Cineversity

Thank you sir. I think I understand what you did in that last file, and can see the benefit of adjusting the gravity.

When you’re testing out Hair attribute parameters to achieve a certain look, or get the hair to a complete rest (like with this) are you using Dynamic Interaction Redraw, or are you just making a cache? Because I’m wondering if Redraw doesn’t give completely accurate results.

You’re very welcome, chrisjcrocker.

As a general note, the editor view is different from the renderings. Any step one does in the editor needs an refresh. So the application cycles one time through, again, and with another click again. This is not what happens during the rendering. Rendering means, with a few exemptions, each object of function has a specific time when it is processed and then it is done for that frame. The exemptions are clearly shown in the priority settings, when you have two priority numbers. In other words, the object does something and needed an reaction from it from other parts before it can continue, I found so far those only in Character animation.

Having said that, if I need that precision that you are after, I make test renderings. There is nothing really that can be used instead, again, given the strong contrast between dynamic and static you are after. Typically, one would design an appearance (character) and with Hair, when it is done, Set as Dynamic, then check to be Dynamic> Rigid. This allows for a little bit of dynamic, but keeps the hairspray stiffness in place.

All the best

I know what you’re referring to for Character animation. That makes sense.

It sounds like I’m kind of trying to push Hair Dynamics harder than I should, or at least I’m expecting too much. For instance the easy fix for most of this would just be to animate the Rest Hold parameter.

However, after talking to you I’ve been able to consistently get it to perform the way I want and eliminate the jitters. I’m also testing out the Rigid property for Hair Dynamics and getting some interesting (good) results.

Thanks for the reply, chrisjcrocker.

I feel just fine following your lead. Any problem that is not solved, is something that will come back. So, I rather dig deeper now. Of course, I would love to have a “Technicals Director’s Manual”, (which does not exist, AFAIK) and which would provide the precise explanation for anything. […day-dreaming now].

However, things are changing constantly. What was working yesterday might not do so anymore today, or is even better by now. Today, I went from installing Unity 2018.1, to installing a demo of TurbulenceFD, to Hair, to FBX vs Alembic export, to a Mesh-Deformer vs Skin Deformer, and tomorrow we have perhaps a complete new mix So, just to excuse myself that I sometimes have not the final answer.

I guess you know all of that, but since we are in a forum, here are some average thoughts. Dynamics is of course just a simulation, or in other words a simplification of the real thing. Think about a light ray or a single photon, it bounces many millions of times and all without any math, just bouncing and done. To get this handled in a computer would take very long, especially for a few million photons … Hence the algorithm tries to cut corners, as in setting up a threshold, e.g., anything lower than x% of strength will be killed and not longer bother the cpu.

Similar: the dynamics with hairs. If we really would calculate 200K hairs, how they interact, that would take forever. Hence the few guides, which makes a huge difference. But also here, the Hair is not calculated, the points are. Then we have colliders, and their surfaces are more based on points and edges than the polygon itself – AFAIK. This helps to reduce time, but also limits the precision. In reality there is no sampling, there is a flow of continuesly forces, not only just 100 times per second. Another time saver (e.g., 100 times). Well, all of that works like a fisherman’s net, if it is too wide we miss, if it is too small, we might catch a lot of what we don’t like (in our case: wasting time). On top of that we like to have a responsive system.

With that all being said, there is for each set up a sweet spot. What works for one, might miss the point for another set up. Exactly this makes me feel uncertain at times, so I have to explore it and use any information I get about the project to find that sweet spot. Even if I kill gravity along the way a little bit. Which pulls constantly. Or use the Rest values to mix the Set as Dynamic state into the result.

That you get better results now is all I’m after, besides that you hopefully feel as well happy to set things up again and enjoy your results.

My best wishes for your project.

Thanks again for all the help and patience! It was excellent talking to you.

I’m actually working with someone right now from Adobe on putting together an indepth Cinema 4D tutorial series for character creation, covering everything from modeling, rigging/weighting, expressions, xpresso, UV/texturing, hair/dynamics, animation and the final render (with options for 3rd party renders).

Once we get it to a point where we’re ready to start showing, if you’re interested, I’d love to get your feedback.

Also, if you’re new to Turbulence FD, I’d recommend skipping it and using XP Particles (particularly XP4) instead. It isn’t gpu based like TFD, but overall it does perform quicker and gives you more options for creating complicated looks.

Sounds great, chrisjrocker!

Of course I can share my two cents. I love great material, who doesn’t: Well researched and tested, is always a pleasure.

Perhaps get in contact with Maxon U.S. for feedback, just use the Contact Us button, you will find a great team and certainly a wonderful openness for good content, but I can speak only for a dozen of years (+3 days!) knowing this team .

Enjoy the production!

P.S.: I have no budget for plug-ins here. I ask from time to time companies, and so far the response was great to help me. Especially when I work on a movie, that always pushes things into reality for me.
X-Particles gave me a six month license a while ago. Currently: Public schools get support, but I don’t. Go figure. Anyway. Both are great and I would love to have them here, for forums work. X-Particles is certainly the most wanted plug-in at the moment for C4D artists, and for more than just one good reason. The amount of progress they make, out-standing. (e.g., buying Navié) Perhaps one day I get it again. (In my next feature film I have some scenes with explosions and some C4D work, but that will take a while before I get all of that out of pre-production. Can’t wait)
Anyway, thanks for your input!

If you ever want help with effects, animation, etc, let me know. I took the year off from freelancing to work on a project (TV pilot), so I have some time to spare inbetween change orders.

Thanks a lot, chrisjcrocker, very nice offer.

I will keep this in mind. Currently, I guess the script needs three or four re-writes (day-dreaming again, I know, perhaps: 10 rewrites. Hehe)
But that is the most fun currently, to just take all the time in the world.

I hope your pilot will have success. Fingers crossed! If you need some practical camera work…

Cheers and thanks!

Ah, should have explained further, it’s an animated cartoon pilot.

I live in L.A., near the forum. Where are you?

OK, no practical camera work for that

The Forum is an hour (car) or two hours (bus) from here.

All the best

Count Down Based Stop

Please have a look at this file, I have created a count down. It starts counting when ever the Velocity is greater than zero. The value can come from an object or joint, etc.

Two parameters can be adjusted, how fast it goes down, and a threshold at which value it should stop, I would suggest 2% for that.

It only works in play+forward, as each frame will lower the result. (If the animation is “final”, those values might be baked somehow.)

Screenshot and scene file:
https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/RAKkGHSvd1pBE64LBVJ4bMNmW733RQ8SVWtrJZL3Cdu

Enjoy

P.S.: yes, the [script] Xpresso set up could be smaller, but I stopped at the moment it worked.

Hi

Thanks for the file. Interesting setup. I’ve just been testing it.

One question though, when you say “script”, you’re just referring to the Xpresso nodes, correct?

You’re very welcome, chrisjcrocker.

Yes, I change it: Xpresso set up.

Cheers