Importing assets from Daz3D
by Dean Calver · 08/08/2010 (8:39 am) · 8 comments
I've been working on importing models and textures from DAZ Studio using the Digimi GDK. Until recently DAZ didn't allow any of their assets to be used in game engines, however with a new developer store developer.daz3d.com and new EULA its now possible.
If you don't know DAZ3D content, its characters are sold as base models with morphs that you dial to adjust to your liking, then clothed using many options from the store and similarly for hair. Its allows you to achieve some very nice models and textures with almost a plug and play ease of use, very handy if you not an artist. The expense is not the cheapest but the quality is much higher than most game ready models on the market.
However with their assets, being designed first and foremost for off-line picture and animation renders, there is some work to bring them into a state thats useful for Torque3D.
I'm still experimenting with the path to get the best result, however I've got some reasonable result so far with no animation. The main issues I've still to full solve are transparency especially of hair and tuning the material parameters.
Before preparing to bring into T3D, a fully clothed with hair model will easily break 100,000 polygons and with many extremely high non power of two textures. The Digimi GDK has a decimator that brings the poly count down and a texture atlusing tool, that combined the many textures in a few pages with the sizes adjusted to fit a more real-time need (i.e. its usually not in the interest of a game to have 1000x1000+ images just for an eyeball!).
Still got some way before I'm happy with the results, but the picture provided is a 10K model including clothes and hair. With 4 2048x2048 texture page (2 of Diffuse/Alpha and 2 of Specular). Important steps to do, are better texture packing (the textures seem lower res than they really are :-/ ) and producing a normal map to capture some of the high res detail.
Bye,
Deano
If you don't know DAZ3D content, its characters are sold as base models with morphs that you dial to adjust to your liking, then clothed using many options from the store and similarly for hair. Its allows you to achieve some very nice models and textures with almost a plug and play ease of use, very handy if you not an artist. The expense is not the cheapest but the quality is much higher than most game ready models on the market.
However with their assets, being designed first and foremost for off-line picture and animation renders, there is some work to bring them into a state thats useful for Torque3D.
I'm still experimenting with the path to get the best result, however I've got some reasonable result so far with no animation. The main issues I've still to full solve are transparency especially of hair and tuning the material parameters.
Before preparing to bring into T3D, a fully clothed with hair model will easily break 100,000 polygons and with many extremely high non power of two textures. The Digimi GDK has a decimator that brings the poly count down and a texture atlusing tool, that combined the many textures in a few pages with the sizes adjusted to fit a more real-time need (i.e. its usually not in the interest of a game to have 1000x1000+ images just for an eyeball!).
Still got some way before I'm happy with the results, but the picture provided is a 10K model including clothes and hair. With 4 2048x2048 texture page (2 of Diffuse/Alpha and 2 of Specular). Important steps to do, are better texture packing (the textures seem lower res than they really are :-/ ) and producing a normal map to capture some of the high res detail.Bye,
Deano
About the author
Been a games dev for more years than its comfortable to remember. Have shipped a fair few games, most recently have been Lead Programmer on Brink and Heavenly Sword.
#2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7UM0TG5TyI
08/08/2010 (3:15 pm)
Yeah Brokeass have this up on their youtube, a WIP of vicki 4.2 in T3Dhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7UM0TG5TyI
#3
Yeah we've been working with Daz3D to do some pre-made builds of their figures, so the game-ready work is done for you.
My advice is shoot for 15k-20k polys and then add LODs. You can get a much better representation of the original figure, and possibly better performance (vs no LODs and a 10k max). Its 2010, these engines can handle a few more polys now! ;)
The normal/spec maps... I would think that Zbrush would offer some of the best results by loading in the high poly meshes, injecting your low poly mesh as the lowest subdivide, then generating some tangent based normals, which will automatically apply to your lowest divide. (lot of work there to do it right... you can also use a texture based method, like Crazybump or Nvidia/Photoshop).
You gotta watch out for seams, though. Daz figures have some great textures but alot of seams that can come back to haunt you once normals are applied.
Andy linked my newbest video, first tests in T3D, but here's some later loops we did for Daz to playback at the tradeshows.
Jondo
08/08/2010 (5:05 pm)
Hi guys,Yeah we've been working with Daz3D to do some pre-made builds of their figures, so the game-ready work is done for you.
My advice is shoot for 15k-20k polys and then add LODs. You can get a much better representation of the original figure, and possibly better performance (vs no LODs and a 10k max). Its 2010, these engines can handle a few more polys now! ;)
The normal/spec maps... I would think that Zbrush would offer some of the best results by loading in the high poly meshes, injecting your low poly mesh as the lowest subdivide, then generating some tangent based normals, which will automatically apply to your lowest divide. (lot of work there to do it right... you can also use a texture based method, like Crazybump or Nvidia/Photoshop).
You gotta watch out for seams, though. Daz figures have some great textures but alot of seams that can come back to haunt you once normals are applied.
Andy linked my newbest video, first tests in T3D, but here's some later loops we did for Daz to playback at the tradeshows.
Jondo
#4
Still lots of work, some seams and too shiny.
08/10/2010 (7:49 pm)
Some more work, normal map transfer via a tool I have and some slight material work (some transparency and specular).Still lots of work, some seams and too shiny.
#5
08/13/2010 (12:45 am)
I'm trying to get somethign good from Aiko and Hiro but its really hard. Have you tried those?
#6
Note this was a quick < 1hr convert, so has some issues and no hair. The clothes don't quite fit, some seams, dodgy textures and also no specular or tuned materials.
All texture 1Kx1K and the model is 10K triangles with clothes. Has a generated 1Kx1K normal map.
I need some more cloths and hair for Aiko, the basic V4 outfits and hair don't seem to work that well on her.
Deano
08/13/2010 (7:19 am)
Couldn't sleep, so got up early this morning and did a very quick Aiko.Note this was a quick < 1hr convert, so has some issues and no hair. The clothes don't quite fit, some seams, dodgy textures and also no specular or tuned materials.
All texture 1Kx1K and the model is 10K triangles with clothes. Has a generated 1Kx1K normal map.
I need some more cloths and hair for Aiko, the basic V4 outfits and hair don't seem to work that well on her.
Deano
#7
08/15/2010 (6:30 pm)
How did you get the decimator to work with our destroying the eyes at 15-18k polys?
#8
I found the best way is to adjust the decimator with default weights until it breaks down and then try adjusting the weights (followed by set weights button) on various bits to see which ones affect the parts your interested in.
Repeat and Rinse until you get fairly close to the polygon counts your interested in or you've hit the limit of the decimator.
However I've also found (not on figures) that some static meshes need vertex welding externally before decimating (Daz are aware and are looking at it :) )
HTH
08/15/2010 (6:54 pm)
I adjusted the weights around the eyes and face, so as to tell the decimator to preserve the shape there.I found the best way is to adjust the decimator with default weights until it breaks down and then try adjusting the weights (followed by set weights button) on various bits to see which ones affect the parts your interested in.
Repeat and Rinse until you get fairly close to the polygon counts your interested in or you've hit the limit of the decimator.
However I've also found (not on figures) that some static meshes need vertex welding externally before decimating (Daz are aware and are looking at it :) )
HTH
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