How to: Blender extension

The SkelSketch Blender extension is a powerful tool that allows you to import, rig, and edit models created in the SkelSketch VR app.

Importing a model

After installing the SkelSketch Blender extension, you will find a new tab in the Blender interface called SkelSketch. This tab contains all the tools and options you need to work with SkelSketch models.

To import a model, click on the Import SKS SkelSketch button in the SkelSketch N-panel. This will open a file browser where you can select the SKS file you want to import.

You can also find an "Import SKS SkelSketch" option in the File > Import menu, which allows you to import models exactly like the same button in the SkelSketch N-panel.

Note: The import process may take some time, depending on the complexity of the model and the performance of your computer.
Once the import is complete, you will see the model appear in the Blender viewport.
You can look at the console (open it before importing) to see the progress of the import process.

SkelSketch models

When a model is imported, its pieces will be automatically selected in the viewport. You can proceed with further modeling as you wish.

You can import as many models as you want, and each of them will be automatically positioned in a collection with the name of the imported file.

A SkelSketch model is made by many nodes (red material) and the links (gray material) connecting them.

Nodes and links are in the same parent-child hierarchy as in the SkelSketch app, so they are easy to manipulate.

Note: If you want to use further SkelSketch features, such as rigging, it's advisable to keep the objects in their collection.

SkelSketch models: Selecting

To use SkelSketch features, you need to select at least one of the nodes or links of the model.
You don't need to select all the nodes or links, just one of them is enough.

You can select nodes and links of different models at the same time, and you'll see the selected objects names in the SkelSketch N-panel.

Create a rig

After importing a model, you can create a rig for it by clicking on the Create a Rig button in the SkelSketch N-panel. This will automatically generate a rig for the model, allowing you to pose and animate it easily.

The rig will be created with the same name as the imported model, followed by "_rig", and it will be automatically parented to the model. You can find the rig in the same collection as the imported model.

The rig will have the "In Front" visibility option enabled, so you can see it even when the model is in front of it.
It will also have the "Stick" visibility option selected, that's easier to read.

The rig will have the same hierarchy as the model, with the same names for the bones and the same parent-child relationships.
For mirrored nodes, the names of the bones will have a ".L" or ".R" suffix, depending on the side of the model.

You can edit the pieces of a model as you wish before creating the rig (edit mode, translate, rotate, scale, materials...), and as long you don't delete them and you keep them in their collection the "Create a Rig" button will work.

You can delete some pieces of the model and the "Create a Rig" function will do its best to create a rig with the remaining pieces.

Note: The "Create a Rig" button will only work on models with nodes and links. You can't create a rig on a model that has been joined or remeshed.

Join all pieces

If you want to join all the pieces of a model into a single object, you can do so by clicking on the Join all pieces button in the SkelSketch N-panel.

You don't need to select all nodes or links, just some of the pieces of the model, and also the others will be found and joined.

The new object will have the same name of the collection.

This will create a new object that contains all the pieces of the model, that could be easier to handle.
Joining the pieces it's necessary if you want to use the Remesh functions in SkelSketch N-panel.

Note: After joining the pieces, you won't be able to use the "Create a Rig" button anymore, because the model will no longer have nodes and links.

Reduce / Increase / Apply Resolution

The Reduce / Increase / Apply Resolution buttons in the SkelSketch N-panel allow you to change the resolution of the model.
You can use these buttons to reduce or increase the number of polygons in the model, or to apply the current resolution and make it permanent.

The first time you use the Reduce Resolution button, a Decimate Un-subdivide modifier will be added to all the pieces of the model.
You can apply it both to a joined model or to a model with many pieces.

Note: With many pieces, the Reduce Resolution button may take some time to finish.

Reduce Resolution will change the Decimate Un-subdivide modifier to a lower level, so the model will have less polygons.
Increase resolution will change the Decimate Un-subdivide modifier going back to a higher level.

The Apply Resolution button will apply the modifier to the meshes.

Since the resolution is changed by subdiving/unsubdiving, you can always go back to the Reduce/Increase workflow clicking again on the Reduce Resolution button.

Remesh

The Remesh (copy) button in the SkelSketch N-panel allows you to remesh the model using the voxel remesh algorithm.
It creates a new object and keeps the original one, so you can try different settings without losing the original model.

The new object will have the same name of the collection, followed by "_remesh", and it will be created in the current collection (that can be different from the one of the original model).

You can use the Remesh button only on a joined model.

The typical Voxel Remesh function in Blender loses information about the materials and rigging weights, and also needs some trial and error to find the right voxel size.

The Remesh (copy) button in the SkelSketch N-panel will keep the materials of the model and the remeshed version will still be correctly bound to the original rig (if created before).

The Remesh factor parameter allows you to set the size of the voxels used for remeshing.
A remesh factor of 1 will use voxels with the size of the smallest face of the current model.
A remesh factor of 2 (default) will use voxels with twice the size of the smallest face of the current model. This keeps almost all the details of the model.

If a model has very small nodes or links, it's advisable to use a higher remesh factor.

The Smooth iterations parameter allows you to set the number of smoothing iterations applied to the remeshed model.
A higher number of iterations will result in a smoother model, but it may also lose some details.
Each smoothing iteration on detailed models can require a lot of time.
A value of 0 will not apply any smoothing.

Note: The remesh process may take some time, depending on model size, remesh factor, smooth iterations and the performance of your computer.
You can look at the console (open it before remeshing) to see the progress of the remesh process.