Instance Geometry - Particles

[benrickel]

I know i might be asking too many things at one time.......
but its very important and ugent...

Firstly-
I am developing a small antarctic scene full with the natural activities of Emperor Penguins.

I have a model of penguin model ready, its a nurbs object and I have textured it using paint texture tool. The problem is that when I duplicate the model to attain a new model, I dont get the texture along with it. I tried duplicating the model with the history as well but still it doesnt work. Is it really possible to do so, if yes how ??

Secondly-
I want to develop many penguins so that i compose a nice scene full with penguins all behaving randomly. I know its possible using the instance geometry thing in Maya, but

1. I dont know how exactly it is done,
2. how effective it is,
3. Is it really possible to develop one model and animate it and instance it many times using the instance geometry so that i have many penguins behaving randomly.

I want the effect of a scene in Mummy wherein the killer bugs appear in wast numbers, there however particles plus few MEL's were used to generate those tousand of bugs. If its possible to develop the penguins using this method of particles, please do tell as well.

Thanx.

[xgc]

yeah, those bugs were cool... but, to get penguins to be "instances" and then act randomly, is almost contradictory... the instance is supposed to be an exact copy of the original (includding all deformations)

but hmm....i'm not sure if an expression could do the random animating, but i'm sure someone on here that knows MEL could prolly help you out.

[joojaa]

Yes use copies instead of instances!

[benrickel]

Hi Joojaa,
thanx for ur reply but it seems you have not undertstood the problem. I wanted to create a geometr of penguins from just one and all of them behaving randomly. Also I wanted to know hopw to copy a nurbs object which has been textured using paint texture tool.

[joojaa]

Use boids, and copied geometry

Or do a sequence (each frame separated) and use particle instancing and randomly cycle your copies.

[benrickel]

thanx Joojaa,
yes i knew there was a way in Maya.
But would you elaborate on how exactly to do these things or give me certain links which will guide me in this regard.
I might act stupid not knowing these things but somewhere you begin and u dont know all the things at that time??

[benrickel]

How is that no one knows the answers to my query...
Is it that wierd, I am asking, hope not....

If u can atleast tell em how to copy an object or create another instance of it which has been textured using paint texture tool. If I copy it it gets copied without the textures or colors ....

Hope I have answers to this one atleast.

[stevesayer]

Check the options box in the 'Duplicate' tool for the Input Connections option. That might get you your textures.

The flocking and random behavioural animation, I think, is too complex for you to get a quick answer here. Maybe you should start looking for plugins on this site and elsewhere; I think that Flocking Hell, for example, should be able to help you with some of this...

Good luck.

-Steve

[benrickel]

I tried all the options in the duplicate menu but none of them yielded the result, When I used the paint texture tool Maya creats an Image file of the exact texture applied, Hope that throws some light to the problem, if u can figure it out ??? cause i tried applying that texture as well to the new dupliacted model but no avail again.
Ans yes I understand the random behavior of penguins is going to be trickm, one option i thought was rendereing individual penguins seperately and compsiting them later, but again that would not help me cause I would be using the cameramain MEL (cut camera animation).