Re: Custom Contour Shader Questions...

["Tim Leydecker" <BauerOink(at)gmx.de>]

I havenÂt used the latest versions of Flash but did you check
if the features you need will actually import correctly into Flash?

That program is a bitch when importing larger numbers of vectors
with loads of knots and fills, tends to optimize the shapes unasked,
resulting in disapearing lines and fills on random frames. No fun...

Last time I did vectoroutput I used Maya (ravix engine) and split
things up into scenes, outputting seperate layers, one with the
Normalangles set to hard at edges supposed to have outline,
all others set to 180Â to prevent random lines to show up.

Second pass flat fills (all angles 180Â) and a third with gradient
shading (huge files, not ideal for webstuff) on select objects.

All that combined in Flash on layers and sifted through deleting
things may give you more options than trying the above in one go?

Especially if you happen to have Lightwave anyway?

Cheers

tim


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Thomas Helzle" <xsi(at)screendream.de>
To: <XSI(at)Softimage.COM>
Sent: Friday, December 01, 2006 9:02 AM
Subject: Re: Custom Contour Shader Questions...


> Hm - I'm not sure what it can do. I need outlines, creases, material borders and if 
> possible a texture threshold too. And yes, I fear I would need full hidden surface 
> to prevent showing back side lines through the wire.
> Is Swuff dead then?
>
> Cheers,
>
> Thomas Helzle
>
> Am 01.12.2006, 08:33 Uhr, schrieb Kim Aldis <XSI(at)kim-aldis.co.uk>:
>
> > I Keep saying I'm going to publish my eps export plugin. It doesn't do full
> > hidden surface, just back-face culling but would it be of any use to you
> > here?
> >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: owner-xsi(at)Softimage.COM [mailto:owner-xsi(at)Softimage.COM] On
> > > Behalf Of Thomas Helzle
> > > Sent: 01 December 2006 01:07
> > > To: XSI(at)Softimage.COM
> > > Subject: Re: Custom Contour Shader Questions...
> > >
> > > If Contour Shaders prove to be unusable, I will have a look at that
> > > stuff, but the examples in that paper don't look too motivating to me.
> > > The Tomcat shader may use some basic principles from this technique to
> > > find the contours, but it uses maya paint effects for its great looking
> > > strokes and styles AFAIK, something that isn't available anywhere else.
> > >
> > > But Hair placed along contours may be a funny idea to try... :-)
> > >
> > > I know a lot of other NPR workarounds and techniques, like cloning your
> > > model, make it all black, render/show only backside polys and use a
> > > push op (or displacement) to set your line thickness. Visible in the
> > > viewport too and renders reliably with almost no overhead since it
> > > isn't based on subsampling. Combined with weightmaps for the push or
> > > displacement maps, you have very fine control over the "strokes".
> > > ...and sure it has problems too like all options I have evaluated so
> > > far... ;-)
> > >
> > > But for this particular job, I just need simple Flash-compatible ink
> > > lines in one color over extremely simple objects for animated symbols
> > > and waiting half an hour for 25 frames at 350 pixels square isn't
> > > practical when Lightwave can do it with better quality in seconds.
> > >
> > > Well, I look forward to try the MR contours with Halfdans help.
> > > I will let you know if I come up with something usable.
> > >
> > > guillaume: I don't know what happened exactly, but Toon shading was the
> > > only "unusual" thing in the project, so I assumed it to be the cause
> > > for the crashing and massive buggyness. Sure I can be wrong and it was
> > > goblins... ;-)
> > >
> > > Does the old Swift 3D for XSI still work in 5.11? Maybe I can find an
> > > old license somewhere on ebay?
> > >
> > > Kim: Does your "Swuff" still work for 5.11? Is it available somewhere?
> > > All links I found are dead.
> > >
> > > Thanks for all the input!
> > >
> > > Thomas Helzle
> > > www.screendream.de
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Am 30.11.2006, 19:38 Uhr, schrieb Ahmidou Lyazidi
> > > <ahmidou.xsi(at)gmail.com>:
> > >
> > > > I don' t want to be redondant but geometric stroques look like one of
> > > > the best solution for me realtime viewport preview, render fast as a
> > > > mouse buton clic, texturable, deformable and so on....
> > > > the siggraph paper (section 4.4) :
> > > >
> > > >
> > > http://www.gamasutra.com/education/theses/20030707/jerome_thoma_thesis
> > > > .pdf
> > > >
> > > > This is this technic that is used bye the maya toon module
> > > (previously
> > > > a plugin called tomcat toon shader)
> > > > http://www.deathfall.com/article.php?sid=5239
> > > >
> > > > the advantage is that it can give many hand drawing styles as well as
> > > > clean lines.
> > > >
> > > > just my 2 euros.
> > > > A.
> > > >
> > > > 2006/11/30, perryh(at)netzero.net <perryh(at)netzero.net>:
> > > >>
> > > >> This brings up a great subject:
> > > >>
> > > >> We need a good, fast, flexible Toon renderer for XSI. Toon Ink, and
> > > >> contours in general, are only going to take us so far, especially
> > > >> after we deal with all the problems stated below.
> > > >>
> > > >> finalToon from Cebas seems to be
> > > >> one of the best out there, and having this in XSI would be great.
> > > >>
> > > >> I'm not holding my breath, though. They seem to be focused mostly on
> > > >> Max and Maya these days. Still, I did just email them to suggest
> > > they
> > > >> contact Will at Softimage.
> > > >>
> > > >> Perry
> > >
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