Shoulder Patch - When modeling for DForce add on, same mesh? or separate obj?

Diomede

I am creating a uniform jacket for a generation 8 figure.  I want it to be DForce compatible.  The jacket will have patches on the shoulders.  I see DForce Add Ons listed as an option in the DForce simulation pane drop down menu.  To use the DForce addon approach for the patches, should I model the patches separately from the jacket?  Or should I include the patch mesh in with the jacket and just assign a different group (face group?  Surface group?).  How do I actually use the drop down menu?

Any help would be appreciated.

richardandtracy

Can I suggest that, if you've not already done so, that you read through this thread: https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/208141/how-to-use-dforce-creating-a-blanket-draping-clothes-on-furniture-and-much-more-commercial/p1

I'm not convinced - but I'm not certain - that your understanding of a dForce Addon is quite the same as described in the thread.. I know there is a lot there, but it's worth reading.

Regards,

Richard

Diomede

richardandtracy said:

Can I suggest that, if you've not already done so, that you read through this thread: https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/208141/how-to-use-dforce-creating-a-blanket-draping-clothes-on-furniture-and-much-more-commercial/p1

I'm not convinced - but I'm not certain - that your understanding of a dForce Addon is quite the same as described in the thread.. I know there is a lot there, but it's worth reading.

Regards,

Richard

Thanks.  I do not understand the DForce add on, so I am quite sure my understanding is not the same as the thread.  Will take a closer look.  Much appreciated.  

richardandtracy

I have read most of the thread & I'm not convinced I completely understand, either. I have tried to create a dForce poncho myself, having been given a bit of confidence by that thread. It didn't go entirely to plan as you can see from this mildly NSFW image (female chest visible) will show: https://www.renderosity.com/gallery/items/3039124/sort-this-out-immediately

Regards,

Richard

Richard Haseltine

A dForce Addon can be used to invisibly pin or brace the mesh, to keep it more in shape. You might use one with a modelled patch to make it stiffer than the actual polygons constituting the model would be, but it isn't itself about adding visible elemnts to the item.

Diomede

Richard Haseltine said:

A dForce Addon can be used to invisibly pin or brace the mesh, to keep it more in shape. You might use one with a modelled patch to make it stiffer than the actual polygons constituting the model would be, but it isn't itself about adding visible elemnts to the item.

Thanks.  Yes, I see now I am mixing up terms and concepts.   

Diomede

I think the term for what I want is a follow node.

Richard Haseltine

A Rigid Follow Node makes the parented item follow the selected parts of the mesh as they deform. It is good for things like buttons, which hav a limited point of contact with the clothing - I don't think it would work well for a patch which needs to maintain contact with the surface all around the edges.

Matt_Castle

Richard Haseltine said:

A dForce Addon can be used to invisibly pin or brace the mesh, to keep it more in shape. You might use one with a modelled patch to make it stiffer than the actual polygons constituting the model would be, but it isn't itself about adding visible elemnts to the item.

Strictly yes, adding a scaffolding to keep the garment's shape or keep a row of buttons fastened is the intended use of dForce add-ons, although nothing actually requires that a dForce add-on is made up of polylines or otherwise invisible in the render, so it is possible to use it to add visible elements. But that does come with some headaches because of the oddities of combining different parts.

In this case, I think the smart option may be to use a geoshell (although remember to set the geoshell hidden from the simulation, or you can get some odd results).

While you can't actually edit a Geoshell's base geometry (beyond hiding selection zones or surfaces), you can achieve quite a lot of shape with Iray displacement and cutouts, which can work quite well for something that only needs to follow an existing surface.

I used a similar trick here with the geometry for this swimsuit (available as a freebie here, if you're interested), of displacing a geoshell layer so I could give it thickness to get the refractive clear plastic look that you can't do properly with only a thin layer. I'm not necessarily sure the meme swimsuit I based it on was *supposed* to be plastic (it was originally an illustration, and it's not hugely clear), but hey.