MDD with Displacement Video

[jasonwestmas]

Here's a basic walk through for setting up point cache with Displacement maps in Lightwave. I never saw any videos on the subject so I thought this was necessary for newer LW folks or people who haven't used 10.1.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhX54lliHWE&feature=youtu.be

[Burchigb]

Thank you.

Explains a few things I was trying to understand

[jasonwestmas]

Sure thing, I made it for you then ^.^.

[Cageman]

Good that you share this. :) :thumbsup:

However, After bones is not "better" than First in subd-order. :) They are exactly the same if you apply displacements to a static object... the reason why you need to set it to After Bones, is because you can tell the MDD to evaluate before any subd is applied, through the Before Bones setting.

Think about it... the MDD is cached from Messiah on a cagemesh. SubD level 0 = cagemesh.. so.. you tell LW to do whatever it does with the MDD at the subD level that happens Before Bones, and you tell the SubD to apply after bones are being evaluated.

:)

Looking at your video reminds me of "the old days" when I didn't have the "apply MDD enMasse" script that we use these days in the studio. 2-5 clicks per character (multimeshes). :)

[jasonwestmas]

Good that you share this. :) :thumbsup:

However, After bones is not "better" than First in subd-order. :) They are exactly the same if you apply displacements to a static object... the reason why you need to set it to After Bones, is because you can tell the MDD to evaluate before any subd is applied, through the Before Bones setting.

Think about it... the MDD is cached from Messiah on a cagemesh. SubD level 0 = cagemesh.. so.. you tell LW to do whatever it does with the MDD at the subD level that happens Before Bones, and you tell the SubD to apply after bones are being evaluated.

:)

Looking at your video reminds me of "the old days" when I didn't have the "apply MDD enMasse" script that we use these days in the studio. 2-5 clicks per character (multimeshes). :)

mmm yeah, I wish I had a script like that, it does take quite a lot of time to do it manually. Probably an excuse to learn some scripting in python or whatever.

I guess I'll have to take another look at using First for static objects. For some reason my displacements always looked better in 9.6 if I used after bones. But of course things can play tricks on my mind. ;)

[Julez4001]

I wonder what the consensus would be to have a script like this to be develop? Is it just few people who need this pipeline or maybe we should go a beggin' to Newtek for a better tool for switching and setting subdivision order for mdd playback.

[jasonwestmas]

I wonder what the consensus would be to have a script like this to be develop? Is it just few people who need this pipeline or maybe we should go a beggin' to Newtek for a better tool for switching and setting subdivision order for mdd playback.

NT brought the Point Cache pipeline to us, sooo it only would make sense to make setup faster. They did it with maya/ lightwave pipe in mind. That was one of their marketing things they did in some videos I watched.

Pixomondo Burbank, uses the maya/ lightwave pipe I know. That uses the geo cache/ xml format.

[GregMalick]

mmm yeah, I wish I had a script like that, it does take quite a lot of time to do it manually. Probably an excuse to learn some scripting in python or whatever.

I guess I'll have to take another look at using First for static objects. For some reason my displacements always looked better in 9.6 if I used after bones. But of course things can play tricks on my mind. ;)

you mean like this:
http://vimeo.com/35823632

[jasonwestmas]

Yep, exactly, thanks Greg!!!! How's the modo one coming along?

[GregMalick]

As you can see in the dates of this discussion in the Lux forum, progress is very slow but it's getting there.

LINK (http://forums.luxology.com/discussion/topic.aspx?id=64353&page=0)