Deformations Using Displacement Maps?

[exood4studios]

Hello there. I'd like to know if it is possible to create deformations using a sequence of displacement maps instead of the usual hi-poly count blendshapes. For instance, if I wanted to make the veins of a contracted muscle group bigger. I don't want to go into the trouble of having to create a topology around the veins so I'd like to know if there is a way to animate the displacement maps.

I also need some advice if this method is good, its advantages/disadvantages, and (if it isn't too much trouble) how I can achieve it. I'm using Maya obviously. If this was achievable then what is the best texturing software for the job? ZBrush or Body Paint 3d?

Thank you.

[ptb]

QUOTE(3bpms @ 07/09/08, 02:47 AM) [snapback]288096[/snapback]
Hello there. I'd like to know if it is possible to create deformations using a sequence of displacement maps instead of the usual hi-poly count blendshapes. For instance, if I wanted to make the veins of a contracted muscle group bigger. I don't want to go into the trouble of having to create a topology around the veins so I'd like to know if there is a way to animate the displacement maps.

I also need some advice if this method is good, its advantages/disadvantages, and (if it isn't too much trouble) how I can achieve it. I'm using Maya obviously. If this was achievable then what is the best texturing software for the job? ZBrush or Body Paint 3d?

Thank you.

maybe i dont get the problem, but this is quite easy:
by animating the color gain or alpha gain (whatever you're using as disp) in your file node you have control over the strength of the displacement. Now connect this value to your BlendShape or Rig or whatever will drive the veins.

[exood4studios]

I see. That's what I originally had in mind but the problem is if I wanted to increase the displacement on the biceps, then all the other muscles will have increased their displacement value as well. Is there a way to solve this?

Thank you Ptb.

[joojaa]

Yes off course, its juts a bit hard for the artist to see those so whats usually done is that the lowest frequency derformations are done as displacements while the overall is done by the animation program.

For example in lord of the rigs they used sharers to drive the jiggles in the oiliphants stomps. Ive used same kidn of technicue to drop characters on ground with right foot poses so the animator does not need to do ALL the work.

[exood4studios]

Thanks Jooja. I knew you'd pop out sooner or later. Anyway, I still don't know how this can be done. I want the displacement on the biceps to increase without increasing the displacement on the other areas. Can this be done?

Thank you.

[joojaa]

Sure just blend in a texture map that has bigger range then the others

let us suppose (very rough illustrative scene, theres offcourse a lot of ways to skin this fish so to speak):

CODE
file -f -new;
sphere -p 0 0 0 -ax 0 1 0 -ssw 0 -esw 360 -r 1 -d 3 -ut 0 -tol 0.01 -s 8 -nsp 4 -ch 1;
shadingNode -asShader phong;
sets -renderable true -noSurfaceShader true -empty -name phong1SG;
connectAttr -f phong1.outColor phong1SG.surfaceShader;
shadingNode -asUtility displacementShader;
connectAttr -f displacementShader1.displacement phong1SG.displacementShader;
shadingNode -asUtility plusMinusAverage;
connectAttr -f plusMinusAverage1.output1D displacementShader1.displacement;
shadingNode -asTexture leather;
shadingNode -asUtility place3dTexture;
connectAttr place3dTexture1.wim[0] leather1.pm;
connectAttr -f leather1.outAlpha plusMinusAverage1.input1D[0];

shadingNode -asTexture ramp;
shadingNode -asUtility place2dTexture;
connectAttr place2dTexture1.outUV ramp1.uv;
connectAttr place2dTexture1.outUvFilterSize ramp1.uvFilterSize;
connectAttr -f ramp1.outAlpha plusMinusAverage1.input1D[1];

setAttr "leather1.creaseColor" -type double3 0 0 0;
setAttr "leather1.cellColor" -type double3 1 1 1;
setAttr "leather1.alphaIsLuminance" 1;
setAttr "leather1.alphaGain" 0.11572;

setAttr "ramp1.colorEntryList[0].color" -type double3 0 0 0;
setAttr "ramp1.colorEntryList[1].color" -type double3 1 1 1;
setAttr "ramp1.colorEntryList[2].color" -type double3 0 0 0;
setAttr "ramp1.colorEntryList[1].position" 0.535;
setAttr "ramp1.colorEntryList[2].position" 1;
setAttr "ramp1.alphaGain" 0;
setKeyframe "ramp1.alphaGain";
currentTime 1;
currentTime 24;
setAttr "ramp1.alphaGain" 0.5;
setKeyframe "ramp1.alphaGain";

Asign phong to sphere, render samples between frames 1 and 24 then start driving the gain with athe blendshapes data. But again just one way.

This however is a linear add you should consider vector add but fror that you need to add mr nodes.

[exood4studios]

Thanks again. To be honest with you, it's a little obscure to a greenhorn like me but I've got something in my mind that could work.

[joojaa]

whats obscure about a +- average node?