Animated Footprints

WendyLuvsCatz · May 2013

an interesting question was posed on the iClone forum about how would you create animated footprints appearing as a character walked.
I had a few ideas but trying it out, none worked.
Was something I had not thought about but can see the potential for snow displacement and lots of uses
however I do not seem to be able to create a cumulative image series video using alpha of say bottoms of feet appearing through the base of a plane etc to do it.
I have tried various combinations of shadowcatch shaders and alpha channel renders

Dartanbeck · May 2013

I was just thinking about that sort of thing myself. That, of course, got me to thinking about Nerd3d's Footstep Tool, which uses morphs in the terrain.

ManStan · May 2013

I'd try an animated displacement map.

3DAGE · May 2013

HI All :)

Sparrowhawke3D has a Footprint modifier.

www.sparrowhawke3d.com

WendyLuvsCatz · May 2013

making the footprints is not the issue
(and thx Andy will check out Sparrowhawk)
it is the animated placing as the figure walks.
hence the need for a cummulative image series to place in the displacement, or just bump and layered diffuse map
making a series of images to match the footsteps easy enough but getting them to add in each consecutive frame my issue
needs to be a series of alpha mapped images that do not show the sole when not in contact with the ground.
hence a view of black feet invisible figure, below a shadowcatch plane with penetration against a white BG
but you can see from my layered in Gimp gif's I cannot get the footprint forming effect.

Dartanbeck · May 2013

Again... no time. Especially now that stone work session is here.
But I'd love to fix this issue. It has to be easy by using a filled poly line matching the shape of a basic foot shape, with morphs to change the size to the most popular figures since V2. Then make a system that can use their placement to modify a specific mesh. Parent those to the feet of the figure in question - Bam!

In Carrara, there's gotta be a way. Oh... and rig them for the toe... forgot to add that! ;)

evilproducer · May 2013

wendy♥catz said:
making the footprints is not the issue
(and thx Andy will check out Sparrowhawk)
it is the animated placing as the figure walks.
hence the need for a cummulative image series to place in the displacement, or just bump and layered diffuse map
making a series of images to match the footsteps easy enough but getting them to add in each consecutive frame my issue
needs to be a series of alpha mapped images that do not show the sole when not in contact with the ground.
hence a view of black feet invisible figure, below a shadowcatch plane with penetration against a white BG
but you can see from my layered in Gimp gif's I cannot get the footprint forming effect.

I would do as Man suggested. You could do an animation to create it, but it's not just a matter of turning the footprint "on." You'd want to fade the effect in. The print would be the same color as the the rest of the displacement map, but as the "weight" is put down, the print would darken, thus making the indentation deeper. Any video editor that handles layers or can otherwise composite should be able to handle it. You would need to time your stride and match the figure to the footprints.

I recall a thread a long time ago in the old forums where someone talked about trying some kind of magnet or deformer to do the job. I can't recall how that worked unfortunately.