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Thread: MMD - Tutorial, Gallery, Information

  1. MMD - Tutorial, Gallery, Information

    Ok, let's get these out of the way...

    Where the hell have you been?
    Real life got in the way, lack of motivation, etc.

    What happened to using GMod/SFM?
    Nerve damage in my hands (long story, job related injury) makes using those programs a pain in the ass, so I moved to MMD due to it's easy to use UI (it kept me busy while I was injured).

    WTF kind of post is this?
    Small gallery and an introduction to the program MMD (along with a brief tutorial). Sorta like back when I was doing all that work with GMod, so just roll with it. I'll update it with new images as time goes on, hopefully keeping it up to date as much as possible.

    *NEW*




    Last edited by MrWhitefolks; 15 Dec 2014 at 10:03 PM.
    XBL Gamertag = XMrWhitefolksX

  2. Hey Mr. Whitefolks

  3. He's back!

    You're the reason I'd sit for hours trying to get combos right in fighting games. Time well-spent(?)
    Quote Originally Posted by Diff-chan View Post
    Careful. We're talking about games here. Fun isn't part of it.

  4. #4
    Sup, bro. Long time no type.

  5. This was my first MMD video I ever saw.

  6. That one's pretty great. Pretty sure my first was Bad Apple but this is my favorite:


  7. Mech: Yeah, first time I saw that one I lost my shit laughing so hard. The facial expressions just kill it in that.


    For no use of kinect/mo-cap - this is pretty damn impressive (especially at the 1:10 mark).


    Anyone think I should start like categorizing useful stuff for this? Models, shaders, props, maps, etc? A LOT of this stuff is hard as balls to find, let alone get to work right - figure if anyone is actually interested in learning this, I might as well go full retard and explain as much as I can.

    ----------

    Ok, so here's the basic tutorial covering the program, it's main add-on (MME), and standard features. The first part will cover the menus, the second will cover MME, and the third will cover base tricks/tips to keep you from pulling your hair out.

    Links to the program, add-ons, and tools:

    MMD Program: HERE
    There are multiple versions available, 1.3 is for 32bit users, while 1.4 is for 64bit users. As far as I know these are the most up to date revisions.

    MME Add-on 32bit: HERE
    MME Add-on 64bit: HERE

    Take the files from the rar and drop them into the same folder as your mikumikudance.exe program. You'll know it works if a "MMEffect" button has appeared in your MMD program (upper right area of the UI - refer to images below for example)

    What is Miku Miku Dance?

    It's a free to use, animation and posing studio originally created due to the popularity of the vocaloid Hatsune Miku. Think of it as the "anime" alternative to SFM, as they have similar feature sets.

    Like what?
    IK rigs, physics, rendering options, lighting effects, special effect addons, animation tweening, interpolation, etc. While the UI may differ, many of the concepts seen in SFM/GMod are in play here.

    How does it work?
    Very similar to what you're used to, albeit with a different (and possibly more user friendly) UI setup. Pose, stage, render, export, etc.

    So, let's take a look at our UI and how the program looks/works overall. Gonna do this in two steps, one covering the basic menu, then one covering the camera menu.

    Standard/Basic Menu

    This section is broken down into the following FOUR major sections:

    1)Model Manipulation
    This is where you load or delete models (pmd/pmx files). Clicking the dropdown to select which model you want to work on (or delete) - and also gives you the option to open the Camera/Lighting Menu. Secondary drop down menu allows you to turn on/off available IK Rig bones (making everything far easier for just standard posing) if needed.

    2)Bone Manipulation
    This menu allows you to select how you highlight bones (clicking, click and dragging, etc) along with options to register (used for animating) or resetting the bone position. Note that the XYZ/XYZ options in the lower right can be used for movement of bones INSTEAD of clicking the move/rotate buttons (and makes everything much easier)

    3)Facial Manipulation
    Sliders for facial expressions (or optional accessories/emotes). Eye, brow, mouth, and other. While the first three will be obvious, the 'other' section covers a myriad of options (depending on what the content creator has included) that can result in blush, tears, iris size, optional accessories (like bodygroups in GMod/SFM), visual emotes (anger marks, exclamation points, etc) and the like. A register button is also available for locking in the 'face pose' for animation purposes.

    4)View/Play
    Lets the user switch the camera angle to different areas depending on button pressed (front/back/left/right/etc). Also allows user to force camera to focus on model (clickable icon) or the bone you're currently highlighting (clickable icon).

    Play menu is for playback of animation, with optional boxes to input start and end frames at.

    Camera/Lighting Menu


    This menu is built for lighting, camera placement, and the use of .x files for props/addons/or special effects.

    1)Model Manipulator
    Same as the first menu

    2)Camera
    Allows user to adjust the field of view by changing the "view angle". Allows forced perspective with a click of a button, and (most importantly) allows the user to "register" the camera so the angle is saved as the default viewing angle.

    3)Light Manipulation
    Change RGB values of lighting, as well as the placement of the stock light option's XYZ axis. Register button works just like Camera option.

    4)Accessory Manipulation
    Allows the loading/deletion of effects, props, etc. XYZ, rX rY rZ, sI, and tR boxes are available for adjusting placement, rotation, size, or transparency of effects. Each 'effect' or 'prop' may have different options and/or the boxes may affect different things. Refer to each effect/props readme file for extensive information.

    5)View/Play
    Same as the basic menu

    6)These buttons represent the XYZ (movement) and XYZ (rotation) for the camera. It's far easier to use these than the mouse when trying to get the camera angle working for you.

    -----------

    MME...how the fuck do i use this thing and what does it do?

    MikuMikuEffect allows the use of shaders (custom created by users in the community) on every aspect of your scene. It will take a lot of experimentation to see what exactly works best for you, or on the models/props you're using, etc...but the effort will make a huge difference.

    To start, click the MMEffect button in the upper righthand corner of the screen and the following menu will appear:



    Select "Effect Mapping". This will open a new window that looks like this:



    Each model located here (be it a .pmd, .x PROP, or .pmx file) is adjustable to some extent. All you need to do is right click the model name and pick "SUBSET EXTRACT". This will display the entire list of subset layers used on the model. Sometimes the list will be small, sometimes huge; it all depends on how the content creator built their model.



    Each layer can be turned on or off by clicking the box next to the layer name, and double clicking (or clicking the "set effect" button) on a layer will open a window, allowing you to search for and apply the shader you wish. I recommend creating a separate folder specifically for your effects as this will make the process much easier.

    Here are a few examples of what shaders can do to a model, courtesy of tehrainbowllama:


    ----------

    Now that we've got the two main aspects of MMD handled, this area here will be for small tips and tricks, and basic things that will make your life a lot easier when using this program.

    How do I remove the outline around a character?
    Click VIEW, Thickness of Edge Line, and drop it down to zero.

    My shadows look horrible!
    Click VIEW, Shadow Settings, and lower the draw distance. Also, certain shaders may result in cleaner shadows, so try adding some shaders to the scene and see what happens.

    Why can't I move the character? I can move their limbs but that's it!
    Find the center bone (usually a SQUARE [IK] bone) located between the feet, or between the legs (much like GMod/SFM). Click it, then click the "SELECT ALL" button in Bone Manipulation. You'll notice that the lower set of XYZ (bottom right of the screen) options have now become highlighted, and you should be able to use those to move the model as needed.

    Why does "insert name" model have a (x) bone?
    These are weird, but they're like a secondary 'rotation' bone, usually found on the forearm or leg, and my guess is that they're there to keep a model from looking broken when it's limbs are rotated too much.

    How do I save an image?
    First, click VIEW and turn off "display coordinate axis". Then go into your camera mode (via model manipulation). Once there, click File, Render to Picture File and you know the rest.

    Can I save a pose to use with other models?
    Yep! Select the model you're working on, click any bone and then click the 'select all' button in bone manipulation. Now, click FILE, SAVE POSE DATA and name it! Keep in mind that not all models share the same bone rig, so it might not be 100% the same and MAY require some adjustment.

    How the hell do I move the eyeballs?
    There's usually a bone located above the head that controls the eyes. Alternatively, each eyeball should have it's own bone as well.

    How do I change the resolution of my exported image/video?
    Click VIEW, Screen Size, then input whatever you want! 1920x1080, 3840x2160, etc. As long as your program doesn't crash when exporting, it'll work.

    Is there a way to change the model draw order?
    Yessir. Click BACKGROUND, then MODEL DRAW ORDER. This is useful if you are messing with models that have transparent textures (like slimes from Dragon Quest), or want certain effects (autoluminous) to have priority over specific models. It takes a bit of getting used to, but it helps.

    Where do you find models, props, effects, accessories?
    Bowlroll, Deviantart (search for MMD "x", where x = props/models/stages/whatever), NicoNicoDouga (be ready to sign up for an account and get proficient using google translator), Citrusmoothie, and random Google searches.

    Is there an editing program for this?
    PMXeditor is the one I use (there's multiple versions out there so you'll have to google it). It's not 100% in english, but it works and there's shitloads of tutorials out there. You can rig, weight, adjust, recolor, adjust textures, spa files, toon files, and all other kinds of weird shit. I've done a few headhacks and palette swaps to get familiar with it, and it's actually pretty damn easy to use.

    Does this program only focus on anime girls? Where are my soldiers/guns/robots/gundam/monsters/etc?
    Primarily yeah, it focuses on moe anime characters. However, there has been a recent boom in both male characters and all kinds of monsters, vehicles, and melee/gun weapons. You'll often find custom built tributes to other games, characters, or anime series - as well as contemporary ports of more recent game characters. I've even found some Cthulu models, believe it or not.

    How is the community?
    In a word? Interesting. Lots of OC models, lots of recreations of characters from popular Japanese media, and a LOT of stuff that is password locked. Content creators tend to try and lock down what a model can be used for/whether or not it can be edited/shared, tons of white knights running around yelling at people about their images not following 'rules', and a LOT of drama. When 90% of the community is preteen kids on DA, you know it's gonna be a good idea to steer clear of it; just grab the models, pose, render, and have fun.

    If you got any questions, hollar at me and I'll try to get back to your asap.
    Last edited by MrWhitefolks; 15 Dec 2014 at 09:53 PM.
    XBL Gamertag = XMrWhitefolksX

  8. Started messing with the idea of porting from Google Sketchup to MMD, and so far I think it's working out pretty damn well. Might be able to start converting stuff from that format into stages as well, who knows?

    XBL Gamertag = XMrWhitefolksX


  9. Cigs: Well I'll be god damned if that isn't fucking ridiculous, that was insanely well done. Btw; there's a one to one recreation of Jamiroquai's Virtual Insanity from like 2008 out there too.

    Here, found it:
    XBL Gamertag = XMrWhitefolksX

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