DAZ, MD, and Traditional Pattern Making

24

Comments

  • bohemian3bohemian3 Posts: 1,028
    edited November 2022

    @Stupido3D - got it!  Thanks.  Sorry - misread your first post.  I was unfamiliar with the process of using 3D scans for clothing, so I appreciate the education on learning yet another workflow for creating realistic clothing.  Thanks for the info!  Your render looks fantastic.

    Stupido3D said:  The obj garments I simulate with are usually 3D Scan assets,

    Post edited by bohemian3 on
  • barbultbarbult Posts: 23,155

    bohemian3 said:

    New Videos Posted

    Finishing the Sloper: Sleeves

    This video guides you through a process for creating a template sleeve pattern, and also gives insight into why a sleeve pattern look the way is does.

    From Slopers to Patterns

    Moving forward, the real fun begins:  This video introduces the concepts and techniques of transforming your slopers into real patterns you can use for your DAZ figures.

    Last off, here is a link to a shared folder that contains the reference images I used in the videos and the M8 and V9 Marvelous Designer Project files.

    Images and MD Project Files

    I am finishing up another video for this week that will take a project from start to finish:  Building the pattern from the sloper, Adding detail for realism, Setting up fabrics for material zones, bringing the finish garment into DAZ, Applying materials in DAZ (including stitching and buttonhose) and rendering.  Taking a little longer than I thought ;)

    These are great! Thanks for sharing your slopers and references, too!

  • barbultbarbult Posts: 23,155

    I tried using Bohemian3's V9 sloper, making a tiny change of merging the bodice center lines, posing with an mdd animation, and exporting as thick OBJ. I am embarrassed say that this simple task took me hours to accomplish. My saved normal map kept not lining up with the mesh and did not match what was shown in the UV Editor. My last redo used particle distance 5 and quads and I am beginning to see why @lilweep recommended much smaller particle size. Even at 5, the folds are jaggy and bad looking. Because I exported as thick, I cannot smooth or subdivide in DS. I see I have a lot of learning yet to go on this technique. It seemed so much easier to export thin and then subdivide and smooth in DS and pose with dForce.

    @Bohemian3 what particle size do you use for your beautiful final renders? Do you use quads from MD?

    Bohemian3 Sloper Center Merge Quad 5 on V9 Posed_Default Camera.jpg
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  • barbultbarbult Posts: 23,155

    Stupido3D said:

    barbult said:

    I am interested in you you import Daz clothing into MD and drape it in MD, if you do that.

    I have never simulated daz clothing per se, but I have simulated many other objs.

    I attached an example of simulated obj garments. The bag in the image was not an obj, that was a MD garment.

    Key findings

    • any obj needs to be fully welded otherwise any unwelded pieces fly away or fall apart
    • weft and warp will still work according to the UV layout of the obj, so you can still tweak the fit of the obj slightly
    • it is best to position and resize against the avatar before bringing it into MD, and also subdivide it to the required mesh density
    • for me, simulating an obj with the GPU acceleration simulation setting for too long will crash the program
    • you can adjust the fabric properties of obj garments just as you would an MD garment file
    • sometimes the UV will 'break' when you open an older MD file containing obj garments. I.e., MD will give you an error warning you that it forgot the UV. You can still proceed to export this to Daz and then reset the correct UV by clicking the 'load UV set' and choosing the obj file with the unadulterated UV.

    Thanks for these tips! MD crashes often for me with GPU render, too. 

    I tried exporting a DS garment as OBJ and simulating it in MD. Then I exported it back out of MD and imported it into DS. But, back in DS, the imported OBJ did not have any of the textures of the original garment or any of the individual surfaces. So I'm still missing some understanding of how to handle this process. Hmmm. Maybe I am supposed to use the MD obj export as a morph source for the original garment instead. Any other suggestions?

  • lilweeplilweep Posts: 2,234

    barbult said:

    Stupido3D said:

    barbult said:

    I am interested in you you import Daz clothing into MD and drape it in MD, if you do that.

    I have never simulated daz clothing per se, but I have simulated many other objs.

    I attached an example of simulated obj garments. The bag in the image was not an obj, that was a MD garment.

    Key findings

    • any obj needs to be fully welded otherwise any unwelded pieces fly away or fall apart
    • weft and warp will still work according to the UV layout of the obj, so you can still tweak the fit of the obj slightly
    • it is best to position and resize against the avatar before bringing it into MD, and also subdivide it to the required mesh density
    • for me, simulating an obj with the GPU acceleration simulation setting for too long will crash the program
    • you can adjust the fabric properties of obj garments just as you would an MD garment file
    • sometimes the UV will 'break' when you open an older MD file containing obj garments. I.e., MD will give you an error warning you that it forgot the UV. You can still proceed to export this to Daz and then reset the correct UV by clicking the 'load UV set' and choosing the obj file with the unadulterated UV.

    Thanks for these tips! MD crashes often for me with GPU render, too. 

    I tried exporting a DS garment as OBJ and simulating it in MD. Then I exported it back out of MD and imported it into DS. But, back in DS, the imported OBJ did not have any of the textures of the original garment or any of the individual surfaces. So I'm still missing some understanding of how to handle this process. Hmmm. Maybe I am supposed to use the MD obj export as a morph source for the original garment instead. Any other suggestions?

    That's a good point.  The few times i've used 'obj garments' as we seem to be calling them, I've only used ones with simple UV (one UDIM tile) and only one material zone. So never encountered the issue.

    In such cases where the garment has multiple surfaces, i guess we cannot easily maintain those Surfaces/Material Zones during the process so would have to do some workaround.

    Loading via Morph Loader Pro could be one solution, but only on the proviso that you maintained geometry during the process.  What if you subdivided the mesh before going to MD (in order to get a more detailed simulation)? In that case, i suppose you wouldnt be able to load it as a morph on the original Daz garment. You would have to instead load the simulation as a morph onto the subdivided mesh.

  • bohemian3bohemian3 Posts: 1,028
    edited November 2022

    @barbult - Hang tight - going to post a video with my entire process later today that answers a lot of your questions - but here are a few pointers for now.

    • Without detailing (which I discuss in the video) the garment will often fail to keep its shape - the sloper is a starting point, not an ending point.  
    • I put my particle distance of 4-5 in detail elements (seams, trim, collars) which help the garment keep its shape, generally I use 6-8 pd for the main garment itself
    • When you move darts, make cuts, etc, you need to check your sewing lengths to make sure they still match (again in video ;)
    • I've found the normal map from Marvelous Designer useless - I don't use it.  I'll talk about creating masks in the video to use in DAZ
    • Any geometry that intersects on the model will be problematic (like arms close to torso, bent limbs) - you'll need to use the hand tool while simulating to pull and 'drape' over thse areas and check the strain map to reduce those artifacts in the final render

    Like all bright, good students, you keep asking the questions that are answered in the next lesson ;)

    Post edited by bohemian3 on
  • bohemian3bohemian3 Posts: 1,028
    edited November 2022

    11/12 - New Video Posted - Collarless Shirt Complete Project


    Collarless Casual Shirt - Complete Project

    You can create this for V9 or M8 using the templates (slopers) Here:
    Resources

    The Free HDRI used in last section is here -> Studio HDR

    Shaders used in final section:  Mec4d PBS Shaders vol.2 for Iray.  (If you don't have a basic cotton shader, there is a zip file in the resources above with textures)

    Close to an hour - covers a lot of topics with chapters.

    This simple garment (14 chapters!) in this image is using only what's covered in videos with a little postwork.

    If you've never used Marvelous Designer before, but are familiar with 2D Vector tools like Illustrator you can probably jump right in with the free trail version and the template (sloper) starter files in resources if you have V9 or M8.

    If this is your first video - you might want to check out this quick video that covers default settings that are useful -> Useful Settings

    Link: Free Trial at bottom of page - you'll need to create login

    0:00 Export from DAZ
    0:29 Import to Marvelous Designer
    1:06 Project Overview
    1:55 Move Dart on Women's Sloper
    5:08 Shape Side
    8:43 Shape Hemline
    11:05 Shape Neckline
    14:51 Shape Sleeve
    17:41 Create Placket
    22:05 Final Shaping
    24:40 Adding Trim
    29:08 Adding Seams for Realism
    33:19 Stitching
    36:27 Buttons
    39:54 UV Setup
    41:31 Creating Stitching Texture Map
    43:01 Exporting Garment to DAZ
    43:46 Simple texturing in DAZ

     

    Final.jpg
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    Post edited by bohemian3 on
  • nonesuch00nonesuch00 Posts: 17,929

    Wow, I'm very thankful for your tutorials as this is right down the avenue I bought Marvelous Designer for to begin with. You've made it much easier for me.

  • barbultbarbult Posts: 23,155
    edited November 2022

    bohemian3 said:

    11/12 - New Video Posted - Collarless Shirt Complete Project


    Collarless Casual Shirt - Complete Project

    You can create this for V9 or M8 using the templates (slopers) Here:
    Resources

    The Free HDRI used in last section is here -> Studio HDR

    Shaders used in final section:  Mec4d PBS Shaders vol.2 for Iray.  (If you don't have a basic cotton shader, there is a zip file in the resources above with textures)

    Close to an hour - covers a lot of topics with chapters.

    This simple garment (14 chapters!) in this image is using only what's covered in videos with postwork - I will upload my two-minute post-work hit list a little later.  Pre and post attached.

    If you've never used Marvelous Designer before, but are familiar with 2D Vector tools like Illustrator you can probably jump right in with the free trail version and the template (sloper) starter files in resources if you have V9 or M8.

    Link: Free Trial at bottom of page - you'll need to create login

    I made it all the way through!

     

    V9 Bohemian3 Sloper to Collarless Casual Shirt_Default Camera.jpg
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    Post edited by barbult on
  • bohemian3bohemian3 Posts: 1,028
    edited November 2022

    This looks fantastic @barbult - she looks happy to have a new shirt. This is no small feat and you should be proud of yourself.

    I hope these videos are helping you understand the principles behind pattern making, not just creating one garment ;)  You are the head of the class right now. Now as an extra credit challenge - see if you can simulate and interactively pull up her sleeve a little so they are halfway up her forearm and drape some wrinkles around the elbow - this will create more visual interest.  If all goes well, you should be able to bring it in using morph loader pro and not have retexturize it all again.  (be sure not to change any geometry, only drape) 

     I will be posting a video later to show this.  Again, great job!  And nice job reversing the buttons for a woman's garment - small touches like this all add to realism.

    barbult said: 

    I made it all the way through!

    Post edited by bohemian3 on
  • barbultbarbult Posts: 23,155
    edited November 2022

    Oh boy - extra credit! I also played around with the top stitching and tried a couple other top stitch styles. I changed all the geometry to particle distance 5, and the wrinkles still looked horrible in DS. I had to add DS subdivision, which did cause some small artifacts at seam joints.
    It appears that MD cannot adjust the thread width correctly when the UI is on inches. It works fine with the UI on MM.

     

    V9 Bohemian3 Sloper to Collarless Casual Shirt Sleeves up posed_Default Camera.jpg
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    Post edited by barbult on
  • barbultbarbult Posts: 23,155
    edited November 2022

    I did my extra credit assignment. Now I am going for "teacher's pet". I made a short sleeve version. I'm having a problem with some of the topstitches not appearing in the diffuse map that is created by MD. They show correctly in the 3D window. It seems like if I change the topstitch to OBJ and back to Texture it will work, but next time I open the project, I might have to do that again. It is a strange problem with only part of the stitching missing some of the time.

    V9 Bohemian3 Sloper to Collarless Casual Short Sleeves Posed_002_Camera.jpg
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    Post edited by barbult on
  • bohemian3bohemian3 Posts: 1,028
    edited November 2022

    @barbult - great work on your extra credit projects.  Your draping looks very organic.  You've come a long way. 

    Yes, topstitching is notoriously buggy in MD.  I've had to do some of the strange steps you describe here - and always double check you've got  both faces for the stitching selected.  I actually didn't know the trick about switching the UI to MM - I'd given up on thickening the stitches.  Thanks for that.  For portrait work, I do export obj stitching for the collar only - you can have multiple types of stiching on the same garment.

    Also - with the artifacts on the trim collar - you can merge the collar piece together now since they are separate pattern pieces with the seam in the back.  Many times I will get the length of all the trim pieces together and delete them, create a rectangle, then sew the rectangle to the top - especially necessary if the trim has a discernable pattern.  This is extremely handy when doing that https://marvelousdesigner.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360037394971-Superimpose .  I always do this if I'm sending to Substance Painter to do the stitching work.

    Again, great, dedicated work.  Hopefully later this week I'll get around to doing one on creating a polo shirt and adding collars.  For that I do utilize some of the existing pattern blocks in MD and scale them to my pattern by matching lengths.

    barbult said:  I'm having a problem with some of the topstitches not appearing in the diffuse map that is created by MD. They show correctly in the 3D window. It seems like if I change the topstitch to OBJ and back to Texture it will work, but next time I open the project, I might have to do that again. It is a strange problem with only part of the stitching missing some of the time.

    Post edited by bohemian3 on
  • barbultbarbult Posts: 23,155
    edited November 2022

    Thanks. I've been sewing clothes for myself and shirts for my husband for many years. I don't do that as much lately, though. I'm familiar with moving darts, etc. I've made other MD garments, but haven't worked from a sloper in MD before. I've learned many new skills from you. I'm still terribly slow and error prone with it, though. I agree that a straight trim band is the way to go for a ribbing look. I always have trouble getting it to conform properly because of the necessary stretch differences in the top and bottom of the band. Does your reference link help with that?

    Post edited by barbult on
  • barbultbarbult Posts: 23,155

    Here is a book I bought at Powell's used book store years ago. It is copyrighted 1948, so it has some wild styles in it. You have inspired me to try one in MD.

  • DiomedeDiomede Posts: 15,078

    @barbult - Yay!  The shirts look great.  You are an inspiration.  I have an entry deadline approaching, but then I am going to give the MD to Daz pipeline another go.

  • barbultbarbult Posts: 23,155
    Diomede said:

    @barbult - Yay!  The shirts look great.  You are an inspiration.  I have an entry deadline approaching, but then I am going to give the MD to Daz pipeline another go.

    Just follow Bohemian3's tutorials, and you will be successful.
  • bohemian3bohemian3 Posts: 1,028

    11/18 - New Video Added - Alternative Method for adding Trim

    This video demonstrate an alternative way to add trim. instead of cutting them from the pattern, they are added as separate rectangular pieces, especially useful if you have a discernable pattern. This also demonstrates the powerful and invaluable 3d View Superimpose tool.

    Link to Video

    @barbult - This video demos adding trim as straight pieces and the superimpose feature in MD I talk about in previous posts.

  • bohemian3bohemian3 Posts: 1,028
    edited November 2022

    What fun!  I love collecting old pattern books. Feel free to post some screen shots if you have questions, want suggestions or feedback on how to start working from the sloper ... this can be a collaborative effort ;)

    barbult said: Here is a book I bought at Powell's used book store years ago. It is copyrighted 1948, so it has some wild styles in it. You have inspired me to try one in MD.

    Post edited by bohemian3 on
  • barbultbarbult Posts: 23,155

    I haven't started another design yet, but I submitted a bug report to MD about the topstitch thread thickness when the UI is in inches. I had to send them a video of it happening. Then they said it will be fixed in the next patch.

    I'll check out the new video about superimpose and probably give that a try before starting a new project. I'm sidetracked by UltraScenery experiments again.

  • nonesuch00nonesuch00 Posts: 17,929

    I will try your tutorial as soon as I upgrade to Marvelous Designer 12 in a couple of weeks. Then I'll try to convert a pattern and post it here. Well, assuming I complete your tutorial successfully, that is. 

  • barbultbarbult Posts: 23,155
    edited November 2022

    Here is a sloper alteration (blouse with gathers at the neck) that I have been working on for several days. Yes, I am terribly slow at MD! I used a diagram from the 1948 book as a guide to alter the sloper. I added seams and thickness, but no topstitching. No matter what I tried, I could not get the collar to lie flat without wrinkles. I tried elastic, and seam tape, and small particle distance. I didn't try steam, I guess.

    The pants are just the plain sloper pattern.I tried to add seams to the pants, but I got strange artifacts along the curved geometry edge with the plaid shader, so I just deleted those seams.

    V9 Bohemian3 Sloper to Blouse Neck Gathers 8_Camera.jpg
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    V9 Bohemian3 Sloper to Blouse Neck Gathers 8_Camera (2).jpg
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    Pants seam artifacts.jpg
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    Post edited by barbult on
  • nonesuch00nonesuch00 Posts: 17,929

    barbult said:

    Here is a sloper alteration (blouse with gathers at the neck) that I have been working on for several days. Yes, I am terribly slow at MD! I used a diagram from the 1948 book as a guide to alter the sloper. I added seams and thickness, but no topstitching. No matter what I tried, I could not get the collar to lie flat without wrinkles. I tried elastic, and seam tape, and small particle distance. I didn't try steam, I guess.

    The pants are just the plain sloper pattern.I tried to add seams to the pants, but I got strange artifacts along the curved geometry edge with the plaid shader, so I just deleted those seams.

    very pretty

  • DiomedeDiomede Posts: 15,078

    Well done, Barbult.

    On seams, might be able to add them as part of the texture process in Substance Painter or similar.  Would not solve the collar though.

  • bohemian3bohemian3 Posts: 1,028
    edited November 2022

    Some great work here @barbult, - you are really digging deep into the capabilities of MD ! - I like the pattern and the shirring on the bodice of the blouse - but that lovely shirring is a challenge when sewn to a small pattern pieces - it adds additional fabric weight which the simulation calculates.  there is no silver bullet for this one - I've had the same issues and here are some of the many things I've used to solve it:

    1) Try a different fabric type - one that's stiffer for the collar.  
    2) Clone a pattern piece under the collar (like facing in real world sewing) - don't put any elactic on the 'facing'.  If I go this route, I cut the collar from the pattern for the shape, and create a rectangular pattern piece on top of that - use layer 2 for the collar piece and decrease the collision distance.
    3) Playing with elastic and strength like you did
    4) And in the end there's always steam

    Regarding the pants seams and thick textures, that's an unfortunately Marvelous Designer limitation.  The curved geometry is actually a third fabric type, in addition to front and back, if you want to use it.  But the problem is, the curved geometry doesn't have it's UVs properly set up.  With regular fabric you can get away with it, but with prints and plaids, the limitation is glaring.  How I've worked around this limitation:

    1) If the artififacts are small I fix them in post.
    2) Redo the UV mapping in a 3rd party program so the UV's properly match up to the seams and pants.  I do this if the garment is going to be used often in renders.
    3) Remove the thickness and create a displacement map like we did the stitching mask - white for more thickness, black where there is none - then apply that in DAZ .Here's an example - notice I add additional internal lines along the seams - remember, internal lines will add more geometry for the displacement to work with (but may produce problems if you are looking to use dForce.)  At the same time, don't go crazy with the internal lines or more problems down the road.  Also a great hack for keeping garment shape when using subD.

    You're doing a great job at really digging into MD!  You're questions are excellent and really hit at creating high quality detailed garment work.   Sorry I don't have a better solution for the second issue.

    For complete control you need to go with @Diomede and use a texturing tool - I'm working on a video on bringing MD garments into Substance Painter and create a normal map for seams - great comment @Diomede !

    seams.jpg
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  • bohemian3bohemian3 Posts: 1,028
    edited November 2022

    Also - another solution for pants seams - if the slacks are more dressy, the side seams will be flat and turned, not top stitched - another method is to add thickness to the front pattern pieces only - you will see the seam for realism, and the curved geometry UVs will face toward the back maybe sorta hiding the artifacts in most renders.  Hope that hack makes sense.

    Post edited by bohemian3 on
  • clcny20clcny20 Posts: 176

    omg! this thread is a godsend!

    I've used MD to make clothing for the Sims 4, and wanted to do the same for Daz--and sell it in store, but I'm running into so many issues.

    The underarm distortion, for one.  I'm unclear on weightmapping using daz.

    Next, if I want to make a buttoned/unbottoned morph, how would I create the morphs in MD and have them work for use with the clothing options as one?

    Don't even get me started on packaging crying

  • lilweeplilweep Posts: 2,234

    clcny20 said:

    omg! this thread is a godsend!

    I've used MD to make clothing for the Sims 4, and wanted to do the same for Daz--and sell it in store, but I'm running into so many issues.

    The underarm distortion, for one.  I'm unclear on weightmapping using daz.

    Next, if I want to make a buttoned/unbottoned morph, how would I create the morphs in MD and have them work for use with the clothing options as one?

    Don't even get me started on packaging crying

    you might want to look at Esha's content creation tutorials on Daz Store (if theyre ever on sale), theyre not perfect but might address a few of those questions about content creation workflows for making conforming clothing using MD, morph creation, rigging, packaging.

    I think one way to get better weight mapping for conforming clothing is to create a 'tight' version of your outfit that hugs the figure skin tightly.  Using the transfer utility on this tight version will usually give much better transfer of the weight mapping than using the final draped outfit.  Then, you would have a 'final' version of the outfit as a morph/replacement of the tight version.

    After transfering weights, you can smooth out some of the weight mapping and use JCMs to correct the figure when it fails under certain joint rotations.  SickleYield uploaded a recent video to youtube about smoothing and making JCMs for clothing.  The Esha tutorials also go into this. 

    It's theoretically possible to make JCMs with Marvelous Designer, but the problem is that it becomes kind of impossible to simulate clothing at certain joint rotations - this is because the Daz figures have major intersecting geometries (the thigh intersects a lot with the pelvis when it rotates up and the upper arm intersects a lot with the lats when it rotates down), and MD wont be able to create simulations around those intersections.  It's probably a lot easier to just do simple correctives using sculpting tools in Blender or Zbrush etc than use MD for JCMs.

  • clcny20clcny20 Posts: 176

    lilweep said:

    clcny20 said:

    omg! this thread is a godsend!

    I've used MD to make clothing for the Sims 4, and wanted to do the same for Daz--and sell it in store, but I'm running into so many issues.

    The underarm distortion, for one.  I'm unclear on weightmapping using daz.

    Next, if I want to make a buttoned/unbottoned morph, how would I create the morphs in MD and have them work for use with the clothing options as one?

    Don't even get me started on packaging crying

    you might want to look at Esha's content creation tutorials on Daz Store (if theyre ever on sale), theyre not perfect but might address a few of those questions about content creation workflows for making conforming clothing using MD, morph creation, rigging, packaging.

    I think one way to get better weight mapping for conforming clothing is to create a 'tight' version of your outfit that hugs the figure skin tightly.  Using the transfer utility on this tight version will usually give much better transfer of the weight mapping than using the final draped outfit.  Then, you would have a 'final' version of the outfit as a morph/replacement of the tight version.

    After transfering weights, you can smooth out some of the weight mapping and use JCMs to correct the figure when it fails under certain joint rotations.  SickleYield uploaded a recent video to youtube about smoothing and making JCMs for clothing.  The Esha tutorials also go into this. 

    It's theoretically possible to make JCMs with Marvelous Designer, but the problem is that it becomes kind of impossible to simulate clothing at certain joint rotations - this is because the Daz figures have major intersecting geometries (the thigh intersects a lot with the pelvis when it rotates up and the upper arm intersects a lot with the lats when it rotates down), and MD wont be able to create simulations around those intersections.  It's probably a lot easier to just do simple correctives using sculpting tools in Blender or Zbrush etc than use MD for JCMs.

    Oh wow--the tighter version of the clothing sounds genius!  Okay, I think I'm going to try that later on today, and see if it works.

    JCM's scare me...they seem intimidating, but I must brave them, I guess, if I want to have something worth selling.  I'm so in awe of creators that have made baggy-armed clothing...like, how?!

    Thanks so much for taking time to answer my questions! I truly appreciate it :) 

  • clcny20clcny20 Posts: 176
    edited November 2022

    ...and another dupe.  This site doesn't even let you know they've posted your comment, it just hangs there while you keep hitting save ::facepalm::

    Post edited by clcny20 on
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