CrazyBump

CrazyBump is an excellent tool that generates Normal Map, Displacement Map and Occlusion from photgraph. You may tweak the generated data by tweaking parameters with real-time preview.

The beta version is free in 30 days. The stable version will be not free. This tool deserves to be paid money. Professional game developers look very much to this tool. And, I want to use this at also home, because the tool is easy to use for programers. Please, low price!

I tried it.



Download a picture from Turbo Squid for test.



Start CrazyBump. Click "Open photograph from file".



Umm. I thought that I should select the right shape.



Great!


By the way, the normal mapping is one of the standard expression of the next-gen video games. It's impossible to make normal map by hand, so anybody presents a new way how to use normal map with a new tool.

For example, some tool bakes shadow to texture by the normal map(*). This covers the weak point of the normal map expression. It's impossible to do such texture baking by hand.

This movement is the chance for 3D tool vendor. So they will present many new ways with their new products.

(*) This way is not useful for the case which the light-source moves. But, if a game uses light-map, the light-source can not move. So that's not big problem.

The best UV editor?

A designer said, "UV mapping is not difficult, but a troublesome task" in this page. The page expains that the most important thing for UV mapping is guts. lol

Many designers agree him. There are many UV mapping features of each product, but they don't have big difference. Everyone need guts and much time to do UV mapping.

Even if Modo's UV mapping feature is excellent very much, we can not use it in free time. Because, UV mapping uses much time of our free time.

Maybe, we should choose not UV mapping but direct 3D-painting. I think that Direct 3D-painting like BodyPaint 3D is the best solution for free-time projects, because it does not need to use much time editing UV points.

3D-painting features are implemented in many products. The most popular product of them is BodyPaint 3D. But, it's not reasonable for free-time projects, if you are not the rich. I am not the rich to pay $1000.0 to only direct 3D-painting feature.

Blender has such a feature like Modo's. At the beginning, we should try it.

High Quality Degital Tutorial Books

The blender art publishes very high quality digital tutorial books. And, some contributors have translated them to French. See the page. I'm surprised at this quality.

I didn't know the existence of these free books. I found the information from here.

How many bones we need for low polygon models?

Japanese deformation characters don't need many bones, if the camera is far enough from models. I am trying to check how many minimum bones are.

When I was an animator and was drawing "DETECTIVE CONAN (Case Closed)", I felt that Japanese deformation characters need 12 bones to animate basic actions --- One spline, one neck bone, three leg bones and two arm bones.

This is a half of common 24 bones, and omits major 6-7 bones --- hands, shoulders, divided spines and a waist bone. I added some of them to the minimum bones.

eg) XSI default character Rig;

Cinema4D = BodyPaint3D ?

I didn't know that the latest BodyPaint3D has the same features as Cinema4D. Therefore, does BodyPaint3D equal Cinema4D? It seems that...;

• BodyPaint3D and Cinema4D have the same CORE.
• BodyPaint3D and Cinema4D have the same price.

But, BodyPaint3D is a plug-in, it's possible to use the plug-in in other popular tools --- maya, max and XSI. We can use the excellent BodyPaint feature in Cinema4D, but it is not removable for other tools.

UnrealED4

I didn't know it's possible to get UnrealED4 by buying RoboBlitz. Additionally, I didn't know RoboBlitz using UnrealEngine is sold through Steam. Because Steam is managed by Valve which sales Source Engine, that's an interesting situation.

However, these days, Valve's software doesn't run well on my XP. I have not understood the cause. I can't play Half-Life2 and use Hammer. So I'm just wondering whether to buy RoboBlitz by $15.

flagMOTION breaks a skin mesh

Some features of flagMOTION are better than MilkShape 3D. But, it's impossible to export .X including skin mesh animations. That's a strange problem.

• DirectX Viewer in DirectX August 2006 can not load .X file exported from flagMOTION, and can not display animations correctly
• Old Mesh Viewer can load the .X file and can display its animations correctly

It's possible to solve the problem by re-saving a file with old Mesh Viewer.

flagMOTION

I got flagMOTION which is a low polygon modeller and animation creation toll like MilkShape 3D. This tool is used to create MOD as well as MilkShape.

But, it seems that flagMOTION has an interesting feature. This tool can load BVH from Poser or BioVision. Therefore, I may be able to use flagMOTION as an animation merge tool. I'll try it.

In addition, flagMOTION can export data as OGRE XML model data. It sounds interesting.

C# Possibility for game development

At the present day, most of game developers have to use C++ or C (and a little assembly, shader). These languages are very powerful, C++ is productive enough, so we have no problem.

But, I had wanted other languages for holiday. Any game developers want to develop their own game, but it seems impossible. Because game development needs much time. Most of developers hope to sleep than their own game development on holiday.

For the purpose, I needed some light-weight program languages to develop minimum arcade games. They are rapid game development languages for only holiday. I tried HSP, Python, Ruby, Java and some scripts of game engines. (I used Java for game in the company only once, but I want to use Java for it no more)

After that manner, I had tried many languages, but I got the same result every time. It is that C++ is the most productive language for game development over the world. So I started to check the boost library and OGRE.

After that, I met Managed DirectX and C# 2.0. Managed DirectX is the managed library edition of DirectX. C# 2.0 is extended C# having Generics feature. I thought these are the best answer at the present days. Now, microsoft provides the XNA framework and XNA studio which are .NET products tuned for game development.

C# is the low-performances. Like C# and Java, the languages with GC feature have no aptitude for the real-time processing. When I had the first contact with XNA, I thought that XNA and C# have overcame problems of GC with some ways. But, XNA is very low-performance after all.

However..., I and other developers have the same conclusion of it. The conclusion is that we should be GPU supremacist. On GPU processing, C++ and C# don't have different performances. Ideas that GPU can calculate physics and more are on some books. It may be no productive way...

BRYCE 5.0 Free Download

I was BRYCE 3 user for a long time ago. Last month, I wanted latest version of BRYCE to use it at home. But, because the update cost is expensive, I decided to try another software. And, I bought Vue5 Esprit. It was a good selection. If I paid much money to BRYCE 5.0, I may be cried by this news. BRYCE 5.0 isn't latest version, it's the big news that we can download it free. But, it isn't unlimited duration. If you want BRYCE 5.0, download until September 6th.

• Download Windows version
  
• Download Man version

In addition, I have used Vue5 to render the billboard for cubson GUI Force. I haven't written blog about CG programing for a long time, but I want to restart.

(I am not a web programer, but this blog looks the blog of a web programer)

My Memo

I could not write blog because I'm busy to prepare XTC2006. Also, I became unable to check software which I have to check. Some important and interesting software for me have been released.

Geist3D

http://www.geist3d.org/
This is script driven graphics engine which has interesting GUI tool. I'm surprised that such engines have been developed by open source. In proprietary middleware, a engine which has GUI from the first, is not uncommon. Many middleware is developed with the design of GUI tools. But, in open source software, a GUI tool is an option. Many engines are requested to implement functions as graphics engines. But, if a engine is used by end users, it's important that a engine is designed for tools from the first. Also, important things of XOOPS Cube are not API for programmers but rules for RAD tools.

OGRE3D 1.2.2

http://www.ogre3d.org/
I have never checked OGRE since 1.2.0. And, I have never read the forum in OGRE since last month. I might not be able to check these posts until next month. I want to contribute reports to OGRE through test. (But, I have to complete XOOPS Cube before OGRE)

I should add these task to my GTD.

3D Application Rankings

Well, OGRE which is one of the most popular open source engine, has many toolkits. See the download page. There are enough toolkits for major applications. And, that page shows the ranking about popular applications at OGRE. That's interesting!

The most popular application in OGRE is 3ds max. But, the toolkit for max is the first tool in OGRE. So the toolkit for max is downloaded at each time which new version is released. But, anybody agrees popularity of 3ds max.
We should pay attention to the rank of softimage XSI. XSI is the worst, because Blender registers two items. But, XIS is really excellent for game development. It has the best environment for plugins and programable shader, and it's reasonable. Why is XSI minor? The article of Wikipedia (JA) says about the reason;

Because most 3d applications are high price, most uses don't want to change their favorite application.

The dialog for shader pipeline at XSI is excellent. TDE is interesting environment. XSI should become more popular.

DirectPhysics

I was surprised by the news that Microsoft tries to add DirectPhysics to DirectX. About that news, there is rumor that DirectX will support AGEIA PhysX. If these plan will come true, DirectX will become more excellent for business programing as well as hobby programing.

DirectX is the compositive library to multimedia, and very larger than OpenGL. That is known as the graphic technology of Windows Vista. But, that's not to say that Microsoft stop developing DirectX as a game library. Many developers have deemed that OpenGL is the winner at the next generation game graphics API. Why is the following:

• OpenGL 2.0 has been released -- OpenGL 2.0 has got back the latest graphic technology.
• PS3 uses OpenGL/ES 2.0 as its graphics API.

DirectX is rich but limited usage. That's windows family only. And so, most game developers don't want to learn the library that is platform-dependent. I think that they display a cool attitude toward DirectX. DirectX already has included DirectInput, DirectSound, DirectShow and DirectPlay(P2P). But, these libraries haven't been used necessarily. Also, I have never seen the use of these libraries outside of guide books.

But, Microsoft is perfectly serious about developing powerful video game library. DirectPhysics is surprise, which excites us.

I think that most developers will not use the next version also. Many developer can't suffer that the huge library is platform-dependent. Even if the library is very useful, they want to be around that. But, these libraries is very good for hobby programing.

In that regard, OpenGL doesn't plan to include other than graphics API. OpenGL is simple for graphic developments. And, DirectX is rich for vide game developments.

Nomal mapping and tools

Normal mapping is an age-old technology. Many DirectX guidance books play up it. However it's difficult to implement on current game console and popular GPU. Next generation products have no problem to implement it.

The funny thing is that requested concepts to normal mapping are going through changes. I feel so. In olden days, normal mapping was introduced as laborsaving technology for GPU. But, it became possible to handle very complex polygon models on next generation environments. I feel that normal mapping is played up as laborsaving technology for not GPU but human.

I think that most developers don't want to use much time for models of the background. For expression of brick walls, developers might use normal mapping. And, models of walls will keep on primitive as well as old.

Normal mapping isn't works of human any more. So excellent tools are must. Many software makers throw their solutions for normal mapping into the market. ZBrush is one of front runners at this race. In addition, ZBrush may think that it's more excellent than other tools in texture category also. It has interesting features for 3D painting and manneristic features for modeling.

Modeling by ZBrush is not universal but interesting enough. But many designers in Japan don't hope to use this nonuniversal tool for modeling. ZBrush understands that thing well. So they might recommend combining ZBrush with other tools.

3ds Max v8

3ds Max v8 were out for a while. But, I have never tried that yet. And so, I visited to Audodesk Japan site after a long time today, and found some changes. At first, we can download the trial edition from that site. We had to apply for trial CD-ROM at version 7... Next, version 8 brings really excellent new features. Version 8 lists up 20 features in the site, which contains features of extensions. In other words, Autodesk stopped offering more extensions for profit as well as CharactorStudio.

For 3ds Max, there is a interesting product which is called "e-kaisetsu". This is video tutorials of various software for beginners. I thought once that it has no value. But, it's economy of time. Products for 3ds Max is two kinds. One of them covers version 7 for beginners. Another one covers new features only in version 8. This is interesting approach. This product charges 4,000 JPY for the explanation of new features. It's just pure cost for economy of time.

BTW, new version of 3ds Max has gotten more powerful functions about normal mapping. And users in Japan came to notice ZBrush for normal map. ZBrush wasn't popular enough in Japan. But, it starts to become popular as normal mapping tools recently. ZBrushCentral that is the learning center for ZBrush recommends using 3ds Max with ZBrush. The tutorial that is called "ZBrush normal maps and 3dsmax v8" might be declarations of victory at normal mapping.

OGRE AppWizard

I tried OGRE AppWizard. That's just great! I had to admire it for it's splendor and stability.

You just have to run the javascript file in the case of installation. By only that, you get the application wizard for OGRE. You can select some options from a lot of options for your project. Even more surprising is you can build your project that was generated and modified nothing.

If you select Standard application, some resource files are set up in your projects. And, if you select Sample Framework, you can start developing your application soon with the framework.

I'm surprised that the installer is very kid-glove approach. It has been made too easy to use, whether there are many skilled users around OGRE. Even if tools for skilled users are not kind, it's no problem. But, this tool isn't it. I esteem commitment to quality of this tool.

Sample framework is important, too. It uses ExampleApplication header files that OGRE SDK includes. It becomes possible to build one scene. We can't use it to build many and complex scene that are like games, but it is enough to learn with building sample scene.

Sample framework is important, too. It uses ExampleApplication header files that OGRE SDK includes. We can't use it to build many complex scene that are like games. But anybody can learn with sample scene by the framework, which build one scene quickly. Some skill programers hate frameworks, because they can build great application without support. But, it's important that start to learn programing effect quickly by sample framework. If you have to develop an application in other category that you have never experienced, you might rely on sample framework which senior developer had prepared.

Interactive Deformable Modeling Framework

DefColStudio was published at SIGGRAPH in 2005. This is Interactive Deformable Modeling Framework. In the demo application, we can pick up the model, wave it and hit another model by the model. It's very interesting.

This demo application was developed by Bruno Heidelberger to explain his research. It uses CEGUI for interface, OpenGL and OGRE for rendering. So this demo is one of results which is made by OGRE. What we should pay attention to is that a academic who has enough programing skill selected OGRE, to explain CG technology. In other words, OGRE has enough library and enough toolkits for prototype already.

Bruno is a research assistant at Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, and works at AGEIA. AGEIA became popular by PhysX recently. His profile explain that he works on next generation game physics at AGEIA. PhysX made by AGEIA is the special board that realizes next generation game physics. Perhaps he might be a member in PhysX development team.

OGRE

OGRE is rendering engines and one of open source projects which I always watch. It has many users' favors, good toolkits and detail documents. When I began watching OGRE, it had not released regular version yet. So users had to check out source code and compile it to watch the progress of OGRE project in every times. OGRE had been at 0.9.x for a long time, and official team and 3rd party developed various toolkits in the meantime. I thought OGRE might not be completed because the plan of OGRE is too large. But, OGRE had been released as regular version with many toolkits and official documents.

OGRE has given much effects to other projects, and some projects about OGRE started. CEGUI is the best project of them. OGRE, CEGUI and some toolkits bring easy 3D programing to hobby or other category. For example, we can see OGRE applications in SIGGRAPH. These libraries are useful to test our opinion. Also students in a certain Germn game school use OGRE to learn 3D programing.

But, OGRE isn't popular in Asia. That reason is that users in Asia can't use their mother language in OGRE because it doesn't support UTF-8. Some solutions have been suggested, and there is also 3rd patch. But there is no official solution. This thing might continue to be hot topic in OGRE for a while.

Change of curved surface modeling

The latest issue of CG WORLD introduces the method of curved surface modeling. At the opening of that article, the history over the curved surface is explained:

1. Polygon is the most popular method. But, modeling by polygon has the weak point that flood of data is generated when making complex geometry.
2. In contrast, the free-form curve is small size of data. But, it needs CPU load for calculation. And, it's complex and difficult to use. It was popular for a period of time.
3. Although the method of polygon has weak point for complex geometry, it is almost always used for curved surface, because the recent computers are powerful.

Then, that article gives the tutorial that uses MAYA, 3ds MAX, XSI and LightWave. All of these tutorials use curved surface (Sprain). The curve tools of these applications are very good. But, where is Shade? Shade has implemented the curved surface only, since the spec of computer was low. It has a lot of weak point, but I think CG WORLD should have a respect for Shade. I feel sorry about Shade.

I have always liked the method of curved surface. I want to handle it in the real-time processing. It's difficult for a while.

The most of the next generation game console has the function to use spline curve directly. But, I saw that the curve of road consists of the polygon at the race game of XBOX 360. Anybody may not be able to use the spline nicely because the spline at the real-time processing is too difficult for calculation. Maybe the subdivision surface is better for the real-time processing than the spline.