transitioning between two completely different meshes
WendyLuvsCatz
Posts: 38,217
I am puzzling about ways to transition between two completely different meshes and open VDB (for Carrara using Octane3) seems to be the only thing that can do this.
However I have yet to find a way to create VDB files from obj that does not require one to be a coder and compiler 
particles possibly could be another way
3DAge suggested doing a plugin for this for FLUIDOS in that thread and using 3 objects that morph between one could get a reasonable waterfall VDB for example but I am thinking things like DAZ figure shapes morphing to text, animals, clouds the mind boggles, a cloud that morphs into any shape in effect.
I know this is easy in 2D and have numerous programs to do it.
Simple closed shapes the shrinkwrap modifier in Blender is viable but not separate meshes like text or a bunch of clouds, waterdrops etc, VDB could do this if only I knew how to create the files 
apparently Houdini can, I uninstalled it the other day but doubt Apprentice would allow export anyway
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Comments
Could you use https://www.daz3d.com/simtenero-shape-reprojector to transition to a neutral state and then use it on the other mesh to transition back out?
I have yet to see anyone post anything useful from that plugin
if it works nobody seems willing to share renders of the result
I have two other Simtenero plugins I never use too and would not recommend to anyone
and damnit Maya too has an OpenVDB export import but Blender so far is not able to I can only afford the latter software
Shrinkwrap in Blender? Not sure if it has OpenVDB yet though. Sorry must have missed your last post
https://wiki.blender.org/index.php/User:Kevindietrich/OpenVDBVolumePrimitive
no sadly, this is the only project I could find and yes Shrinkwrap works for single closed meshes
brainwave
am trying it but it occurred to me a surface replicator made into real instances would have exactly the same vertex count on every mesh
Don't know if this is a solution ?
http://www.meshmixer.com/
TY I used to use that like Sculptris and Zbrush but it only joins and sculpts
what I am wanting is the ability to form many things from the same mesh but so far surface replicated polygons (just single triangles) made into real instances is proving a massive obj export thats been going for hours!
I am not even sure if it will work.
The only way I can think of is using a spherical morph.
Object-1 is morphed into a sphere (hidden)
Morph object -2 into a sphere over a certian time, then hide it.....at the next frame unhide object-1 and un-morph it.
IE: triangle morphed into a sphere.....sphere morphed into a cube........cube morphed into a sphere.......sphere morphed into a butterfly.
this in Blender is sort of what I wanted to do with VDB but particles are ok too they can have volume in Blender but whether I can export it as an obj series that can be loaded as morph targets is another matter
.
This isn't the droid you are looking for ...
this is using meatballs
HI Wendy :)
You can get VDB (single or sequences) out of houdini apprentice ,. and I know there's a couple of nodes which i think may be helpful,. (Convert to VDB,.and VDB to polygons)
To export a VDB,.
create an object (source) add a Pyro system from the "shelf tools",. select the soure and houdini will create the "Pyro_sim" and "Pyro_Import" nodes,.
Double click to Jump into the Pyro_Import node,. and select the Import_Pyro_Visualisation node,.
Open the tab menu and you should have a menu listing for VDB,. with lot's of options.
Add a "Convertvdb" node and plug the visualisation into that,.
In the convert VDB options,. select VDB ... and add the groups from you pyro sim,. (density, heat,) etc,... I've found that it works best in carrara if you add the bounding box to these options.
Last step is to add an export/file node,. then give it a location and file name to save to.
If you want to export a sequence of VDB Files,. you should add _$F to the end of your file name.
Pics to helps :)
I think it's possible to convert polys to VDB then use CombineVDB (to mix or merge with another VDB),. then ConvertVDB to get back to polys,. but whether there's any UV/texture info left after that is anyones guess, I'm sure you'll find out :)
Normally i'd suggest a transition (fade in /out) or with another "third object" to fill the gaps in changing,. or a flash and a puff of bright smoke,. like real magic
VDB and voxels seems to open up a load of new options
Simtenero shape projector?
https://www.daz3d.com/simtenero-shape-reprojector
https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/162006/simtero-shape-projector-and-daz-carrara-morphs
yeah as I said here and in that thread I have yet to see anyone successfully using it
I may need to reinstall Houdini Apprentice and look at 3Dage's workfiow
the surface replicator idea worked BTW but the files take 24 hours to export!!!!
not got much to show for it
I know this isn't what you really want, but have you considered just using a 2D transformation, the type that used to be really popular in the 1980s or 1990s? That would avoid the mesh considerations altogether. Or is it the technical challenge that you want to crack!
I can already do that with Squilzmorph or even Slomovideo but yeah wanted a 3D effect for a number of reasons
the VDB method was what I was looking for, clouds, smoke fire forming shapes, letters etc for magic fantasy or just 3D titles.
OK I just discovered I had this all along
under bake cache in Blender
quick test video
yeah 1 FPS I was lazy did not compile my image series into an avi
looks like you need to find the auto adjust setting for the bounding box. it should be able to expand the bounding box as the volume increases/rises.
Nice find :)
I also since realised I had it tipped over 90°