This script extends default Maya "Convert > Displacement to polygons" function. It has 2 main modes:
- Convert to Static polygons - it just allows you to better rename created dicplacement.
- Convert to Animated Cache - in this mode, you can convert animated displacement to actual polygonal geometry moving accordingly. For example, this way you can make particles interact with Maya Ocean or render hardware particles falling into that ocean.
Yes, there are already some scripts at CreativeCrash doing exactly the same. But I tried all of them, and for me they are too "buggy" or doesn't work good enough. So it was easier to write my own script rather than trying to fix existing.
Here are the main differencies between this script and the other similar to it:
- It uses Caching instead of BlendShape. This causes 3 things:
a) Maya is still stable, no matter how detailed your tesselation is. If you can use standard Maya's "Displacement to polygons" function for any model then you can make displacement animated.
b) You can make animation of the displacement as long as you need. Maya is equally fast and stable at 2-frames animation and at 2000-frames animation.
c) The scen with all caches take much less disk space than blendshape with the same animation.
- It has Static polygons mode which allows you to create displacement objects with nice clean names. Seriously, I don't use standard Maya function any more 'cause "Static mode" replaces it completely.
- It works correctly with several objects selected at once.
- It allows to cache frame with the timestep you need. This means, you can further shorten disk space for cache by storing only evry 2nd, 3rd etc frame. As my tests showed, 3-frames step is just enough to keep the converted ocean to follow the shape of it "old brother" that you won't nottice the difference.
- It's easy-deletable. Just select converted object and hit "delete". The scene is in the same state as before you launched the script. Of course, yo'll need to delete caches from disk manually.
!! IMPORTANT !!
Although version 2.0 is better than previous one from any side, it still has some limitations.
You can read this limitations in the "About" window that I have added.
Usage:
1. install the script (copy to one of scripts' folder and source it either manually or from userSetup.mel).
2. start GUI with the following command:
DRL_dispToPoly;3. Specify the self-explaining options. If you still can't understand the usage of some options, you can read small help at the "About" window or post your question here.
P.S.: As always, sorry for my broken english. 'Cause I don't speak it in my usual life. But I tried to describe the script as best as I can.
Please use the Feature Requests to give me ideas.
Please use the Support Forum if you have any questions or problems.
Please rate and review in the Review section.