Unofficial F.A.Q.

[pistacja]

This is an attempt to answer all the common questions seen asked here on the boards and some others that I think are worth answering... and just to clarify I'm not on the developer team but I've been tracking MH for half a year now and I know a thing or two about it.

Q: What is the last stable version?
A: 0.9.1 RC1 is the last working and available version. There is always something newer in the SVN but for normal users 0.9.1 RC1 is the one to get.

Q: Is there a previous version available?
A: The only only previous version is an old python script for Blender (http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Scrip ... Make_Human).

Q: Is there a guide for "noobs"?
A: Yes: http://www.makehuman.org/docs/articles/ ... kstart.pdf

Q: Why are there some icon missing?
A: MH is a "work in progress" so some thing are not finished, your installation is not corrupt, your not doing anything wrong, these icons are simply not there.

Q: Is there any update for the missing icons?
A: No, and there won't be one because the next release will have a shiny new gui.

Q: How can I open the mouth, change the face expression or add hair or change the nails?
A: You can't do that using MH at the moment. Future versions will have these features.

Q: There used to be more options in a previous version, are they gone?
A: Yes they are, but they will be back in the next version.

Q: How can I change the camera to show or hide perspective?
A: By pressing the "5" key.

Q: Are there any other "undocumented" keys?
A: "H" - hide/show head, "B" - hide/show body, "E" - hide/show eyebrows, "T"-render, "O"- console, "K"- kill (render?) process, "." - default zoom.

Q: How can I add clothes?
A: At the moment you can do that only using another program (like Blender). But future versions will allow you to make that using only MH.

Q: Can I render a image straight from MH?
A: Yes, but you'll need to install a rendering engine called Aquis (http://www.aqsis.org/xoops/modules/mydownloads/).

Q: In what formats can I export data from MH?
A: In collada (.dae) and Wavefront Object (.obj). but pleas note that the .obj format lacks the skeleton (armature) and some programs or versions of programs have problems importing the data from MH in collada format. If you are in "pose mode" the mesh will get exported in that pose in other cases it will be in the "da vinci" pose.

Q: Can I import geometry into MH?
A: No, not at the moment. Future versions will have this features but bare in mind that MH was never intended to be a render composer (as Poser or Daz Studio).

Q: Is there a way to export a "low-poly" version of the mesh?
A: No. But there's a chance a option like this will be added in future releases.

Q: Do I own the things I make with MH?
A: The mesh used in MH is under the MIT license and since the output of the program is based on that mesh, it is also under the MIT license. It has been discussed and agreed that this is not the best license for it and future versions will have a different licensing policy. Please don't start topics on this, there's been enough flame about it.

Q: How can I save my body settings and my character pose?
A: MH uses the same button to save bodysettings and pose. If you are changing the body clicking on save will save the body, if you are changing the pose it will save the pose. Please note that you will be asked to give a file name when saving, if you don't the program will simply not save anything.

Q:Can I make the body transparent so I can see the background (to make a face based of an image)?
A: No. Future versions will have this feature.

Q: After exporting from MH the mesh is squarish and has sharp edges...
A: You will need to subdivide the mesh or at least assign all faces to one smoothing group. How to do that depends on the software you're using.

Q: After exporting from MH the mesh is in one color...
A: You will need to apply the proper textures, they are all in the /data/rib_data/textures_data/ folder of your MH installation.

Q: After exporting from MH there's a line between the head and the neck...
A: This is the place where the head material and the body material meet. You will need to weld the verticals along that line to make it look good again.

Q: Can I use MH to make a bone skeleton?
A: Yes. You will need to enter the console by pressing "o" and then type "efo" (that stands for export full object) press enter and then type in a name for the file. When you import this file to your editing program you will find that you now have not only the body mesh but a corresponding skeleton with it.

Q: I get strange things when using UV mapping or 3D sculpting programs with the mesh exported straight from MH...
A: The mesh uses two texture files (one or the head and one for the rest) and at the spot where these textures meet there's a line of not welded vertices. This is the source of these problems. For UV mapping the textures are one on top of another in some editors you might have a chance to move one away if not then you'll need to separate the head and the body into two files. For 3D sculpting welding the vertices solves the problem. In future versions this problem will not exist.

Q: I'm using Blender can I/how do I....?
A: Read this if you are using Blender: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=167&start=0&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

Q: When is the next version going to be released?
A: When it's ready. The last approximate date given was "middle of summer" but a lot of new ideas rose up since that time and I wouldn't expect is any sooner then fall.

Q: What is MH "Phenix" and "Proto"?
A: These are the work names for the new version that is written is Python.

Q: Where is the SVN for MH?
A: http://makehuman.svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc/makehuman/

Q: How can I help MH?
A: If you are a programmer (C, python) or a 3D artist then contact Manuel I'm sure he can find some use for you. If you don't know a thing about that then you can always click on the donate button on the homepage.

Q: Are there any hidden features?
A: Well... if you hide the body by pressing "B" you can see a spiral something in the place where the belly button was... it's the belly button fluff.