The "Animators Assemble!" thread for Daz animation WIPs, clips, and tips

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  • wolf359wolf359 Posts: 3,749
    My most recent animation, created in Iclone 7 ..exported to Blender 2.83 via Character creator pipeline.

  • wolf359wolf359 Posts: 3,749
    My latest animation test.
  • superlativecgsuperlativecg Posts: 125
    edited August 2020

    I recently found a free lip syncing software called Papagayo.  I wrote a script that converts its output to a file that can be loaded in DAZ Studio.  Here is an animation I made using it.   

    Post edited by superlativecg on
  • tikiman-3dtikiman-3d Posts: 34
    edited August 2020

    I recently found a free lip syncing software called Papagayo.  I wrote a script that converts its output to a file that can be loaded in DAZ Studio.  Here is an animation I made using it.   

    YES!! I just did that too! ( Used Papagayo and your script ) 
    Is it this one on sharecg? https://www.sharecg.com/v/88621/view/8/Script/Script-For-Importer-Files-Lip-Sync-in-DAZ-Studio?fbclid=IwAR10C9SKKeR7U-TwmZaf88EeP_23cijPqnSSYEBPEKIGtP-ErQIYZgdI9Uw

    Anyways.

    This was a test that snowballed into way too much obsessive work to finish a 20 second scene. ( I only did POTO because I did a still scene a couple of years back and I thought I could see what it would look like to animate his mouth.) I read a post about using the free PAPAGAYO LIP SYNC tool https://my.smithmicro.com/papagayo.html and then transfer the data into daz using the free Script For Importer Lip Sync in DAZ Studio UPDATE. https://www.sharecg.com/…/Script-For-Importer-Files-Lip-Syn…

    It worked, but not 100% accurate as papagayo doesn't have all of the visemes that G8 has. What does work nicely is that it gives you a clear synced timeline to the music you're trying to animate. I popped the audio clip into DAZ and saw the synced keyframes that corresponded. From there I tweaked the visemes ( substituting "W" for "T" and "SH" for "S" etc..)

    It was turning out better than expected! So then, I applied it to the still scene and that's when the obsession exploded. I had to animate him...I had to animate the girl. ... and well I think you get the idea.

    So here's the workflow with a lot of redo:

    PAPGAYO TO DAZ ( Lip Sync importer )
    FACE TRANSFER ( Michael Crawford )
    Setup Scene in DAZ then split the elements into sub scenes.
    Rendered in Iray (Girl, Guy, Candelabras, Background,)
    Rendered in Octane ( Shadows )
    Rendered the fog volume in C4D
    Composited in After Effects
    Finished in Premier Pro

    Post edited by tikiman-3d on
  • No, that's not mine.  I had no idea someone else has already made a script.

  • AuroratrekAuroratrek Posts: 200

    These lip syncs look great, as do your clips, Wolf & Tikiman! Wolf, is your script available anywhere?

    Also, Wolf, I'm starting to really explore a Character Creator3/iClone/C4D workflow, which looks promising. I have a couple of noob questions, tho:

    1. Your lip sync sample was using the Daz importer to compose the lip sync, but I thought you composed your animations in iClone? Are you going direct to iClone, or are you going via CC3 in CC3 format? (over time you have described a couple of pipelines as they evolve, so I want to be sure I'm up on your latest method.)

    2. Also, a side question, but when I export a clothed V4 character from Daz to FBX and translate that into CC3 in the CC3 format, the mesh of the slacks and/or shoes "meld" into one another. I'm using CC3's T-pose in Daz for the export, but can you think of what I might be missing? Do you transate to CC3, or are you using some other method?

    Thanks!

     

  • wolf359wolf359 Posts: 3,749
    Hi Tim, Good to hear from you old friend!!

    Daz studio & Maxon Cinema4D have been completely removed from my Character creation & animation rendering pipeline!!!

    Having finally Finished My 93 minute animated film & upgraded from 6.5 pipeline to Iclone 7 and Character creator 3 pipeline ,I have used the CC3 pipeline transformer tool to harvest my favorite V4 & Genesis 1,2,3 shapes and skin maps onto Iclone native CC3 Avatars.

    I now create ALL body & facial animation with Iclone's built in tools and Export animated FBX files from CC3 pipeline,directly to Blender 2.83 for EEVEE or Cycles rendering.

    I even do an occasional render in Iclone itself

    CC3 pipeline has an export to Maxon C4D preset (Pre R18 & Post R18) I use the Blender preset..Maxon is no longer in My universe.

    Even without buying the Iphone based "live face capture" plugin, Iclone's Audio based Lipsync and PHONEME EDITOR /REPLACEMENT PALLET, and lip smoothing options are the best available.. so no more third party ,SINGLE POINT OF FAILURE, ancient legacy tools like mimic pro 3 or Squiffy/mason handshake hacks to get recorded audio into Daz mimic live for me.

    On the matter of the Daz imported clothing "taffy pulling" together in CC3 pipeline ,...there is an easy built in solution, however am going to have to respectfully ask you to move that question over to the Reallusion site/Forums where we can have an open & free discussion of CC3 pipeline with samples& relevant links without the looming threat of post eradication for "Offsite commercial promotion"
  • AuroratrekAuroratrek Posts: 200

    Okay, thanks, Wolf! See you on the "other side!" wink

  • WendyLuvsCatzWendyLuvsCatz Posts: 37,711

    I just uploaded an hour of sensory torture devil

     

  • IvyIvy Posts: 7,133

    I just uploaded an hour of sensory torture devil

     

    That is a awesome torture device.  :)

  • IvyIvy Posts: 7,133
    edited August 2020

    This anmation is not one of mine.  I found this in the google VR  sections . its a 360 animation . Truly next level stuff,  maybe VR animations is the way of the future.  This does not require VR goggles to watch it , it has on screen viewer controls.

    I think its very well done, Both the story and animation. I just thought you guys could appreciate the work that went into this film.

    click to play

    Post edited by Ivy on
  • AuroratrekAuroratrek Posts: 200
    edited August 2020

    A tip for C4D animators, I just purchased the Alembic Exporter here at Daz, and I'm really pleased with it. I tried it with C4Dr20 and it worked great--the mesh comes in pretty much perfect as far as I could tell from my first test on a V4 character. (It looks like it would work in r16 but not r14.)

    A few initial notes for C4D users that I found so far:

    1.  Export the alembic file with "preserve subdivision surfaces" checked. The resulting file is not really any bigger than having it off, so using the Subdivision Surface tag in C4D doesn't really have much advantage that I can see. Also, it didn't really seem to work.

    2. When you open the alembic file in C4D, it continues to reference the original exported .abc file, so don't move or delete it!

    3. The trick for the textures is to also export an FBX of the same DAZ file and import that into C4D as well, and copy and paste the groups of textures from the FBX to the corresponding objects in the imported alembic file. (Include the textures, polygon tags, UV tag and Phong tag.) Delete the FBX file afterwards. The textures need a little massaging, of course, but they're in the right place, you'll just need to adjust specular and transparencies, etc.

    4. One big upside of the fact that C4D is only referencing the original exported .abc file is that you can alter the pose or animation--or put an entirely new pose or animation--onto the original DAZ file figure and export the alembic file again with the same name, and it will update the pose/animation in your existing C4D file, even after you have added the textures and placed/resized the character in your scene. This saves you from having to reopen and retexture the character in C4D from scratch. Do not change the basic figure, however--adding different hair or adding a prop or something wrecks the "link".

    Note that alembic makes for a pretty hefty file--2.3GB for a 700 frame animated clothed character--but that's a much smaller problem than it used to be with storage getting cheaper all the time. Overall, I'm really pleased with this plugin. For anyone missing the old Riptide plugin (which doesn't work in C4Dr20+) this is a great alternative. Riptide had a bit more functionality, but this exporter solidly does the basics. Well worth the money for C4Dr16+ users!

     

    Post edited by Auroratrek on
  • wolf359wolf359 Posts: 3,749
    Hi Tim, IIRC you have the Pipeline version of Iclone.. yes??

    The reason I ask is because Iclone pro pipeline has had an excellent Alembic exporter since version 6 and by converting your V4/M4 Characters to native Avatars with CC3, You will have access to Iclone's far superior Audio based Lipsync tool with a powerful phoneme editor and face puppet for animated expressions allowing you to Dump the vestigial mimic pro 3.

    I had experimented with the Iclone Alembic exporter when Mirating to Blender Earlier this year, but when I upgraded from version 6.5 and bought a New PC I opted for the base version of 7.x and CC3 Pipeline and an FBX based export workflow. but I still have version 6.5 pipeline on my older machine with Alembic export as an option in the future

    Here are some of those early Alembic tests from Iclone to Blender.
  • AuroratrekAuroratrek Posts: 200
    wolf359 said:
    Hi Tim, IIRC you have the Pipeline version of Iclone.. yes??

    The reason I ask is because Iclone pro pipeline has had an excellent Alembic exporter since version 6 and by converting your V4/M4 Characters to native Avatars with CC3, You will have access to Iclone's far superior Audio based Lipsync tool with a powerful phoneme editor and face puppet for animated expressions allowing you to Dump the vestigial mimic pro 3.

    I had experimented with the Iclone Alembic exporter when Mirating to Blender Earlier this year, but when I upgraded from version 6.5 and bought a New PC I opted for the base version of 7.x and CC3 Pipeline and an FBX based export workflow. but I still have version 6.5 pipeline on my older machine with Alembic export as an option in the future

    Here are some of those early Alembic tests from Iclone to Blender.

    Hey Wolf,

    These look great! I actually did a fair amount of testing with the Daz/CC3/iClone/Alembic/C4D pipeline and it does work really well. I was particularly impressed with how well CC3 is able to translate a Daz figure--even V4--to CC3/iClone, and the Alembic file out to C4D worked great, even with the dynamic cloth. I think for the vast majority of people this would be a great pipeline. Unfortunately, I ran into two significant problems, one of them somewhat specific to my current project. My characters for my new project are all somewhat stylized with somewhat cartoony "oversized" eyes, which look fine upon import, but get totally messed up when you close the eyes. I understand this is a known issue for translated Daz characters. I considered just starting over and rebuilding the characters in CC3 without translating, since--theoretically--the eyes should work better with native CC3 morphs on the CC3 character, and still using Daz clothing and props, but I ran into a second major issue which is that the curve editor doesn't work with morphs--most importantly, you don't get curves for the face morphs. This is a huge issue for me, and a functionality I can't do without. Reallusion is aware of this, and I saw a thread from 3 years ago where they said they would address this, but so far, not happening. Totally kills me, since I would love access to the iClone lip sync tool and be able to jettison Mimic. I think I will still have a use for the iClone suite, particularly 3DX, and I can imagine using iClone for some wide shots of characters, but for closeups where I need fine control over the face morphs, I think I'll have to stick with Daz/Alembic/C4D for now.

  • WendyLuvsCatzWendyLuvsCatz Posts: 37,711

    more of my rather obscure in meaning series

  • IvyIvy Posts: 7,133

    more of my rather obscure in meaning series

    Its always fun to watch your animations. did you do this one in UE too?

  • WendyLuvsCatzWendyLuvsCatz Posts: 37,711
    edited August 2020
    Ivy said:

    more of my rather obscure in meaning series

    Its always fun to watch your animations. did you do this one in UE too?

    some of it wink

    also iClone, Twinmotion and yes actual DAZ studio iray renderings surprise the hairdryer scene and the bathroom scene, but the shower was 5 layers - two png files a Hitfilm smoke, a Particle Illusion water spray and drips, and an image series of him showering with the shower interior.

    Post edited by WendyLuvsCatz on
  • IvyIvy Posts: 7,133

    That is very cool Wendy

  • WendyLuvsCatzWendyLuvsCatz Posts: 37,711
    Ivy said:

    That is very cool Wendy

    thanks heart

    but I do cater for a different audience, my viewers don't like stuff like this laugh

    I am not followed by my 3D peers but a kingdom of trolls largely devil many wail for the style of my older stuff

  • IvyIvy Posts: 7,133

    Yea the internet has not shortages of Trolls .

     

     

  • Good morning everyone, how are you all doing?

    Have any of you been playing around with the Unreal bridge released by Daz?  I've been playing around with it since I purchased the original plugin from the UE store by David Vodhanel, as I do quite a bit with real-time characters in UE.

    What surprised me about the Daz release though, is that it takes a step in solving one of the issues I've discussed with some of you before regarding fbx exports from Daz Studio, and that is the resolution of mesh that is exported.  It's not much (only subd1), but it is far better than what we were getting before.  Now, to get a usable subd1 fbx with this export, you do need to have UE loaded so that it will send the export and create the updated fbx file.  (otherwise it has serious skinning problems)

    To illustrate the differences, see attached.   These have nothing but the standard maps exported.  I thought this might be useful for some of you out there, so I thought I should share.. Have a great weekend!

     

     

    subd1.png
    1121 x 717 - 629K
  • yes I have been playing with it but not subdivided on my PC blush

  • A query, Animate2 and the Timeline are the only animation systems in Daz Studio so far?
    I'm asking because sometimes what's in the Daz and Renderosity store can take users by surprise.

  • DartanbeckDartanbeck Posts: 21,103

    GoFigure used to sell two additional products to enhance the DS timeline: KeyMate and GraphMate, but I'm not seeing them in the store. Did Daz 3D buy them and add them to DS? I don't know.

    I'm also not sure if there's still a 'paid' version of aniMate 2. I bought it way back when, and that's what allows us to be able to swap animation data back and forth between DS Timeline and aniMate 2, amongst many other cool features.

    My aniMate 2 page has info, links and video tutorials and demonstrations of many of the features of aniMate 2. They're some pretty darned cool tools. Carrara still remains my favorite animation suite, however.

  • A query, Animate2 and the Timeline are the only animation systems in Daz Studio so far?
    I'm asking because sometimes what's in the Daz and Renderosity store can take users by surprise.

    there is puppeteer 

  • ChrisSerketChrisSerket Posts: 202
    edited September 2020

    I know, is that sending daz models to another program without losing their charm one way or another (even when the target platform is also as iray rendering engine) is a real bummer. And I wanted to settle for just animating at Daz Studio.

    Post edited by ChrisSerket on
  • DartanbeckDartanbeck Posts: 21,103

    Animation is fun and easy in Carrara, and I also use Daz Studio for the aniMate 2 tools and other plugins (and it's awesome BVH import) to assist, but it's the Carrara animation tools and Sequencer (Timeline) and powerful Graph Editor (part of the timeline) that really make animation simplified. For example, nearly everything we do in Carrara has animation possibilities. 

    My main protagonist, Rosie

    A tutorial on the basics of setting up a character like her in Carrara

    More fun tutorials, articles and demonstrations:

    Character Setup (category)

  • GoFigure used to sell two additional products to enhance the DS timeline: KeyMate and GraphMate, but I'm not seeing them in the store. Did Daz 3D buy them and add them to DS? I don't know.

    Yes, they are basis for the enhancements to the Timeline.

    I'm also not sure if there's still a 'paid' version of aniMate 2. I bought it way back when, and that's what allows us to be able to swap animation data back and forth between DS Timeline and aniMate 2, amongst many other cool features.

    Yes, there is https://www.daz3d.com/animate2

    My aniMate 2 page has info, links and video tutorials and demonstrations of many of the features of aniMate 2. They're some pretty darned cool tools. Carrara still remains my favorite animation suite, however.

     

  • DartanbeckDartanbeck Posts: 21,103
    edited September 2020

    For example, even textures can be easily animated in Carrara (see Volumetric Lighting tutorial above), which is amazing for doing things like adding tears dripping, milk spilling, or even simply having the backdrop be an animation render of people walking in the background. These are just smal examples. Nearly everything we drop into the Carrara scene has animation sliders. Trees have leaf rustle and wind settings, clouds have animation properties, the Ocean primitive (which I also use ofr rivers, streams, lava, etc.,) has animation sliders and settings, fire and fog have animation 'completion' sliders going from 0% to 100%... it's truly designed around helping animators to animate... well... Everything!

    On the more advanced side of things, we can also render out additional 'passes' (extra individual renders) for things like depth or even UV Normals! So we can actually asign an animated Normal map to a plane that has the animated render upon it for added bump displacement, etc., or use the UV Normals in Fusion to control Fusion's volumetric fog in post - being able to do crazy ILM/Weta-type stuff in our own home without having a software development team down the hall!

    Post edited by Dartanbeck on
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