Itoo Software Forum

Forest Pack => Forest Pro (*) => Topic started by: satoer on March 20, 2014, 05:26:35 PM

Title: How to mask an area with trees for animation.
Post by: satoer on March 20, 2014, 05:26:35 PM
Hi all,

First of all, I really like the speed of this plugin. Finally I can paint trees in 3D max like paint effects in Maya.

I’ve a question though. Hope someone can point me in the right direction to solve this. What I want to create is a Jungle with flying helicopters over it. The Jungle part is not a problem. Also I understand how I can animate the trees… But is it possible to animate the trees directly under the helicopters so they react to the downwash of the helicopter? I’ve already seen in tutorials the trees can interact with other objects. Is it possible create a animated mask over an area and animate the trees inside the mask (fading outwards?)

Thanks for reading. Cheers Michel
Title: Re: How to mask an area with trees for animation.
Post by: Michal Karmazín on March 20, 2014, 06:09:55 PM
Hi,

Thanks a lot for your kind words about our software. Hope you are enjoying it.  ;)

This can be done having two Forest objects. You can link a spline to your helicopter and in first Forest object use it as Exclude Area. In this one the trees animation will be disabled. Copy this Forest object and now use the spline as Include Area, the main surface should be disabled not to duplicate the trees on the rest of the terrain. This Forest object will be animated. Please check attached screenshots illustrating it.

Hope it´ll work for you.
Title: Re: How to mask an area with trees for animation.
Post by: satoer on March 20, 2014, 10:59:21 PM
Hi Michal,

Thanks for the fast and detailed response. This really helps me.

But I’ve still some “troubles” using this approach. I’ve made and rendered a test scene. The problem is the border between still and animated trees. When the spline mask is non animated it’s all okay, but when I animate the mask the new animated trees suddenly pop in. there isn’t a transition zone from still to animated.

Here’s a low res render, but you can see the “popping” : http://youtu.be/eY6Ml2a7Xh8

Using this same approach I could use more than one spline mask. Circle in a circle in a circle.. and give each outer ring a custom animated tree ranging from smooth to heavy. Anyway, it’s becoming much too complicated.

Wouldn’t it be cool if there’s an animation option like this build in Forest pack?
I’ll explain:

I’t needs to work a bit like the Morpher modifier. Create one static object (a box for example) Duplicate (copy, no instance) that box and animated it (with a twist modifier or something). Put a Morpher modifier on the static object and point the target/ channel to the animated version. Thick “Automatically reload targets” and you’re done.
Now press play en while the animation is running increase the morphvalue… How Higher the value, the heavier the animation becomes…

In the forrest pack there is a falloff value on the border…
Use a comparable option with that falloff value in the new animation option acting like the morphvalue in my explanation above, and the animation smoothly transistions in.

I think this option is not only handy for the problem I have currently, but can create a lot of fun other possibilities animating with forest pro when using other objects than trees.


Any ideas?
Title: Re: How to mask an area with trees for animation.
Post by: Paul Roberts on March 21, 2014, 10:57:19 AM
Hi Michel,

Thanks for the suggestions, we always value feedback from our users.

Using this alternative approach it may, to a certain extent, be possible to do what you describe using Animation>Frame From Map. A new feature introduced in the current beta. Using this it is possible to control an instance's animation using a grayscale map. If the map is animated from black to white  - the instances will run through the animation frames specified in the Start & End value boxes.

Creating these maps could be done in an external package and imported as a animated bitmap. Or depending on your renderer it may be possible to create them procedurally. In the file attached you will find an example that uses the VRayDistanceTex Map. To recreate it you can follow these steps.

(http://lonelymonk.com/forum_images/989ffa2cbf1c41aa993070935b5e64b4.png)
(http://lonelymonk.com/forum_images/275104e26b4e440b97aecf9cde37677f.jpg)

I hope that helps.

Many thanks,

Paul
Title: Re: How to mask an area with trees for animation.
Post by: satoer on March 21, 2014, 12:42:28 PM
Hi Paul,

Again, thanks for the support. I'll try your alternative solution. Sounds good.
Hope the Beta is as stable as the current version.

Ill post my experience. Thanks for sharing a example file.
Title: Re: How to mask an area with trees for animation.
Post by: satoer on March 21, 2014, 03:50:56 PM
Thanks Paul,

The "frame to map" is a great addition to the plugin and really solves my problem. I've never used the VRayDistanceTex map so I did some studying how this exactly worked. Real smart solution to animate the near color to repeat the animation if the "mask" object is static. I've used a cylinder instead of a sphere to get the inside also animated. The only "problem" I have is that the timing of the animation starts at the same time. it would be nice if the start of the animation could randomize between the "start" and "end" points. Don't think its a real problem for my case but it would be a nice extra feature.

Learned a lot from your approach. Like how I can animate tree branches by selecting the outer vertexes with a soft selection and animate that with a noise.

Anyhow, as I said, great addition... this way you also can let the grass interact with footsteps without complicated and resource hungry collision detection.


Title: Re: How to mask an area with trees for animation.
Post by: Paul Roberts on March 21, 2014, 05:11:36 PM
Hi Michel,

Thanks for all the kind words, we're glad the new features are already proving useful :)

Regarding the problem with the animated instances all playing in sync. It might be possible to use a black and white animated noise map in the Near map slot of the VRayDistanceTex map, that way the instances would all be slightly offset. It didn't occur to me before but it should work.

Many thanks,

Paul

Title: Re: How to mask an area with trees for animation.
Post by: satoer on March 21, 2014, 06:22:12 PM
Again... real smart solution! I was thinking to use a Z-distorted object to generate a offset VRayDistanceTex map. But your solution is way better and simpler. Yeah, keeping things simple is the hardest way to do ;-)

Works great!