How to get the vertex number?

[marchermitte]

Hello there.
I'm struggling with something, I have a character rigged but It needs to have a cable attached to It and following It's position. Because It's deformed, I can't just parent the cable to It and because I often use the MDD to saev and load my deformations (walk cycles etc) I want to constrain the cable (which uses a DP Spline deformer) to a specific vertex of my character.
Now I know how to do this using DPkit point info and use the pos or Wpos of a point to "stick" the first spline controller to the vertex I choose.
NOW the trouble I have is that the point ID number changes depending of the model subdivision level. Well, deciding that level 3 was my render level (sub-D order last), I "save transformed " my model from the layout and open It in the modeler, the sub-d being frozen I should be able to read the info of any selected vertex and know it's ID number, right?
Well, that doesn't work. The ID I get in the modeler doesn't match the ID I'm looking for in the layout.
Other solution, I calculate soft fx for my character and use the edit tool to pick the vertex I'm looking for. But then again, the ID number I get doesn't match when I enter It in the point info. (far from It)
So I'm wondering, other than spending half an hour scrolling the point info node until the spline controller jumps to the right position, is there a way I can get access to the vertex info in the layout or get the right number I'm looking for with some trick?

Not sure If my explanations make sense, let me know and I'll add some screen capture

 

[Sensei]

Point Info tool in Modeler has indexes starting from #1.
But some nodes could require starting from 1.
Maybe simply subtract 1, and see whether it matches better, for a start with box object..

 

[marchermitte]

Hello Sensei.
yeah, I know that but I doesn't match even close to the number I finally got scrolling all my way to the right vertex.
I have the feeling that the sub-D level with last order activated messes up everything...
GOnna try with simpler shapes in sub-D as you advised and try to understand what's going on

 

[Sensei]

Hmm, if you will save transformed to .lwo, forget original object, replace it by transformed/frozen one, vertex index will be the same..

 

[marchermitte]

yes but I still want to use my original mesh, as there are bones in It and It's animated. I'd like to find a way to know for sure the ID number of any vertex I want to constraint a mesh to with the point info node. And It seems that, with the sub-d order set to last, there is no way to get that info in the modeler or in the layout using respectively the save transformed object (which displays the same amount of vertex as the interactive subdivision mesh does in the layout) or the softfx and then pick the vertex with the edit tool. Numbers simply don't match between those tricks and the DPpoint info node.

 

[Sensei]

In 10 days from now, you won't bother about it, because DP Nodes will stop working...
So.. enjoy Holidays. Jesus order..

 

[gar26lw]

ok, why don’t you uv it and pin to a uv coordinate instead?

 

[Sensei]

ok, why don’t you uv it and pin to a uv coordinate instead?

That's very good idea.

 

[marchermitte]

YES, indeed! Excellent idea! I know how to do this in Modo, but how should I process in Lw? I guess I'd have to use the UV o pos from DP?

 

[gar26lw]

use a texture grid image to help with placement. loads avail on net.

 

[marchermitte]

Well, I can't find the correct way to connect those nodes, (I'm using the new lw 2018 dpkit nodes) Trying with the UV node from Denis, only o pos, how do I get the U and V coordinate?

 

[marchermitte]

Ok, I've been shown the new anchor motion plugin (I totaly skipped that one). Only backdraw, It's not realtime and when I calculate the whole anim, It doesn't cache the calculation and scrolling the timeline shows errors. The only way seems to activate calculate on F9 / F10 but then, It re-calculate the motion everytime. I'm sure a nodal approach would be realtime, at least with live studio on.

 

[wingzeta]

So selecting the vertex in Modeler, and hiting "i" to open the point info window doesn't give you the right vertex id? Sorry if I missed something.

 

[marchermitte]

When you use sub-D in the layout, the vertex number doesn't match at all. I tried to save transformed, hoping that the vertex number at a given subdivision level would be the same but again, It doesn't match.