Still playing with MDD animation. I had some trouble in 3ds Max that each time I applied a point cache modifier to the imported model (to create the motion file), the model was faceted afterwards, but I sorted it out. If anyone has the same problem, feel free to ask. I have to say, that these models were glm files. So I had to open them in Blender and export them as FBX. No idea, if this caused the problem...
However here is another animation without any deeper meaning. After I realized the T. Rex sinks in a bit with each footstep, I made a footprint texture fitting his steps as a displacement map masked by a moving simple shape shader. You can barely see it, but it's there.
;D ;D ;D ;D
Absolutely ridiculous(ly great)! It seems a pretty meticulous job to match the footprints (which are terrific, as well as the slow sinking of the feet), or was that quite straightforward?
Thanks a lot, Ulco!! Actually the sinking of the feet was part of the initial animation the model came with. So I had to deal with it. The dino was walking in place, so I had to check out, what distance he was walking within 100 frames. That was a bit trial and error, but I managed to find that out. After I created the point cache file for the dino, I deleted everything except the feet and rendered that from a top view. I placed a plane below the animal and used the previously created render (made to high contrast black and white) as a texture map. So I had a plane with the exact footprints. I exported this plane and loaded it into TG as reference for an image map with the footprints texture placed exactly where the plane was. I used this image map as an additional displacement map and masked it with a simple shape shader moving along with the dinosaur to make the footprints appear, when the dino actually makes them.
Wow, that's indeed not very simple. Very ingenious actually. You could probably even use this displacement map to crunch plants underfoot by mesh displacement (although that doesn't work in world space, I believe).
Here's a movie showing the footprints. Seems I was a bit sloppy. His left footprints don't really match up. But fortunately it's not that obvious... ;)
That`s another nice one, Hannes!
CHeers, Klaus
Ah! Thanks for posting this as well. But you don't see it in the field, luckily.
Thanks guys! Yes, it's not that obvious in the final scene, but lesson learned: next time I'll check it before I cover it with stuff.
Sweet animation :)