- This topic has 16 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 6 years ago by
.
-
Posts
-
Not sure where the right place to put this, so I’ll do tips…
Are there any user mods or suggestions on how to get different expressions on some of the models? I’m working on a visual novel and using the ECG to represent the characters… But the biggest downside is that I’m stuck with static faces. Any tips or ideas?
Likewise, if none of these things exists, I think an expansion pack with some expressions would be really great!
Yeah, Sade has always been quite busy in terms of projects, and recently in real life too. She doesn’t have that much time to read forums as she used to, but we keep her in the loop and still produces tons of new material. 🙂
To answer your question BrandedTales, we have different expressions on different character skins. Making the same skin to have different expressions could be a good idea, but we haven’t experimented with this yet. So basically making the very same character to have different expressions is currently not possible using our software only sadly. It could be done in postwork though, but that’d require some artistic skills.
Ah, yes, real life is such a hassle.. or not. ^_^ It can definitely keep you busy.
BrandedTales, indeed, you can somewhat morph the character’s face in postwork. Wouldn’t say that’s an easy one though. 🙂
Sadly, while it’s not the answer I wanted to hear, it is unfortunately what I expected. Post work it is. Thanks for the quick replies!
but in post work BrandedTales, with a little patience, and some skill, you can produce something unique to you and your character… I use photoshop to manipulate or create my images… there is lots of good stuff online for free also, if you don;t have photoshop
This taps into an issue that’s big for me. While I’d one day love to see a few more options available in terms of head position, arm positions and even body positions angled in different ways to create more dynamic poses, I fully understand how difficult to implement this would be. As I’m working with loads of 2D images made from 3D models posed in various ways, I can graft non Epic images onto epic ones to make Epic characters appear more “dynamic”. But this is something I’d love to see in the Epic generator one day, ie alternate head angles. Even just seeing a head at 45 degrees over the default straight on look, would add so much variability.
Now this post offers up the prospect of variable facial expressions, which I think is a fantastic idea! Again, within the existing engine I can fully appreciate the problems implementing this so I’d not even urge anyone try. But what I’d love to know is that it’s at least under consideration to one day include separate images of things like an angled head or different facial expressions that could indeed be utilised by folk happy tinkering in post. Perhaps having such options included in the Pro version would provide a little incentive for folk to upgrade to that package (besides which I’d imagine most Pro users would typically be happy working images in post).
Thank you for your ideas. We’d like to improve the options and usability of the program as much as you do, but with how the system is currently set up we hit our limits pretty much. There are a few things we could try, but to provide a meaningful improvement in this direction major changes will be required. We have several plans, but no timeline on it yet unfortunately.
Thanks for the response L Brandy. Whenever I compile an Epic generated character in just a few minutes compared to the hours it can take using photoshop and a bunch of graphic files, I almost feel as if I’ve cheated! I get the zen of it, that you’ve created a program that can cobble together an enormous amount of variation in just a few seconds yielding an end result that’s truly impressive. This is something to be both proud of and quite rightly this seamlessness should be protected. So if you were ever going down the path of adding increased variability be it with head, arm or body poses or even indeed facial expressions, what I’m suggesting is that these be add ons made specifically for those happy working with them in post. As making clothing/armor variations, differently posed but still compatible with all the variations currently available would be an impossible task, focusing instead on the most popular armor/clothing sets might be one solution? Or even just starting off with a bunch of different facial expressions as the OP originally asked about, that are compatible with the default “straight on” look all Epic generated characters currently share, would be one way of starting this daunting process. Again, for all the reasons just cited I’d only advocate doing this as a separate file for those happy working in post.
[quote=”neilmoore_2000″ post=3993]Thanks for the response L Brandy. Whenever I compile an Epic generated character in just a few minutes compared to the hours it can take using photoshop and a bunch of graphic files, I almost feel as if I’ve cheated! I get the zen of it, that you’ve created a program that can cobble together an enormous amount of variation in just a few seconds yielding an end result that’s truly impressive. This is something to be both proud of and quite rightly this seamlessness should be protected. So if you were ever going down the path of adding increased variability be it with head, arm or body poses or even indeed facial expressions, what I’m suggesting is that these be add ons made specifically for those happy working with them in post. As making clothing/armor variations, differently posed but still compatible with all the variations currently available would be an impossible task, focusing instead on the most popular armor/clothing sets might be one solution? Or even just starting off with a bunch of different facial expressions as the OP originally asked about, that are compatible with the default “straight on” look all Epic generated characters currently share, would be one way of starting this daunting process. Again, for all the reasons just cited I’d only advocate doing this as a separate file for those happy working in post.[/quote]
All this post stuff etc… you are talking way over my head now…
I would just like the ability to switch arm, leg, head, etc positions by clicking on and off the way we do now.
I use photoshop, and I have more than once created a character in epic, and then manipulated it in PS…. changing clothes, postions, whatever I can, and yes it is work.
Greg, Brandy, I don’t know if you know what I mean by clicking on and off, basically just turning a position etc, on or off, just like you would an outfit or piece of clothing… Hope I make sense, I am not a programmer, just an artist
Sorry sojournstar, I assumed most people were familiar with the expression working in “post” which I believe came from the film industry and refers to working or fixing things in post production… or after the cameras stop rolling. Basically what you’re doing in photoshop with your Epic generated characters is indeed working in post (only in this case after you’ve already compiled your character with the Epic generator).
I too would love to see the Epic generator capable of handling body/arm/head variations at the click of a button, an maybe one day we might. But the enormous number of variations that would ensue if such a thing were applied to the already considerable body of work the Epic generator is capable of, makes the prospect of it prohibitively large. So my suggestion for the meantime is to make greater variability possible through simply providing such body/arm/head/facial expressions available as separate files for folk like you or me to work with in post.
Long story short:
with ePic, working in post is working out of the .png in an image editing soft (pick one) instead of out of the .lbd in ePic itself 🙂
Makes sense ?
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.