Physically Based Character, Active ragdoll, Beta

In the PBC the ragdoll is animated with forces. The balance is a compromise to make it predictable in real games. It does not fall unless the AI is set to allow it. I think I understand what you are asking. I have considered implementing such a balancing system.

 

Yes. That was the most fascinating part about the concept with Endorphin (Neural networks? Learning).

But maybe that is a whole new level of complication. I think ultimately in the future that is the direction animation is going.

In order to have a balancing system you would need the biped to be aware of its position as well as what to do to adjust the position to remain standing.. Is this really complex to do or not?

 

Propably most complex systems used in games .

 

What is the difference between the PBC and AnimFollow? Can you write a list of specific differences? As well as the advantages of one system over the other.

Look here: http://forum.unity3d.com/threads/released-force-of-nature-weather-and-nature-system.301133/

This is an example of a very good description of all features. I do not demand such a complete description of your assets (but it would be great), but at least a few basic features

 

I would like some simple comparison chart. I still am not clear on what exactly it does. And there seems to be no demo ?

 

I think of the PBC as consisting of three parts: the active ragdoll system, the motion system, and the foot IK.
All these parts are also in AnimFollow, but the PBC systems are significantly more evolved.

The number one difference between AnimFollow and the PBC is the environment interaction.

You can push or drag the PBC character. A vertical force applied to the PBC ragdoll will lift it off the ground if the force is larger than the ragdoll mass times the gravity. A horizontal force larger than the friction forces will move it along the ground. The forces can be applied explicitly or by another collider pushing it.

The PBC character applies forces to the environment. The object it stands on is pushed down with the gravitational forces. If it jumps the jumping forces is transferred to the object too. It also pushes objects along the ground when you walk into them. Also acceleration forces and rotation torque is transferred to the object.

The PBC motion system tilts the character as it accelerates, inwards in corners, forward when accelerating, etc. It also balance the character's center of mass to be above the transform. If you, for example, make one hand very heavy, the character will lean away from that hand, imagine how you look when you carry a very heavy groceries bag.

The motion system has physically accurate friction. If you turn to sharp you will slide. The friction calculates slopes and dynamic forces. If you turn with a berm, both the berm's slope, and the character pushing harder into the berm will allow it to turn sharper. If you run fast and g-out in a valley or over a hill you will have more / less friction forces to manoeuvre.

The motion system is much smoother and natural in the PBC. It is almost entirely made up of blends, and not by transitioning between animation states, making it react faster and look better. Has synced foot step sound.

The PBC supports moving platforms, when moving onto a platform the character will move along with the platform. It also moves platforms if they are moveable, e.g. running onto a cube, lying on ice, will look very natural, the cube and the character will glide away with the momentum conserved.

The PBC supports independent character gravity. You can for example have planet gravity, or have the gravity always perpendicular to the object the character stands on, to do things like ceiling walks.

The foot IK keeps the feet on the ground and keep the step length correct even when leaning, or on a slope. The foot IK looks ahead so that the foot have a chance to move smoothly towards its next position. The foot IK is also used to have the character move naturally over terrain.

The above described features are things that the PBC, but not AnimFollow, can do.
Both AnimFollow and the PBC also does partial ragdoll, and to ragdoll and back.

 

Is the ragdoll independent of your plugin... could I use ragdoll workshop with this asset?

 

So there is no AI.. I mean there is not attempt of the biped to remain standing based purely on physical forces right? So if I am shooting bipeds it is up to me (which can be good or bad) to determine if the biped falls right?

This sounds good but someday I am hoping for something like Endorphin where I can just tell a biped to attempt to stand and give it certain properties .. but not be in charge if the biped falls or not.. Does that make sense?

 

hey, any chance to get some early access to this?

 

Licarell
The ragdoll is automatically created and set up. I cannot see why you would want another ragdoll.

PunkOuter2
Makes sense.

Der_Kevin
Yes, send me an email.

 

thanks, i will come back to you later since we are investigating some more solutions
its still 180$ right?

 

WANT

 

Still sounds interesting. I just like to avoid pure keyframing and the tedious aspects of that and phyics motion is so much more interesting to watch

 

what other solutions ?

 

I made a video in which the collected bugs that could find. It saddened me. Can not make a game with these bugs. I'll wait for their fix. I hope for a speedy fix. While I do not buy this Asset with this bugs. Recorded in the web player- http://www.kavorka-racing.com/pbc-web-player.html
Bugs in video:

Endless "dance";
Bug on the stairs;
Shake in crouching

 

You found bugs in a web player from an alpha build, which right above it has this text: "This web player has some bugs, Sorry about that.".

 

New video

 

Comments like this make me happy:

As an animator, it's my job to bring characters to life, and it's amazing how much physical based interaction adds to that. Your PBC system demo is absolutely wonderful, and after reading the docs, I realized it pretty much has everything I could hope to learn, and looks like great fun to work with.

Contact me to purchase.

 

yes-> you spotted that, that's why doing full dynamic motion synthesis, might be worth the trouble. IMO, its is the holy grail for video games. You get virtual robot you can drop anywhere and it interacts.. it often surprises you I couldn't do it justice in 3d, without a huge team, so I went for a 2d character, in a parallel 2 dimensional universe. The characters in this vid up here are way better than most , for physical realism, but the "all or nothing, and you will become obsessed and you will want to shoot yourself approach", is worth it, even if I don't succeed. the character i see here, is being held upright by external forces. There is IK, kinetic bodies, and a separate ragdoll mod , i think. The "real way" is actually simpler, in that there is changing modes or IK needed. ( except for maybe the brain to plan a move) Otherwise , to land a jump, you'd have to plan a jump, launch, correcting any of any angular vel, and land, correct it by changing your angular movement. ( my 2d insect man is so nimble you can tuck and spin and untuck to land on the feet) Like a figure skater, that obeys the laws of physics wrt angular momentum. My character never changes modes, just strength from floppy dead to rigormortis to jumpy alive and in between. It was a rule from day 1 not to add external forces to make him move, even if adding some to the environment to make it look so.. but the truth is.. the environment did not move it, so say,, walking or a surfboard, or boat will be hard work, or unrealistic. Its been 8 years. But if I cheat you can see either feet slipping ,moonwalking, or or other unrealistic stuff. The tough part is, he still falls too much , and is bouncy. If i solve all that i'll consider the bid walk and run a success. Many other aspects like aiming , shooting, all that stuff, looks natural because hes still a ragdoll. There is active research going on in 3d creatures, , but making a game of it is another challenge. But people play my prototype for hours just because its real. Mini games "emerge" Natural motion still does it but they have a hard time selling it.. most people are not forgiving of the bugs or appreciate its a whole new way of doing animation. But, its how we walk.. its the future . I would never make a game another way. Ive see too much of "emergent gameplay".. oh my game is Kontrol at Puppet Army Faction if you ware interested. it really needs support or it will die ,,and my cult will be heart broken, and so would i. i have won over some 3d game players , because 2d with real physics and "procedural locomotion" or "powered ragdoll" is better, and FPShooters,.. all are very similar. heck, still i play my game.

but i think you should go for full balancing physics..if you have that option.. but its risky and a big investment.. im not even at alpha.. learn about that.. you are still young?

 

Wow, you also have a manual! That's very impressive! This is what I was looking for two years ago. Thank you, you're awesome!

Modelling behaviours on my own went too expensive, so I will try to do the best with it. Do you have open-source repository for it?

 

It is strange that the developer abandoned this project. It looked like an almost complete solution for the Asset Store. I had complaints about earlier versions, but the latest version in the web player was almost devoid of any bugs. As far as I remember, I could not find any serious glitches. The only thing that worried me was how many characters can be displayed simultaneously on the screen. Performance was not clear because there were no more than two or three characters in the demo. Why did the author abandoned the project? I was almost ready to buy it.

 

Puppet master would be a suitable equivalent on the asset store.