Dynamic cloth + related Carrara plugins - Best Practices, Tips and Renders

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Comments

  • VyusurVyusur Posts: 2,235

     

    Diomede, what a beautiful and realistic drape on your model's robe!

     

  • DiomedeDiomede Posts: 15,169
    edited February 2017

    @Vyusur - the long robe in a chair subject was always an interesting problem. The plugin can do a grat job on, as that G2M Garen in a shepherd's robe demonstrated.

     

    Anther recurring issue is draping layered clothing.  I'm still trying to figure this out.  So far, I think it is important to have sufficient mesh density.  The plugin has some ability to do add subdivision with a dial, but here I modeled my own clothing and experimented with different densities.  Extreme test.  How abut a skirt with a lot of folds over a petticoat, with an apron over all of that?  After some initial struggles, I think I got very good results.  To get the flouncy folds, I started with a skirt that issues as a broad circle from the waist so that it would fold when draped.  I put a few waves in itto get the folds started.  The petticoat was a duplicate but with a few changes so that the vertexes would not line up exactly.  The apron was modeled aboe the skirt with a bow in the back. 

     

    I think this attempt got very good results in terms of the layers.

    Here is the custom modeled dress in default pose.

    and here is the resulting plugin drape

    yy proof concept layers 2.jpg
    640 x 480 - 19K
    yy proof concept layers.jpg
    800 x 1067 - 42K
    Post edited by Diomede on
  • 3drendero3drendero Posts: 2,024

    Made a long over due news post about the plugin and VWD in Carrara at CarraraCafe.
    Please check it out and give med feedback if it needs updates or corrections:
    Checking with PhilW about his renders and comments via PM now.

    http://carraracafe.com/news/new-carrara-plugin-vwd-cloth-and-hair-by-philemot/
     

  • DartanbeckDartanbeck Posts: 21,570

    yes

  • PhilWPhilW Posts: 5,145

    It's all good with me, thanks for posting it over there.

  • DartanbeckDartanbeck Posts: 21,570
    PhilW said:

    It's all good with me, thanks for posting it over there.

    Hey PhilW, have you seen this question?

  • Frank__Frank__ Posts: 302

    New version of VWD is out.

  • PhilWPhilW Posts: 5,145

    yes smiley

  • Any news on a Mac version? Last I heard it was in the works. 

  • mindsongmindsong Posts: 1,701
    Frank__ said:

    New version of VWD is out.

    Note that the item listing in your account may not show the update date as being sometime in the last few days, but the file contents are, and the new (beautiful) manual is included.

    been busy, hope all are well!

    --ms

  • DartanbeckDartanbeck Posts: 21,570

    Hope you're well too, my friend!

  • HeadwaxHeadwax Posts: 9,987
    edited March 2017
    mindsong said:
    Frank__ said:

    New version of VWD is out.

    Note that the item listing in your account may not show the update date as being sometime in the last few days, but the file contents are, and the new (beautiful) manual is included.

    been busy, hope all are well!

    --ms

    can someone PM me with a link to the new manual as I bought my vwd straight from the vender? please

    Edit - found it in my emails

    also for further reference in case the forum goes down or something this thread is web archived

    https://web.archive.org/web/20170319231636/http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/98766/dynamic-cloth-related-carrara-plugins-best-practices-tips-and-renders

     

    Post edited by Headwax on
  • JonstarkJonstark Posts: 2,738

    I bought VWD and the Carrara VWD plugin way back when it first came out, but I was too busy to play/learn it at the time, and I'm just trying it out for the first time and running into a roadblock.  When I start the VWD from Carrara, there is a few seconds hesitation, then an error message 'impossible to find the specified file' (although the message is in french, but that's what it says when translated to english).  The VWD window pops up a few seconds after that, but contains nothing in the scene import window, nor am I able to find anything when clicking the 'host list', just gives that same error message again.  Anyone have an idea what I might be doing wrong?  

  • WendyLuvsCatzWendyLuvsCatz Posts: 38,218
    Jonstark said:

    I bought VWD and the Carrara VWD plugin way back when it first came out, but I was too busy to play/learn it at the time, and I'm just trying it out for the first time and running into a roadblock.  When I start the VWD from Carrara, there is a few seconds hesitation, then an error message 'impossible to find the specified file' (although the message is in french, but that's what it says when translated to english).  The VWD window pops up a few seconds after that, but contains nothing in the scene import window, nor am I able to find anything when clicking the 'host list', just gives that same error message again.  Anyone have an idea what I might be doing wrong?  

    it might be too big

    I get that for objects that are too highpoly

  • JonstarkJonstark Posts: 2,738
    th3Digit said:
    Jonstark said:

    I bought VWD and the Carrara VWD plugin way back when it first came out, but I was too busy to play/learn it at the time, and I'm just trying it out for the first time and running into a roadblock.  When I start the VWD from Carrara, there is a few seconds hesitation, then an error message 'impossible to find the specified file' (although the message is in french, but that's what it says when translated to english).  The VWD window pops up a few seconds after that, but contains nothing in the scene import window, nor am I able to find anything when clicking the 'host list', just gives that same error message again.  Anyone have an idea what I might be doing wrong?  

    it might be too big

    I get that for objects that are too highpoly

    Well my testing scene only has a V4 without any morphs and a vertex low poly cylinder, so I don't think it's that.  I think maybe it's something to do with my installation path or maybe the way I'm saving the scene.  I put the VWD in the Poser 9 runtime as it said to do, but I don't know if that's really right or whether I should have put it somewhere else.  Do I need to save the Carrara scene somewhere specific before trying to run VWD?

  • WendyLuvsCatzWendyLuvsCatz Posts: 38,218
    edited July 2017

    you need to point Carrara to it the first time in the path under file VWD

    Post edited by WendyLuvsCatz on
  • JonstarkJonstark Posts: 2,738

    I'm not sure I understood that.  When I first hit the File > Go to VWD inside of Carrara, it gave a popup that told me to input the path to VWD, which I then clicked from C: through the Poser directories down through the Python folder and the poser scripts folder to the VWD folder where the VWD app is located.  Is that what you mean, or something else I'm not doing right?

  • WendyLuvsCatzWendyLuvsCatz Posts: 38,218
    Jonstark said:

    I'm not sure I understood that.  When I first hit the File > Go to VWD inside of Carrara, it gave a popup that told me to input the path to VWD, which I then clicked from C: through the Poser directories down through the Python folder and the poser scripts folder to the VWD folder where the VWD app is located.  Is that what you mean, or something else I'm not doing right?

    yeah that

    no idea then sorry

  • JonstarkJonstark Posts: 2,738

    Ah well, thanks anyway for trying, and it does help to know that I at least am doing that part right.  Do I have to have Poser running in the background?  I've never even started Poser up on my current desktop, much less input the registration key or whatever it would take to log into it for the first time.  I just copied and pasted the file structure over from my last computer, but I didn't think I needed to have Poser up and running to use VWD.

  • PhilWPhilW Posts: 5,145

    No you don't need Poser running, and once you have pointed Carrara to the VWD python script, it should work. The only other thing that I can think of is the version of Python that you have installed, but I am not sure about that as you say that VWD actually opens. You could try PM'ing Philemo.

  • JonstarkJonstark Posts: 2,738

    Well I went to install python 2.7 as per the documentation, the python page said there was a higher version 2.7.13 that was recommended instead as it fixed some bugs, so I went with that, but maybe I should remove that and install the 2.7.0 version instead. 

  • HeadwaxHeadwax Posts: 9,987
    edited July 2017

    Hya Jon, welcome back.

    They recommend you put the VWD folder in the 'main root' of Your C drive.

     

    ie C:/VWD

     

    Have you got the latest version - there''s been a few updates.

    There's also a forum on VWD at Renderosity

    Post edited by Headwax on
  • JonstarkJonstark Posts: 2,738

    I didn't realize you could put it there, but thinking about it, that makes sense, I'll give it a try.  I think my version must be prettty recent, even though I bought it a long time back, I only downloaded it from Renderosity yesterday, so as long as Renderosity keeps their files up to date that should be ok.

    I'm curious how VWD knows what's in your scene to be animated, are you supposed to save the Carrara scene somewhere specific before trying to open VWD first?  Or does it just automatically recognize anything that's in the current scene? And what if you have more than one scene open in different windows of Carrara?

  • JonstarkJonstark Posts: 2,738

    Hey that was it!  As soon as I put the VWD file in just the C: drive it opened without any error message, and I can see both V4 and a conforming skirt I put in the scene showing as in the Scene import box.  Now to figure out next steps...  Thanks Headwax!

  • WendyLuvsCatzWendyLuvsCatz Posts: 38,218

    well mine on my E drive so that explains it

    so is Poser

  • DiomedeDiomede Posts: 15,169

    I predict that you will LOVE the plugin.  And it can do hair as well.

     

    Great to see you posting. 

  • HeadwaxHeadwax Posts: 9,987

    great that worked :)

    yes it's a great program - it's problem is that it is too great! ie there's so many knobs and dials - just use the defaults at first

    and have a look at the tutorials on line

    this is really interesting - it's in French but check the visuals - he is manipulating a chain - he appears to fix some verts in space and then the chain pivots around thosee verts

    so just not for cloth https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zggjPFzI6XQ  go to the 4.10 mark

    Biscuits also has some free tuts at the other place

  • HeadwaxHeadwax Posts: 9,987
    Diomede said:

    @Vyusur - the long robe in a chair subject was always an interesting problem. The plugin can do a grat job on, as that G2M Garen in a shepherd's robe demonstrated.

     

    Anther recurring issue is draping layered clothing.  I'm still trying to figure this out.  So far, I think it is important to have sufficient mesh density.  The plugin has some ability to do add subdivision with a dial, but here I modeled my own clothing and experimented with different densities.  Extreme test.  How abut a skirt with a lot of folds over a petticoat, with an apron over all of that?  After some initial struggles, I think I got very good results.  To get the flouncy folds, I started with a skirt that issues as a broad circle from the waist so that it would fold when draped.  I put a few waves in itto get the folds started.  The petticoat was a duplicate but with a few changes so that the vertexes would not line up exactly.  The apron was modeled aboe the skirt with a bow in the back. 

     

    I think this attempt got very good results in terms of the layers.

    Here is the custom modeled dress in default pose.

    beaut stuff, Mr Contesse has an interesting tut on using the force field to get a layered dress happening  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aN_YzfAHUfY

    Diomede said:

    and here is the resulting plugin drape

     

  • VarselVarsel Posts: 574

    Hi all.

    I just bought VWD.

    Instaled it following the instructions (for both parts and for python)

    But I cant get Carrara to open it. When I go to File - Go VWD Cloth and Hair , the window for entereing the path opens, and after that - nothing.....

    Starting VWD outside of Carrara workes.

     

  • PhilWPhilW Posts: 5,145

    See above - sounds like the issue you are having is the same as JonStark, when he put the VWD file in the C: drive it fixed everything.

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