-plugins-assetdownload/8_asset_downloader .
$ ln -s $MHPATH/community-plugins-assetedit/8_asset_editor .
$ ln -s $MHPATH/community-plugins-perspective_view/8_perspective_animation.py .
$ ln -s $MHPATH/community-plugins-socket/8_server_socket .
$ ln -s $MHPATH/mhx2-makehuman-exchange/9_export_mhx2 .

To execute makehuman:

$ cd $MHPATH/makehuman
$ makehuman/makehuman &

The first time is created the directory $HOME/makehuman which contains all makehuman’s related stuff.

1.3. Blender

1.3.1. Installation (2.7x)

This installation refers to blender 2.79.

The following configuration steps are performed under the configuration path $HOME/.config/blender/2.79/scripts/addons which is referred by the BPATH environment variable.

  • Get blender either downloading from the Blender or from the package of a recent debian/ubuntu distribution and install it

  • Create the path $BPATH

    $ mkdir -p $BPATH

  • Install the makehuman’s blendertools plugins:

    $ cd $BPATH
$ ln -s $MHPATH/makehuman/blendertools/makeclothes .
$ ln -s $MHPATH/makehuman/blendertools/maketarget .

  • Install the makehumancommunity’s plugin:

    $ cd $MHPATH/makehuman-plugin-for-blender/blender_distribution
$ unzip MH_Community_for_blender_279.zip
$ mv MH_Community MH_Community279
$ cd $BPATH
$ ln -s $MHPATH/makehuman-plugin-for-blender/blender_distribution/MH_Community279 .

  • Install the mhx2-makehuman-exchange and makewalk plugin:

    $ cd $BPATH
$ ln -s $MHPATH/mhx2-makehuman-exchange/import_runtime_mhx2 .
$ ln -s $MHPATH/makewalk .

  • Clone and install the panda3d’s export plugins (these plugins are cloned into the common path referred by the PPATH environment variable) [3]

    $ cd $PPATH
$ git clone https://github.com/09th/YABEE.git
$ git clone https://github.com/tobspr/Panda3D-Bam-Exporter.git --recurse-submodules
$ cd $BPATH
$ ln -s $PPATH/YABEE .
$ ln -s $PPATH/Panda3D-Bam-Exporter .

  • Run blender, open File->User Preferences ... (or Ctrl-Alt-U) and in the Add-ons tab enable all the various installed plugins (they are located in MakeHuman and Import-Export categories).

1.3.2. Installation (2.8x)

This installation refers to blender 2.8x.

The following configuration steps are performed under the configuration path $HOME/.config/blender/2.8x/scripts/addons which is referred by the BPATH28 environment variable.

  • Get blender from the Blender site and install it [4]

  • Create the path $BPATH28

    $ mkdir -p $BPATH28

  • Install the makehumancommunity’s plugin:

    $ cd $MHPATH/makehuman-plugin-for-blender/blender_distribution
$ unzip MH_Community_for_blender_280.zip
$ mv MH_Community MH_Community280
$ chmod -R a+X MH_Community280
$ cd $BPATH28
$ ln -s $MHPATH/makehuman-plugin-for-blender/blender_distribution/MH_Community280 .

  • Install the makehuman’s blendertools plugins:

    $ cd $BPATH28
$ ln -s $MHPATH/community-plugins-makeclothes/makeclothes .
$ ln -s $MHPATH/community-plugins-maketarget/maketarget .

  • Install the mhx2-makehuman-exchange, makewalk and retarget-bvh plugins:

    $ cd $BPATH28
$ ln -s $MHPATH/mhx2-makehuman-exchange/import_runtime_mhx2 .
$ ln -s $MHPATH/makewalk .
$ ln -s $MHPATH/retarget-bvh .

  • Clone and install the panda3d’s export plugins (these plugins are cloned into the common path referred by the PPATH environment variable)

    $ cd $PPATH
$ git https://github.com/kergalym/YABEE.git YABEE_28
$ cd $BPATH28
$ ln -s $PPATH/YABEE_28 .

  • Run blender, open Edit->Preferences... and in the Add-ons tab enable all the various installed plugins (they are prefixed with MakeHuman: and Import-Export:).

1.4. Human animations

Some hints for creating human models.

1.4.1. Creating humans

In Makehuman download the Motion_Builder_Rig rig (after downloading you may need copy/link the files inside $HOME/makehuman/v1/data/rigs if they don’t exist).

Create your model and apply the rig and then export to mhx2 (MakeHuman Exchange) format.

1.4.2. Applying animations

In Blender import the model in mhx2 format.

To apply animation follow the instructions as explained at:

Notes

[1]Currently the community-plugins-assetedit.git doesn’t work; you could clone this alternative repository which should correct the issues.
[2]Currently the community-plugins-assetdownload may have problems displaying the description table of available assets; you could clone this alternative repository which should correct the issues.
[3]Currently the Panda3D-Bam-Exporter can be cloned from here.
[4]Currently neither debian and ubuntu have 2.8x version.
[5]MakeWalk docs site may still have useful hints.