Digital Art Zone

I am trying to animate a figure transforming.  I’m starting with a Hulk transformation from a basic male genesis form into the Hulk by increasing the Mr. Hyde character morph later in the timeline.  The changing from human shape to Hulk shape works, but I cannot figure out how to get the figure to transform from the human texture [I’m using Elite Sol] to a green “Hulk-like” texture.  Whether I use the Hyde texture for the end frame, or just “green out” the Sol texture at the end frame, the change reverts back to the first frame so there is no “pink human to green Hulk” transformation. 

Is there a way to transform the texture in the DS4 animation?

Not using the standard shaders, but if you go into Shader Mixer the Variable brick does give you access to the time, which you could use to control a texture or colour shift.

There is a plug-in to animate textures but I don’t know if it’s been updated for DS4: http://www.daz3d.com/shop/software/plugins-utilities/animated-textures-plug-in-for-daz-studio/

I did something similar using Poser: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O71kbJKXKPs

fivecat - 05 August 2012 12:35 PM

There is a plug-in to animate textures but I don’t know if it’s been updated for DS4: http://www.daz3d.com/shop/software/plugins-utilities/animated-textures-plug-in-for-daz-studio/

I did something similar using Poser: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O71kbJKXKPs

Funny, I had bought that product for a different purpose when it was on sale recently only to discover that it didn’t work in DS4 so I returned it.  Thanks for the thought, though.

Richard Haseltine - 05 August 2012 12:34 PM

Not using the standard shaders, but if you go into Shader Mixer the Variable brick does give you access to the time, which you could use to control a texture or colour shift.

Thanks Richard.  I have never opened up the Shader Mixer before, and can’t quite locate the “Variable brick” but I will poke around for some tutorials on it.  Thanks for pointing me in this directions.

I don’t think Animated textures would do what you wanted even if it did work in DS4 - what it does is add an image sequence to a surface, iterating through it as the render proceeds. That’s great for things like fire, but in your case it would mean having a separate image for each stage of the transition which is not, I would think, what you want.

The Variable brick, at least in DS4.5, is under the Utility group. Here’s an idiotically simple example -I just divided the frame number by 30 and plugged that into a Mix brick (under Mathematical) to switch between white and green.

If you are animating colour, then Casual’s MatAnim should work:

https://sites.google.com/site/mcasualsdazscripts/matanim

and if you are animating textures, then Casual’s TexAnim should work:

https://sites.google.com/site/mcasualsdazscripts/texanimfords3

I think for changing colors it can be done with the variable brick.  I’m not sure if Casual scripts work on figures or only on props though, do they work on figures?  I wonder if there is a way to animate a change in displacement stregth or even better normal map strength for popping veins.  Or a way to animate the texture for a fighter getting a blade cut or a drop of water rolling down the skin.  I could really use some of those features.

SimonWM - 08 August 2012 06:26 AM

I think for changing colors it can be done with the variable brick.  I’m not sure if Casual scripts work on figures or only on props though, do they work on figures?  I wonder if there is a way to animate a change in displacement stregth or even better normal map strength for popping veins.  Or a way to animate the texture for a fighter getting a blade cut or a drop of water rolling down the skin.  I could really use some of those features.

Take a look at MatAnim, Simon - the script works on Surfaces, so it doesn’t matter whether it’s a figure or a prop. You can animate displacement strength, opacity - anything that’s on the Surfaces tab. (Not sure about normal map.) I’ve found that you do have to keep track of what’s happening, because keyframes don’t show up anywhere, but it’s still a good solution. Of course in DS3, there’s Geppetto, where you can animate materials with keyframes.

For a drop of water rolling down the skin, I’m not sure. Setting that up as a series of animated textures would be a pain. I wonder if actually modelling a drop of water and animating that might be better.

Thank you, Carnite.  there’s so much of Casual scripts that I still need to test.  I think for a drop of water the best way would be to be able to move a LIE layer down the texture map.  Now we need someone to code something like that for us.    Wish I could do it. :(

Is the variable brick key control visible on the timeline? you can handle it later to fix or change things right?

The Variable brick can give the frame number or the time - it would be up to the user, through other bricks, to manipulate the number as required (and other inputs could be exposed in the Surfaces pane to allow adjustment without having to go back into Shader Mixer if desired and designed for).

Has MatAnim been updated for 4.5?  I got it and installed it in the scripts folder but it doesn’t show anywhere in Studio 4.5.

It shows in my 4.5. Try right clicking the location where you think it should be in DAZ Studio, and click Browse to Folder Location, to check that MatAnim really is where you think it should be.

1st)  I don’t understand what you mean by right-clicking a location in Daz Studio.  By my understanding it should be in the tabs, but when I right-click there nothing happens.

2nd)  By using the ScriptIDE tab I was able to run the MatAnim script but it didn’t work.  The window popped up but none of the buttons would change to “animatable” when clicked.

By right click, I meant right click the folder name as per the picture. There’s an option to Browse to folder location, so that you can see where DAZ Studio thinks that MatAnim ought to be.