LightWave 10.1 FiberFX Workflow Notes

[Chuck]

We have compiled some notes on FiberFX in 10.1 that should be useful to the community.


FiberFX Workflow Notes
[updated 19 July 2011]

Things to keep in mind about FiberFX:

1. You should use only single layer objects to generate FiberFX fur if you plan to use the LWDynamics option (that is still experimental).
2. Any subdivision order may now be used for FiberFX objects.
3. For LWDynamics to work properly, the surface of the mesh generating the guides must be called "Default."
4. If you wish to bake to an MDD, you need to do so after LWDynamics has been activated and created the guides, or you will have a point order/quantity mismatch.
5. Never save an object when LWDynamics is active, unless you specifically wish to save a version with the guides added to the real geometry of the object. If you do that, however, next time you load the scene LWDynamics will attempt to create new guides on the object. If you do want to save a version with the guides as geometry, use Save Transformed instead, and save to a different filename.
6. When using LWDynamics, you must turn off Render Lines on the Render Globals panel, or the guides will be rendered in the image.
7. FiberFX support in VPR is still preliminary and will have stability issues. Both systems will be developed for improved interoperation and support in each new development cycle.

Important changes to FiberFX:

1. Volume render of Fibers is now much faster than before.
2. Volume render quality is very similar to the Pixel Filter render now, using the same settings.
3. Volume render mode now shows in VPR (Pixel Filter mode is not supported).
4. LWDynamics mode for dynamic fur has been added, but please consider it still experimental.

Other info (and videos) coming soon.

I really hope anyone can appreciate how much FiberFX has been improved since 10. With 10.1 users are receiving not just bug fixes, but for sure a better tool!



I'll be working on some videos showing some of the possible workflows about FiberFX.


We can:

- use the FiberFX modeler plugin to create and edit guides (that we can animate using ClothFX dynamics);

- create fur in Layout directly (that can be edited using the brush tool);

- use the LWDynamics option to animate the fur created in Layout using ClothFX;

Something really cool is the fact that we can create guides in Modeler, export them in Layout, brush them and save out a transformed version (or several ones) we can use to render Fibers.

We can use texturing (layer and nodal) to define the fiber settings and to animate it.

Of course we can combine all the techniques in the same project.

As a user, I'm really excited when I think about what I can create now using FiberFX, and I really hope to be able to share this with you as soon as possible.

[On LWDynamics and Bone deformations:]

If you're using LWDynamics, is because you're going to use ClothFX, and to FIX the Default surface (remember, your Surface MUST be named Default when you want to use LWDynamics).

However, the generated guides should follow the bone deformation without problems.

Lino can we also just create and brush guides in layout then export guides to be used for volume mode? I don't know if this was asked or explained yet but in any case I missed it.

I think is possible. You activate LWDynamics and save your object (maybe with another name).

Than you can load it in Modeler and take away the geometry used to generate the fibers.

Hi Lino,

Which leads me to wonder about this line from the latest build notes:

5) Never save an object when LWDynamics is active.

Can we have clarification about why this is not recommended?

G.

Sure!

Let's say you have your object in the scene (no guides, just polygons generating fur, as a sphere).

When you activate LWDynamics, some polychains are added to the object (the geometry is added in Layout, but if you have Modeler open and HUB active, you can see the newly created guides in Modeler too).

Now you can animate the polychains to animate the fur on the ball.

If you save your scene and your objects, you're saving the ball WITH the guides. So if you reload the scene, FiberFX will try to create guides on an object that already has them, producing a crash.

As I wrote, LWDynamics option is still experimental, so you have to know exactly what you're dealing with. That's why proper documentation and videos are absolutely needed.

Next item is more on the preceding topic of object saving and LWdynamics guides:

From my very last test, looks like Jon has fixed the problem with saving an object when the guides are created. Very cool. BUT VERY PROBABLY STILL UNSAFE.

But this means that if the user wants to save the guides, he should copy/paste the object with guides in Modeler, from the original object to a new one.

Can´t my object with 4 layers have 2 using volume and reflection and the others 2 using pixel filter?

Not at the moment. Volume is a global option affecting all the FiberFX meshes. And remember, do not use multilayer objects to generate fibers. I stll have to verify one thing however...more info coming soon.

Thread for continued discussion: http://www.newtek.com/forums/showthread.php?t=121207