Marcus Chen
Microsoft's Paint 3D, bundled with Windows 10, is a basic 3D application with limited functionality. However, it offers enough tools to create products and content for IMVU, a platform for creating and sharing virtual items and experiences. Paint 3D is organized around a Canvas, a flat plane serving as a single-axis vertical backdrop, which can be disabled or made transparent. Its focus is on utilizing predefined assets from an online catalog, and it requires each element of an object to be separate mesh primitives that cannot be unified. Materials and textures can be applied as solid colors or images, and upon export, Paint 3D generates small pixel PNGs that are mapped to each face of a mesh. This paragraph introduces the topic of using Paint 3D for animation in IMVU, highlighting the software's capabilities, interface, and material options.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Software | Microsoft Paint 3D, Blender, 3DS Max, Maya |
| Purpose | Creating simple items for IMVU |
| Orientation | Canvas, a flat plan with a vertical backdrop ("Z" axis) |
| Canvas Button | Disables, hides, or makes the canvas transparent |
| Object Creation | Requires separate objects or mesh primitives for each element |
| Export/Import | Results in multiple distinct mesh objects with unique "Mesh IDs" |
| Materials | Solid colours, images, flat shaded colours, glossy, reflective |
| Texturing | Generates 1x1 or 2x2 pixel PNG for each face of a mesh |
| Weight Painting | Requires checking weight values and bone relationships |
| Animation | Not explicitly mentioned, but IMVU-related |
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What You'll Learn
Using Paint 3D to animate for IMVU
Microsoft's Paint 3D, which comes bundled with Windows 10, is a basic 3D application with limited functionality. However, it provides enough tools and features, such as shape primitives, to create simple animations for IMVU. Here's a guide on using Paint 3D to animate for IMVU:
Understanding the Workspace
Paint 3D is organised around the "Canvas", a flat plane that serves as a single-axis vertical backdrop ("Z" axis) rather than a traditional three-dimensional workspace. The background canvas can be disabled, hidden, or made transparent by clicking the "Canvas" button in the menu ribbon at the top, which opens the 'options' panel on the right. Here, you can access settings like "Show canvas" and "Transparent canvas", which should be disabled before exporting.
Creating Objects
Paint 3D uses predefined assets from an online catalogue, so the editing tools focus on scene creation rather than object editing. When creating an object with multiple parts, like a couch, each element must be a separate object or mesh primitive. These cannot be joined into a single mesh. Each mesh will require a unique "Mesh ID" upon import.
Materials and Textures
Materials and textures can be applied as solid colours or images. Paint 3D supports various material types, including flat shaded colours, glossy, and reflective surfaces, as well as image-based textures. When exported, these assets are available for import into IMVU. Solid colours are exported as small 1x1 or 2x2 pixel PNGs, which are then mapped to each face of a mesh. IMVU typically imports complex materials as flat black images.
Orientation and Skeletons
Paint 3D's global orientation uses the Canvas as the ground plane, which is vertical. Objects without a skeleton will flip onto their backs to align with IMVU's vertical orientation. To correct this, objects without seating node/positions should be derived from items without seating nodes, such as simple furniture. Once paired with a skeleton in "config", the orientation should correct itself.
Exporting and Importing
To export a Paint 3D project, go to "Menu » Export File » 3D FBX". The import process into IMVU is the same as for FBX files from other sources. Due to the positional differences between Paint 3D and IMVU, you may need to re-export and import meshes several times to achieve the desired fit.
While Paint 3D has its limitations, it offers a simple way to create animations for IMVU using its built-in tools and the FBX exporter. With some trial and error, you can design and export your creations for use in IMVU.
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How to export from Paint 3D to FBX
Microsoft's Paint 3D, bundled with Windows 10, is a basic 3D application with limited functionality. However, it offers enough tools to create products and content for IMVU using the included FBX exporter. Paint 3D is centred around the "Canvas", a flat plane that serves as a single-axis vertical backdrop ("Z" axis) rather than a traditional three-dimensional workspace. This canvas can be disabled, hidden, or made transparent by clicking the "Canvas" button in the menu ribbon and disabling the "Show canvas" and "Transparent canvas" options before exporting.
When creating items in Paint 3D for IMVU, it's important to note that the two programs do not positionally correlate. Centring creations in Paint 3D will not correspond to the grid-centre in other programs like 3DS Max or Blender. To make items fit, you may need to re-export and import meshes multiple times through a process of trial and error. Paint 3D utilises predefined assets from an online catalogue, so the editing tools focus on scene creation rather than object editing. For example, when modelling a couch, each element, such as the seat, armrests, and back, must be separate objects or mesh primitives that cannot be joined into a single mesh. Upon export and import, each element becomes a distinct mesh object requiring its own "Mesh ID".
Materials and textures in Paint 3D can be applied as solid colours or images. During export and import, each mesh with its own Material assignment may generate an accompanying Material slot, leading to varying degrees of duplication. When exporting solid colours, Paint 3D generates a small 1x1 or 2x2 pixel PNG that is mapped to each face of a mesh. Upon import into IMVU, these colours are automatically assigned to their respective Material slots. Paint 3D supports different material types, including flat shaded colours, glossy finishes, and reflective surfaces, as well as image-based textures. However, IMVU typically imports complex materials as flat black images.
To export your Paint 3D project to FBX format, follow these steps: "Menu » Export File » 3D FBX". The import process for FBX files is consistent across different file sources. It's important to note that Paint 3D's global orientation uses the Canvas as the ground plane, which is a vertical surface. Objects without a skeleton will flip onto their backs to align with the vertical orientation in IMVU. To correct this, adjust the item in Paint 3D before exporting and importing as FBX. Additionally, ensure that your Paint 3D mesh doesn't include unnecessary seating node/positions.
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Importing FBX files into IMVU
To import FBX files into IMVU, you must first have an FBX file available. The FBX file format treats object scale differently from Blender's raw numbers, so it's important to compensate for scaling when importing into IMVU.
- With IMVU open, click the "Create" button and then "Derive New Product" as normal.
- Upon clicking "Go," the derived product's default assets will load into the editor.
- In the project's properties panel, click the "FBX Import" tab and then the "+ Load FBX" button.
- In the file browser, browse and select the desired FBX file and click "Open" to load it into the FBX importer.
- Once the FBX file is loaded, it will show each of the elements included at export, such as a skeleton, mesh, and material (texture).
- Check what's loaded to ensure all the necessary parts are available.
- If any unwanted entries are selected, click the checkbox next to them to have them ignored.
- After importing, click "Preview" to see the automatically assembled product and edit and modify the assets as needed.
It's important to note that the FBX import process may differ slightly depending on the product and how scaling is compensated for. Additionally, when using Blender to export FBX files, certain settings should be adjusted, such as changing the Blender Units settings to 0.01 and deselecting "Add Leaf Bones" under "Armature."
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Weight painting clothes for IMVU
Microsoft's Paint 3D, bundled with Windows 10, is a basic 3D application that can be used to make products and content for IMVU. When using Paint 3D to make items for IMVU, it is important to note that the two platforms do not positionally correlate. Creations in Paint 3D are centred relative to the program's workspace, which does not represent the 'grid-centre' in 3DS Max, Blender, and similar software. This means that a degree of trial and error is necessary when importing and exporting meshes.
Paint 3D is organised around using predefined assets from an online catalogue, and the editing tools available focus on facilitating scene editing rather than object editing. Each element of an object must be a separate object or mesh primitive and cannot be joined together into a single unified mesh. On export/import, the object comprises several distinct mesh objects, each of which occupies a mesh slot requiring a unique "Mesh ID" set at import.
When it comes to weight painting clothes for IMVU, this process is done in a special mode called Weight Paint mode, which can be accessed once a mesh is selected using the Interactive Mode selector in the 3D View Header. The mesh initially turns blue, indicating that it is not weighted yet. The next step is to select a bone or node and then paint the mesh with the cursor/brush to link painted areas with the skeletal element highlighted. As this is done, a corresponding Vertex Group is created and named or labelled to reflect the chosen bone or node. Depending on the product, this painting process needs to be repeated for each bone or node that influences the mesh.
The colours used in weight painting are immediately readable as representing values of influence, with red indicating 100% effectiveness or complete control, and blue indicating 0% effectiveness or no influence. It is important to limit skin weighting to four bones per vertex, as products created with more than four bones per vertex may appear distorted on various platforms.
To check weight values, individual vertices can be selected in Edit Mode, and their associations checked in the Vertex Weights subsection of the Sidebar. This allows users to see the weights associated with the selected vertex and delete any influences if needed.
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Using skeletons to correct orientation
Skeletal animation is a foundational technique in 3D computer graphics, widely used in video games, films, and other digital media. It involves animating a mesh through a hierarchical set of bones or a "skeleton" that controls the deformation of the 3D model. Each bone has a three-dimensional transformation from the default bind pose, which includes its position, scale, and orientation, and an optional parent bone. The bones, therefore, form a hierarchy, with each bone in the skeleton associated with some portion of the character's visual representation (the mesh) in a process called skinning.
When using Microsoft's Paint 3D to make items for IMVU, it is important to note that the program is oriented around the "Canvas", a flat plan that acts as a single-axis vertical backdrop ("Z" axis) rather than a three-dimensional workspace. This difference in orientation between Paint 3D and IMVU can cause issues when importing creations from Paint 3D into IMVU. Objects in Paint 3D that are not associated with any skeletons will flip onto their backs to align with the vertical orientation of the Canvas in Paint 3D. This issue should correct itself once the object is paired with a skeleton in the "config" settings.
For items that use the underlying skeleton of the derived item, their orientation should auto-correct once linked together. However, for items that don't use a skeleton, adjustments will need to be made in Paint 3D to compensate for positional inaccuracies before exporting and importing as FBX files. It is important to note that all imported content needs an underlying skeleton of some kind to function properly in IMVU. When creating items in Paint 3D that do not require a seat, it is recommended to derive them from items without any seating nodes or positions, such as simple furniture items.
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Frequently asked questions
IMVU uses a program called 3D Studio MAX to build its 3D assets. Microsoft Paint 3D, Blender, and Maya are also used for 3D animation in IMVU.
You can refer to tutorials available online, such as the ones on KatsBits.com and YouTube. These tutorials cover various topics, including weight painting, editing, and exporting files.
Paint 3D and IMVU do not positionally correlate, so centring creations in Paint 3D may not translate accurately to IMVU. Paint 3D is also organised around using predefined assets from an online catalogue, so the editing tools focus on scene editing rather than object editing.
To export your creations from Paint 3D to IMVU, you need to use the FBX exporter included with Paint 3D. Before exporting, make sure to disable the "Show canvas" and "Transparent canvas" options in the "options" panel.
To check weight values in Paint 3D, you can select individual vertices in Edit Mode and view their associations in the Vertex Weights subsection of the Sidebar. This allows you to see all bone relationships and delete any unwanted influences.
