procedural character generation

honestly, i prefer to wait for all tutorial parts and follow them until i haven't any huge problem (then i will write in skype)


BTW diagram inspired me to suggestion - creating visual editor like as built-in tree editor or Strumpy shader editor instead of "meh" (;P) inspector ? its a lot of work, i know, but it can be future feature and has some advantages - avoid scripting in common situation (creating body slot, creating nodes or arrays options for shape horns e.g., parameters like color etc) and more clearly, intuitive editor (inspector isnt bad but isnt very good )

succubus is funny ;P

 

Third part =D

 

Just caught up with this project and it looks nearing release. Do you know when it might appear on the Asset Store? I assume once this is released you will have the function to save the character for use in a game?

Anyway just wanted to say amazing work! Just playing with the beta is fun, just a shame I can't save a character out.

 

First video about Content creation - focus on sculpting

 

Hey! Thank you = )))
We've been including some new features, and need to update the old serialization code so that we can actually save the avatar created or pack it for multiplayer projects.

 

ok, I seem to get this issue with everyone... if you want to join the skype beta channel, please send me your SKYPE ID.

I need that to add you to our group.

 

Nice modeling demo. The original male face has a bit too much "personality" for a generic toolkit, I assume the final one will be more like the sculpt in progress in the video.

For those of us who are a bit less talented in ZBrush I see that MakeHuman has now removed all restrictions on use of their output content. As soon as we have the UMA mesh I'll try rigging it up as a MakeHuman proxy which should theoretically allow us to customize the UMA base mesh using the MakeHuman morphs.

 

The original male face has a bit too much "personality" for a generic toolkit -> Completely agree with you =) I really needed some normal map with lots of deformation for testing purposes. That´s why I ended with this one.
As soon as we have the UMA mesh -> Joen provided some extra code for new features that I´m integrating on the project. Those new features change part off the the content creation process, so I´ll hold the files until they are following the new concept.

Btw, are you on the skype Channel?
Cheers!

 

Hey, Just a behind the scenes image of overlay calculation =)

 

How is the progress going with UMA? Been quiet for a while now

 

He just replyed few hours before you

Interesting thing there fernando with overlaying.

 

Anyone wanting to contribute thoughts/ideas to either the coding side or content side of the UMA project, we have a Skype group open. Send a PM to Fernando, or UnLogick with your Skype name. The group is getting quite busy with lots of ideas and methods proposed

 

Oh, how could i have missed that... Eumm well, I haven't had my morning coffee

 

Any new updates on this amazing tech? I was hoping something might get announced with 4.2 but not spotted anything yet...

 

Hi there =D
You´re right! With 4.2 I´m working integrating Mecanim avatar creation API and UMA.
Creating specific Mecanim avatars will make it possible to use Mecanim IK solution and may improve performance.

 

That´s how an UMA with unique Mecanim avatar looks like for now Lol =D As you can see, there´s still a lot of work to get it right. Animations are already playing, but I need to feed original bone rotation and position correctly.

 

Hi there guys, I need some feedback. I´m working on the new serialization for UMA. This will make it possible both to save UMA´s and share UMA´s between client/server.
Right now, each UMA element, like body parts and clothes, are kept on a slotLibrary. It´s like a repository of elements that can be used to build an UMA avatar.
We can´t share the element itself between client/server, but we can send some data that help both of them identifying which element is being used.
This data can be a string, carrying the name of the element itself, or and int, the index of the element on the slotLibrary.

If I send the name, we use more bandwidth, but it´s more probable we will find the same element on the slotLibrary of the receiver.
Using index uses much less bandwidth, but requires the same slotLibrary , and slot ordering on both sides.

So, what do you prefer?

 

So from your wording we could create a minotaur or centaur, if the geometry matched up between body parts.

So if that is true then even 3G/Edge bandwidth is sufficient so names like out of Anatomy/Zoology class - it really depends on how interchangeable 'parts' are: but something like creator.character.version.(body)part.version.

So creating a new version of a part would increment the character version and the version of the part as minor versions. Replacement of a part or character with a new geometry would create a 'new character' would increment the major version; like replacing a horse head/chest with a human torso/head to create a centaur.

 

you can use a GUID (that is unique and can identify any object) and if bandwith is a problem you can make a local indexing using a dictionary that keep relation from index (position) and guid (identifier)
so you can think about an initial sync phase where you send id and look for index, build a dictionary of indexes and use it to translate from client and server position, in this way you can use index and save bandwith

Sorry for my english I hope it is understandable

 

Fernando i was thinking one thing...would you maybe want to add Ragdoll system to it? So that avatars could use Ragdoll if checked as true it would be very very helpful to some projects.

 

Certainly thats possible. (These wings was created by Josef Šíma and fits nicely with the UMA human model)



The base model for UMA is actuall split into body, arms, hands, legs, head, etc pieces so you can easily replace just one body part. But obviously you would have to make the seams use UMA standards to make it fit.

 

Hi there Janpec!
UMA won´t include native ragdoll, but including them to UMA prefabs is as simple as including to any character.
A long time ago, I was researching about active ragdolls, that´s something I might be able to include on asset store later.

Webplayer -> dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/3217895/ActiveRagdoll/index.html
Press "r" to reload scene and have a different simulation

 

Hi there guys! Please take a look and give me feedback about UMA beta test website. =D

http://fernandoribeirogames.wix.com/umabeta


Download links are not set. I´ll update pack in following hours.

 

site seems look good but general trendy is reduce height site and better horizontal composition - i suggest reduce height first image box, remove UMA channel and replace News tab with UMA Channel tab

great work

 

Great feedback! Thanks!
I have almost no experience with web design, so this is an extra challenge for me.

 

I´ve reduced first image box. The UMA Channel is in fact duplicated at Developers tab, as video tutorials.. I´m considering removing it.

 

i had mean remove UMA channel on home page for reduce height site because home page should be only presentation without any tutorials. First page should be simply and short so this immediately catch completely newbie user's eye .

but its your decision and your website

first image box look better now i think

hmmm or remove first image box with presentation videos box? - videos has more potential to catch eye (runtime random generation medieval or modern army for example cant be presentation on image - on videos - sure)

 

Thanks!

 

Hi there everyone!

1.0.0.4b is out! http://fernandoribeirogames.wix.com/umabeta

For serialization, just call PackRecipe() on umaData.
streamedRecipe will then be created with all necessary data to re create UMA avatar.

Just bring streamedRecipe to an umaData and call UnpackRecipe(), now this uma data has the correct slot list. It´s just a matter of updating atlas/shape.
I´ve left commented extra code that can be used to do a local test.

Cheers!

 

hmmm which class is use for serialization? custom, binaryFormatter (or other Formatter?) or protobuf-net or similar to proto?

 

I´m working with SoapFormatter.
Let me know if you have any problem with pack/unpack.

 

Forgot to mention, you can trigger Pack and handle it the way you prefer, all "uncompressed" data is kept at umaData.UMAPackRecipe after calling PackRecipe().

 

standard formatters are very (VERY) slow and very easy to throw OutOfMemoryException with bit more objects- i suggest to find better solution in internet or create custom

there is example comparision performance with 1.000.000 iterations

http://code.google.com/p/protobuf-net/wiki/Performance

EDIT

of course binary always is faster but binary isnt convenience - i only show how standard formatters are very big crappy

 

Amazing feedback Breyer! thanks for the link

 

I use protobuf but i dont know if free version of unity can use it and if it works on all platforms

 

probably they use unsafe code (without any c++ code) so webplayer cannot be use but in comments they said that proto can be convert to code without unsafe (in fact without unsafe it is slower approximately 25% - its large in prectenge but in milisecond isnt very different)

 

Hi there guys!
Male content under production

- 2 Male eyebrows and 3 beards.
- Beards can be combined for even more variations
- 3 Male hairs on the way.

 

Keep up the great work Fernando!

 

Thank you Pyro =D

 

Hi there!

Male Hair =)

 

Yay! =D
1.0.0.5b is available at http://fernandoribeirogames.wix.com/umabeta
New content for male avatars

 

Yay
New video:

 

is there a way to integrate UMA with ORK framework

 

It would be amazing if ORK developer integrated UMA on his solution

 

Hey, what do you think?



Based on the amazing work of Benjamin Leitgeb
http://selwy.cgsociety.org/gallery/679742/
http://www.selwy.com/2008/download-free-model-arthur/

 

Looks awesome! Keep up the good work!

 

So cool!!

 

Hey, thanks guys! =D

 

very nice work but i think second back has very strange muscle (but im not sure)

 

i still know i might have to use Content creation Pack to make Toon content