robcat2075

If I replace 262145 with 1 that means the CP has 0000 0000 0000 0000 0001 in the first field instead of 0100 0000 0000 0000 0001 With that first 1 missing the default bias through the spline is parallel to a line drawn through its two neighboring CPs. I believe that is an old style that previous versions of A:M used, now named "perpendicular normals"... With the 1 in place the default bias is derived somehow differently. It is not parallel to the neighboring CPs. This modern result is called "biased normals"... The choice of Biased or Perpendicular normals can be selected in the modeler with the same-named buttons which can be added to a toolbar from the Tools>Customize>Commands menu...

The first field is some set of binary flags The second field signifies "attached" (T/F) to another CP (EDIT: A better description of this true/false second field is "Position taken from another CP") The third field is the CP# After that the fields are data and can be of varying meaning In line 26 the 4th, 5th, and 6th fields are X Y Z locations However, in line 27 there is a 1 in the second field (attached = true) so the 4 in the 4th field tells what other CP is it attached to, no X Y Z is supplied the space-dot-space-dot seems to mean "apply defaults for CP bias"

262145 in binary is 0100 0000 0000 0000 0001 262144 in binary is 0100 0000 0000 0000 0000 that is too much of a coincidence for that to not be a binary number where each digit stores some true/false value. The 2.5 byte size would odd, probably not the full possible extent of the value. The real value may be a four byte integer

Hi Charles, Very cool stuff in that video! Very impressive all around. I recall doing some slight investigation these numbers... The first number seems to contain flags about properties of the CP. It may be a binary number with on-off flags. The last digit indicates peaked/not peaked the dot dot is a placeholder for CP bias info when there is none

I guess you are stuck. Since no program presents everything you want and since you have to make some accommodation for what it doesn't, you will have to choose the one with the work-arounds you can live with having to do. The grid in the modeler can be set and re-set to any increment you want for precise CP placements with Snap to Grid. The "Measure Distance" menu option finds the distance between any two CPs.

You should make the stem wag.

Hi Nate! I recall Martin saying years ago that A:M wasn't built to be a CAD modeler and it wasn't a niche they intended to pursue. You've been warned! None-the-less A:M does have strong OBJ and STL exporters and a number of A:M users are using A:M to create objects for 3D printing*. True modeling Booleans for Splines is a big leap. If you need it, I suggest modeling in A:M as if you were going to use its render Booleans, export the base model and the "cutter" as separate OBJs, then import both into one of those programs that people use to fix polygon models for 3D printing and do the Boolean cut in that. *Our Image Contest Medal is modeled in A:M, 3D printed in resin, then the resin print is used to cast medals in pewter... https://forums.hash.com/topic/48234-the-image-contest-medal-and-certificates/?tab=comments#comment-413200

Sorry you're having trouble, Benjamin! I'll inquire.

Try these. I reconstructed these from screen captures...

Another option might be to craft an image that appears as if it is tooned to use as a hair particle

By "particles" you mean hair? I can get hair toon lines by setting Toon in the Hair surface props. It doesn't seem to obey color and thickness unless those are set in the render settings. (Notice that toon lines only render if they have patches behind them.)

Which video?

That is snazzy, Myron!

With forehead lines...

First look at "Stan" with SSS Another Steve Shelton model.

This version has almost no shading of the wrinkle in the color pass. The shape of the wrinkle is suggested by the specular pass.

I've used OpenEXR quite a bit and gotten good results. It's the only way to not have the stair-stepping on large displacements. The down side is there aren't many paint tools for it. Most of my OpenEXR maps are renders of spline models. New attempt. I made the wrinkles extra huge. If the light catches them just right they look like a shape but otherwise they look like a gray line.

Wider wrinkle still not right...

If I craft a displacement map for a wrinkle line it has an unappealing grayness to it on an SSS surface

I don't think Displacement maps work right in SSS. When this rectangular map is applied to a surface it seems that the 50% gray is being interpreted as negative displacement instead of zero. Ouch! Edit: this appears to be problem even without SSS Edit edit: It's a problem with PNG! If that decal is saved as a JPG the 50% displacement works correctly. Must be something to do with the weird way PNG makes its alpha channel.

Here are some frames from a spin-around of the light... I put a gradient on the specularity so it is stronger on edge than flat.

That was the problem, David, thanks! After transferring my SSS settings to a regular group I was able to render in v15. render times... v15 177 secs v19 39 secs That is a substantial speedup. Thank you, Steffen Gross! (@yoda64 )

When I try rendering this working PRJ in v15 or v16 to compare render times I just get black for SSS. Any idea what's up with that?

However, here is the same SSS settings but with a much wider light. Either the softer light or the lack of sharper specularity has made it look maybe too gelatinous.

I think, for animation, you have to go bigger rather than smaller for the SSS to register. When I look at commercial movie characters they are usually making sure you see it. Something I wonder is, why do the small SSS setting take longer to render than the big ones? That makes no sense.