cmiVFX: Softimage ICE Scalar Data

Within this training video Thiago Costa explores the development of a toolset that deals with scalar data in ICE, by showing it in the context of a weightmap tool. He will guide you through his exploration process and implementation of how to use per-point values to capture and store data between different sources, to diffuse data across the mesh, work with time information and much more.

Chapter Descriptions

Experiments
Experimenting with different setups and finding the limits of developing such a system is the goal of this lesson. The author presents many different uses/tests done with very simple graphs that might influce the way the rest of the work is developed.

Initializing Data
This lesson will show how to initialize scalar data in an object, and how that compares to the way the standard WeightMap tool works in XSI. We try to mimic the initialization of such a tool in ICE.

Display Data
Using a standard Weightmap we will display the ICE data created in the pevious lesson. This explores the concept of computing data in ICE, and displaying/connecting to non-ICE features in XSI.

Improving The Base
This lesson we explore the first flaws on the basic level of the system, and how to solve them to guarantee a better environment to further develop the tool. By doing such abstractions now, we will be able to expand the system in the future by thinking of the global aspect of the tool from the ground up.

Distance from Null
Using the length property of a vector we will create a soft distance field from a null center and use that to build the system foundation of changing values in the point set.

Implementing Features
We identify the features needed on the previous node and start working on that. We will see how to add a Motion Sensivity term to activate the painting as well as sharpness control.

Mess with Time
This lesson goes into understanding how time works and how we can use time to gradually control the gradual decay of the values stored in the surface of a mesh.