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Keyframe for surface shader parameters?

PatrickBPatrickB Posts: 8
edited December 1969 in Daz Studio Discussion

Hi, first post. This is for DS4.

I understood that it was NOT possible to animate the surface shader dials (ex: opacity strength) and the solution to achieving animated surfaces is to use Shader Mixer / variable brick.

However I find that if I move the timeline to say, frame 30 and modify a parameter such as opacity strength, it will animate nicely! In other words, a keyframe is created for that parameter on frame 30. Oddly if I add a second figure to the scene and reproduce the above the parameter does NOT animate. Reloading the scene seems to wipe out that first keyframe as well.

Could someone clarify this for me please. I'm super confused.

Thanks,

Patrick

Comments

  • JaderailJaderail Posts: 0
    edited December 1969

    There is a Script Tool sold here for DAZ Studio now that allows surface texture animation. It is not all that hard to set up once you have made the texture animation files. It is found here...
    http://www.daz3d.com/animated-textures-script-for-daz-studio

  • RuphussRuphuss Posts: 2,631
    edited December 1969

    Jaderail said:
    There is a Script Tool sold here for DAZ Studio now that allows surface texture animation. It is not all that hard to set up once you have made the texture animation files. It is found here...
    http://www.daz3d.com/animated-textures-script-for-daz-studio

    this tool is for exporting a pic sequence rendered in daz into a movie editing program

  • JaderailJaderail Posts: 0
    edited March 2014

    Actually it is for Animating any Surface in DAZ Studio using the Timeline. And if you read it and and the Release thread you would see the power and possibilities it offers when you combine the textures with the animated morphing of Genesis 1. When Dragonstorm created this and the DAZ Studio Snow shader from all us other users asking nice for them I for one was very happy to get something that did all this one did.

    The Animated Sequence is the texture file changing over time. You then use this script to add that sequence to the surface one frame at a time on the timeline and the Items texture animates as the rest of the scene renders by frame. It is very cool and easy to use.

    Post edited by Jaderail on
  • PatrickBPatrickB Posts: 8
    edited December 1969

    That's a novel idea, but I foresee a difficulty using this approach on an entire figure (which is what I'm doing) with many texture maps and other surface parameters that are not dependent on texture maps.

    Currently I have a character with material A applied. The character has a geometry shell with material B applied (like a second skin). Now all I have to do to change from one material to the other is modify the opacity of the geometry shell's materials. More transparent = material A is more visible, more opaque = material B is more visible.

    It would be great If I could just animate that opacity. Indeed, as I said, it DOES work inconsistently. This is the equivalent of a BLEND material in an application such as 3dsmax.

  • JaderailJaderail Posts: 0
    edited December 1969

    One of the Demos shows how the Genesis Base Male was morphed into a werewolf textures and all. Its really worth finding the release thread in the Commercial section and reading through it. Lots was explained.

  • chorsechorse Posts: 163
    edited March 2014

    @PxDesign: I don't believe you can keyframe textures in DS. You can do it in Poser using the blender in the material room, along with visibly and other parameters. The DS is sorely lacking in this capability. You can actually use the animated texture script mentioned by Jaderail, to simulated changing textures. E.g. you would do it by using the same texture for the first 200 frames and another texture for the next 400 frames etc., but this is a lot of overhead and work for what should be a simple change of texture. I think this could be done with a script, but I haven't really delved into DS scripting. The workaround is to render the first sequence of animation frames with one texture, change the texture manually in DS then render the next sequence etc.. and put it all together in a video editor.

    The ability to to keyframe material/surface properties is a big deal for animators, but DS does not seem focused on animation. If it wasn't for GoFigure and their tools especially keyMate, DS would be in the dark ages in animation.

    I made a feature request to keyframe textures at the "What do you hope to see in 2014?" thread. You could add your voice at: http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/34554/P195 . Squeaky wheel gets the grease and all that....

    Post edited by chorse on
  • JaderailJaderail Posts: 0
    edited December 1969

    The Script in the store is able to set when it runs and ends... as in start at frame 50 end on 60 or so on just saying...

  • RuphussRuphuss Posts: 2,631
    edited December 1969

    I created the caustics on the body with this tool

    http://youtu.be/sS4s0Co-TM4

    but you cant play it animated in daz
    you have to use an external video editing program

    heres the thread where I discussed it with draagonstorm

    http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/33791/

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