AI crowd simulation

Earl1nt · 06-05-2003, 02:53 AM

There seems to be a lack of knowlege about what the next version of lightwave should have. AI crowd simulation is by fare the most important feature. That currently is'nt available as a plug-in or intergrated solution. Ever other feature request is available as a plug-in.

ac4--> auto character rigging.
soft & riggid body dynamics----> impact 3
and motion designer, which is very powerful.
sasquacth---> hair/fur from worley labs.
3d paint---> deep paint 3d or Body Paint.
fluid dynamics---> next limit real flow & real wave..

the fact is if you need any of these extra features you can get them. all ecept AI crowd simulation..

Crowd simulation is the future, check AI implaint or XSI behaviour or massive. try and do large crowd scences without crowd simulation.... wont happen in a reasonable amount of time..

Lightware 8 needs crowd simulation, and the reported advanced character and game tools..

Mylenium · 06-05-2003, 03:59 AM

I hate to say it, but crowd sim is not the way to go. Like I already stated in many other threads most people would rarely use it ('cos mass scenes are not every day business) and it would only consume a lot of development resources from NT (doing AI is quite complex). Your argument with the plugins is not really acceptable, either. Yes, those solutions are sometimes nice but limited. Especially the character tools and dynamics need integration. Think for instance of animating a character climbing a mountain - this would be much easier with interactive collision detection (and afterwards fun if you wanted him to fall off the cliff

). You cannot do that with Impact and LW right now.

Mylenium

Panikos · 06-05-2003, 05:50 AM

I agree with Mylenium. Such features are required by 10 major studios.

Considering the Next Limit case, I would say that almost no other development company was involved into a similar application.
God knows how much research is behind fluids.

I prefer LW[8] to have several new enhancements used by thousands of users, instead spending the time for coding a AI crowd application and keep LW[8] with weak additions.

Long time ago there was a company that was coding such a tool, I think is called Implant, and was looking for betatesters. Dunno what happened.

mattc · 06-05-2003, 06:42 AM

Panikos,

Implant was suspended for a bit...but then the company who publishes posted an ad for LW folks on the plugin dev list not too long agao,so I guess it's back in development again.

Regards
Matt

electroNIX · 06-05-2003, 07:11 AM

I have seen some LW-Demo where the guy (sorry forgot his name) used a couple of particles to "roll" over the ground and then he attached some expression-guided version of "the Freak"... so he had 3-4 Freaks running around... thats enough crowd-simulation for most instances.

If I remember correctly the makers of the opening scene of Blackhawk down (where the UN was giving food and the warlords robbed it) used poser "people" placed by particles on the ground.
Because the shot was made from a Chopper it did not need to be more complicated

Exper · 06-05-2003, 08:17 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Panikos
Considering the Next Limit case, I would say that almost no other development company was involved into a similar application.
God knows how much research is behind fluids.

Just for knowledge:
Maya 5 -> Maya Fluid Effects

http://www.aliaswavefront.com/en/pro...deffects.shtml

Bye.