Import an .obj and make it useable for animation

Hi. I am new to Blender. I wanted to jump right into animation to see what it’s like. I imported a .obj file that I found online for free to rig it up. After a while I realize that this file does not seem to support bones. Can I not convert this .obj into a mesh or something useable for armatures?

Thank you.

After a while I realize that this file does not seem to support bones
Care to expand on what you actually mean ?

Can I not convert this .obj into a mesh or something useable for armatures?
Care to expand on what you actually mean ?

There is no reason to be so vague when asking a support question !

  1. I downloaded an .obj file
  2. I imported it into Blender
  3. I created an armature (bone) structure
  4. I shift click the model and the armature
  5. I CTRL + P and choose Armature Deform with Automatic Weights
  6. It does not work

I am guessing it does not work because, as Blender wiki says, obj files do not support armature. What can I do to get this obj model into something useable for armature support?

Can we see this obj? Objs are fine to use. Will they let you post it here? Most objs you get on line need much work.

It is this file. If you can rig it (even one bone) I would be surprised

http://tf3dm.com/download-page.php?url=cat-95027

First convert tris to quads under mesh tools, there will be a few tris left delete them and make quads. delete whiskers. I don’t think they will render any way. Make sure when placing bones in the head put one above the inside mouth and one below the inside mouth. This mesh deforms well and is not so much work. surprise! have fun.
I think it was mostly the whiskers. It will work with tris you just want them gone.
When you place bones around the mouth try to make them like jaw bones one above and one below. If there is only one bone there blender cant figure what layer goes to what bone.
here is a very quick job. Blender found a solution and it deforms well considering the small amount of effort I put.
the eyes and teeth you should do separate.
http://www.pasteall.org/blend/32379

Go to the site “instructbales” and search with the keywords “sketchup and blender”. You should come to my tutorial http://www.instructables.com/id/Sketchup-3D-modelling-file-conversion-and-advice-/?ALLSTEPS go to step 19. The tutorial covers loads of other stuff, but step 19 and a few of the steps after it detail the procedure of getting a model into blender from obj format, and then readying it for animation. This is about hard object modelling, see below for deforming characters… I know the site tf3dm myself and have visited in the past, i would advise if you want to get character models from their go for dae format, those will usually import as working rigs. For models of solid objects that don’t deform (cars, tanks, planes, castles, barrels, towers, cannons, robots, ladders) as opposed to those that can deform (humans, aliens, animals, arms, legs, fet, hands, heads, plants) obj is just as good a fromat but for deforming stuff sticking with dae will make your tqsk easier. Don’t forget to creit the model’s auhtor wherever you end up using it… Now as a further point i did once import an obj charcater into blender and . despite the model being a man in a suit i managed to get it to deform alright by parenting to a basic human skeleton. I did that, and it’s the only time i’ve ever rigged a human form, by following a tutorial on blendercookie and just using my own mesh rather than the one thye advised use of. The rig i made was a type where bones could be bent and the arms/legs/fingers would move, but you had to do it bone by bone, not with those neat controls that a ful high quality rig would have.

Thanks for all of the effort.