Mesh jiggle (secondary motion)

[Sergio Mucino]

Hey there. I could use some recommendations here. I'm trying to add some jiggle as secondary motion to a mesh I have. I just need it in certain parts of the mesh. So, I did some research, and decided to use this guy's compound...

http://vimeo.com/41299656

I got it running, but it's INSANELY slow (I have no idea how he got it to run like that in his video. My mesh is more complex, but nothing extraordinary... and it's just a stand-in! The real model will definitely be higher-res).
So, before I run down the road of using proxies, shrink-wraps, etc. does anyone have any suggestions around creating this kind of effect on an object in a more efficient manner? I'm all ears. It doesn't have to be incredibly accurate. Just need to see some motion going on there (I need it to 'simulate' fat on a character, but nothing massive).

Thanks for any suggestions!

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[Eric Thivierge]

Look at the docs for the Verlet integration I believe they have an
example in there.

Eric T.

[Sergio Mucino]

Will do. Thanks Eric!

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[Sergio Mucino]

Okay. I must be missing something simple, but I cannot get this to work.
I've followed the instructions here:

http://softimage.wiki.softimage.com/xsidocs/idef_deforms_VerletIntegration.htm
I'm even working with a simpler example. No forces or anything. Just the framework (and the init node of course) and a weight map. And when I play back the scene... nothing. The mesh is not moving at all. Even the envelope in the Anim context is not working either. Have I missed something? Thanks!

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[Noel FROGER]

Hi, 

Because i found the softimage verlet integration don't really preserve volume, I recently used as a basis theses coumpounds linked bellow.

This is verlet but simplified with a working volume preservation as a simple spring system.

If you disconnect the collision part you'll normally end up with a simple spring verlet system ;-)

http://www.si-community.com/community/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=1648&p=12195&hilit=+ripple#p12195

A+

Noël

[Sergio Mucino]

Thanks Noel. It seems I can't get this to work. I plugged the Init Verlet Deformation compound in my Init tree, and the BasicVerletSpringDeformation compound in my simulation tree, but the latter stays red. I don't need collisions, so I'm not sure what I'm missing to get it to work. Any ideas? Thanks!

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[Sergio Mucino]

Okay. I needed to reference the mesh in the Deformation compound to get it to work.
It's technically working, but the mesh is still not moving at all. It just seems to be broken. I assume that given the previous compound doing the same, I'm missing something that would get Softimage to actually simulate, or something (according to the docs, I just need to hit play, but seems not to be the case).
Am I missing something I need to enable for the sim to run, or something similar? Thanks!

On 05/02/2014 4:46 PM, Noel FROGER wrote:

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[Grahame Fuller]

Try the Deformation_Verlet_Cloth sample in the XSI_SAMPLES project. Does it work for you? It does for me. I’m thinking there’s something about how you are setting up the tree but I’m not sure what.

gray

P.S. Documenting “jiggly bits” was one of the highlights of my career at Softimage.

From: softimag...@listproc.autodesk.com [mailto:softimag...@listproc.autodesk.com] On Behalf Of Sergio Mucino
Sent: Wednesday, February 05, 2014 5:06 PM
To: Noel FROGER; soft...@listproc.autodesk.com
Subject: Re: Mesh jiggle (secondary motion)

Okay. I needed to reference the mesh in the Deformation compound to get it to work.
It's technically working, but the mesh is still not moving at all. It just seems to be broken. I assume that given the previous compound doing the same, I'm missing something that would get Softimage to actually simulate, or something (according to the docs, I just need to hit play, but seems not to be the case).
Am I missing something I need to enable for the sim to run, or something similar? Thanks!

[cid:image0...@01CF2295.E8870CF0]

[Sergio Mucino]

It works, but I don't see anything particular about what this scene is doing compared to mine... I'll have to look further...

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[Noel FROGER]

So here is a 2014 model working, just press play.

In fact i'm sorry i totally forgotted, i've altered the Andy compounds to work with a moving object and a weight map.

you'll find the weight map part on the unsimulated animated mesh... yes you need 2 mesh...

https://www.dropbox.com/s/qk9cn41v5ye4jlf/nnVerletDemo.emdl

A+

Noël

[Alan Fregtman]

Haven't looked at Noel's take on this, but here's a dumb jiggly sphere demo scene I did long ago for a friend who asked me about a Verlet-based setup:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/441883/xsi/ICE_verletJigglyBits_alan.scn

Hit Play and drag the null around, rotate or scale it.

sphere_jiggly has a sim and a weightmap to define the jiggly zones. Play with the VerletFramework compound's Iterations slider (for stiffness) and with gravity, damping and restitution force intensities to adjust the "feel" of it. — You can take off the gravity force if you want, but I like it because when the character leans the fat still droops downward.

sphere_rigged has an envelope with one deformer to the controlling null, meant to represent a rigged character. (If it's not obvious: topo of both rigged and jiggly meshes must be identical in this setup.)

FYI, the more Iterations in the VerletFramework compound, the stiffer the effect BUT also the slower the computation will be.

It could be more polished of course, but hey, it's pretty fast and it works. :p

Cheers,

   -- Alan

ps: I'll probably make this a TDSurvival tutorial at some point, also.

[Andreas Böinghoff]

Nice Example Alan!

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[Sergio Mucino]

Thanks a lot guys!
@Noel: Thanks a bunch! We're running 2012 here though... I'm not sure I can open those files. I'll give it a shot.
@Alan: Thanks Alan! Sounds like the ticket for me. I want to keep this as lightweight as possible. All I need is exactly that... to be able to paint weightmaps for the jiggly parts, that's all. The jiggle will be damped quite a bit, I just need to see the motion there. I'll echk out your scene.

Thanks all again!

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[Sergio Mucino]

Damn... Alan, which version are you using? I can't open your file. Thanks!

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[Alan Fregtman]

2013, but it's all factory compounds which you could reproduce in a previous version.

You might even be able to copy and paste the icetrees between two open Softimage sessions. It works within the same version, but maybe also between generations?

[Sergio Mucino]

Well, the thing is that we're on 2012... I can't open it, or merge it, it seems (so I have no way of inspecting what's inside, unless you know of some black magic I can use). Kinda screwed, I guess... but thanks for the effort man. I'll keep trying stuff out.

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[Alan Fregtman]

I don't know why I'm so nice, but...

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/441883/xsi/ICE_jigglyVerlet_example_si2012.emdl

[Eric Thivierge]

You're hoping for beer as a reward, and to this day no one has
fulfilled their pledge to send someone beer on the list... but you
still hold out hope.

- Eric T.

[Rob Chapman]

I vaguely remember someone receiving a crate of fine beers as kudos for assist and posting to the list...  sometime around 2002 ish

[Alan Fregtman]

Let's just say if I had a beer for every time I've helped someone with Softimage... I'd probably be a raging alcoholic. :p

Nonetheless I can still dream though, right? right?? lol — I'll settle for raging optimist.

[Sergio Mucino]

Alan, I definitely owe you a beer :-) . Really.
Thanks a lot man!!

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[Sergio Mucino]

As much as it is a better option, for some reason, saying "Alan, I owe you some bacon slices" just doesn't sound right... ;-)

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[Eric Thivierge]

Ah, I was just graduating high school...

Eric T.

[Eric Thivierge]

Don't worry, Alan hates bacon anyway.

On Thursday, February 06, 2014 11:57:33 AM, Sergio Mucino wrote:
> As much as it is a better option, for some reason, saying "Alan, I owe
> you some bacon slices" just doesn't sound right... ;-)
>

> On 06/02/2014 11:39 AM, Alan Fregtman wrote:
>> Let's just say if I had a beer for every time I've helped someone
>> with Softimage... I'd probably be a raging alcoholic. :p
>>
>> Nonetheless I can still dream though, right? right?? lol — I'll

>> settle for /raging optimist/.

[Alan Fregtman]

Blasphemy! I like bacon as much as the next guy, but in moderation. I much prefer a refreshing beer; Sapporo preferably.

[Sergio Mucino]

A Sapporo it is then!
Alan... you made a grammatical mistake there... one cannot use "bacon" and "in moderation" in the same sentence. The sentence makes no sense at all anymore. There. Just so you know... ;-)

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