Hi Everyone,

Here is a topic that is really a thorn in my side. I am struggling trying to create a functional weight map on certain cloth assets that I have. I have read the CC4 manual and watched the video in the tutorial section. Let me begin by saying that I get the concept of how these weight maps are supposed to work (or atleast I think I get it, LOL!) Anyway, Here are screenshots of a dress I want to create a weight map for. There are 4 meshes in the dress. (Hem, Bra, Bel string, Front/Back)

I obviously need the weight map to be applied to the Front/Back of the dress. So I tried grabbing the Base Color map, bringing it into a photo editor, and coloring it in with a gradient. Black towards to the top, white towards the bottom. I colored it in with both trapezoids as shown in the screenshot below. Once I applied the weight map using the Physics in the Modify panel, turned on a motion, and the results did not look anywhere close to the results I saw in the tutorial video, lol. I even tried using blender to paint on the gradient there and it was doing all kinds of weird things probably because there are 4 meshes to the asset. 

Any advice would be appreciated, even if it is being directed to an online video.

Thanks !

I'm no expert at this at all, but having four different meshes makes this more difficult. You have a weight map for the main part of the dress but not for the other parts. So you could try adding weight maps for those too, which would presumable be black.

Also, in my experience, it is better to have the lighter color be light gray rather than white.

Remember also, when doing the cloth simulation allow it to bake the animation and set Play to By Frame rather than Realtime. After that turn Soft Cloth physics off for the dress.

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I haven't fiddled with iClone physics since IC6, but I think the principle remains the same.

If you painted both trapezoids black at the top and white towards the bottom, it should work.

Try applying a t-pose on your character, so he stands completely still, and turn on the physics.

Does it work when the character stands still in a t-pose?

If yes, the problem is in the motion you are applying, it needs fine tuning (I will explain). If not, the problem is in the physics painting.

Isn't Hem a folded bottom of the skirt?
If this material corresponds to the bottom portion of the UV, then it must have a max weight influence.
You do not need to apply physics separately to the Hem material, but make sure the portion of its UV is covered in weight map for the Front_Back

Forgot to mention, you have to consolidate the Hem and Front_Back materials (hopeful they use the same textures) before applying a new weight map.
(you have to select both materials)


If still does not work as expected, delete physics maps, disable physics and then re-enable.

Funny you should mention that. Here is how the asset meshes were set up.

The hem and the straps were mixed together meaning, the hem is in 1 mesh which is incorporated into both the top straps and the bottom hem.

The "strap" is comprised of both the top straps and the trim at the bottom.

I guess the creator wanted to control the coloring customization.....

A lot of DAZ assets are not ready for iClone physics.
Depending on the UV, materials may just need to be consolidated into one and then probably re-textured,
or if the UV maps for materials are overlapping, then new UV unwrap would also require.

So for your case, again, if the Hem and Front_Back are using the same texture maps (even though for different parts),
you may safely consolidate those in iClone and then make a gradient in Blender.

I strongly recommend Blender or other 3D apps (3DCoat, Substance Painter.. etc) because looking a the UV unwrap through Base Color,
I'd say it would be hard to match front and back with the same gradient in 2D painter.
Even a small inconsistency might result in deformation at the dress sides where unwrapped mesh is connected... not to mention the Hem.