Released : V3D FilaToon Converter, Manager and Tools (Commercial)

barbult · January 11

barbult said:

V3Digitimes said:

Thanks for the info! For the v4 eyeball and eyes i will have a look if i integrated the surfaces correctly in the conversion script. I remember i told to myself genesis and v4 surfaces were the same... But maybe not for the eyes. In theory this should be easy to fix if i manage to replicate it. For the geoshell i cannot directly test since i don't have this but i will try to reproduce it on a primitive. So you say : 1. You have an object with a shell 2. The opacity of the sheel is mapped 3. But even if mapped, the opacity of the shell is 0. Is this correct? Can you also tell me what shader is originally used on the shell? Can you also tell me what material type was chosen during conversion? When i have your answers i will make some tests to see if/how this can be patched (if not i will add a script prior to conversion or an option such as remove opacity maps from 0 opacity peoperties, or an option preserve opacity values). Sorry it was written from my phone, no way i can have a bette presentation gor this post.

Reading back my message, even I am confused by it now! I will have to try to reproduce what I did, to figure out where the problem occurred along the process.

OK, I'm back...

I think the situation is much simpler than I presented it. It seems like the FilaToon Converter "Convert" script changes all Cutout Opacity settings to 1, regardless of the value that Cutout Opacity was set to in the object being converted.
The Converter changes Cutout Opacity to 1 on any object, on any surface. It doesn't have to be a Geoshell. It doesn't have to be an object with multiple surfaces. It doesn't require a map in the Cutout Opacity or saving and restoring Opacity Maps.
I was converting from Iray Uber (MDL) to FilaToon.
I tried both General and Skin material type in the converter.

You can see this happen by creating a Primitive cube. Set the Cutout Opacity on the Default surface to 0. Select the cube and the cube's Default surface. Run the Convert script. The cube's Cutout Opacity gets set to 1.

Now, to explain how I discovered this and why it was important to me:
The LowPi character is a very simple low resolution figure with simple materials. It has only three surfaces: skin, lips, and eyes. Some of its clothing is created with a Geoshell. For example, pants may be a Geoshell with an opacity map in the skin surface to show only the legs, and the lips and eyes surfaces have Cutout Opacity 0 (no map), so the Geoshell doesn't show for the lips and eyes. When converting the LowPi character with this Geoshell to FilaToon, the lips and eyes surface of the Geoshell get changed from 0 to 1 and now the white Geoshell covers the lips and eyes surfaces of the LowPi object. I was able to save (before converting) and restore the trans maps to recover the proper map on the skin surface, but the change in opacity on the lips and eyes stayed at value 1.

It wouldn't be so bad to reset the Geoshell eyes and lips Cutout Opacity to 0 after conversion, except the purpose of LowPi is to generate crowds of dozens (or hundreds) or LowPi characters in a scene via a Crowd Generation script. And each of those LowPi characters may be wearing multiple Geoshell clothing items. I tried fixing one crowd and it took a LONG time - too long to be viable.

Maybe the Cutout Opacity value of 0 should be a special case and not changed to 1 by the Converter.

It would have been much better, for several reasons, if the creator of the LowPi Geoshell clothing used the Shell Visibility settings in the Parameters pane to disable the visibility of the Geoshell on the lips and eyes surface, but they did not. They used Cutout Opacity instead. So, we are stuck with this Cutout Opacity situation now.

Artini · January 11

This Cutout Opacity is really tricky - thanks for bringing this problem up.

Artini · January 11

Victoria 4.2 after conversion. Also noted eyelashes look solid black.

V3Digitimes · January 11

Lol thanks for your many share Artini :) I love the mood of your renders :)

edit : @Artini :

--> OK I'll have a look at the eyes issue on Generation 4 (Victoria/Michael 4), there is probably a specificity I did not see, but this should normally be pretty easy to fix! (I "skipped" Generation 4 during the test stage because in my memory, it was exactly like Genesis in term of surfaces)...

--> For the eyelashes : have you tried to "Store Trans Maps" before conversion, "Restore Trans Maps" after Conversion, and then adjust EyeLashes with the opacity tools included.

@Barbult :

OK thanks for all the inputs.
I had a brief look. Indeed, the opacity at 1 is actually embedded in the shaders (General, Hair, Constant, Metallic) provided by Daz.

On the short term (on your side) there is a 2 or 3 minutes solution, using the "Create Custom Conversion Preset", to replace the shader currently used for conversion (Skin/General probably) on your problematic surfaces by the "Filatoon - Base" base shader located in the Default Resources Daz Package, category Shaders, which preserves opacity values and does not add outlines. In order to go faster to create your custom preset :
- find "FilaToon-Base" in your content Library (Daz Default Content/Shaders/Filament in Smart Content), right click the thumb and make "browse to file location"
- in your windows explorer, copy the folder path of your shader.
- Launch the Custom Preset Creator and (for General For instance if your surfaces are processed as General), click the corresponding button, and paste the folder path you just copied, and select the FilaToon-Base shader and accept.
- Save your new Preset and Close the Custom preset Creator. YOU ONLY HAVE to do it once, since after that you can reuse your preset as often as you want :)
- Launch the converter and immediately click on Load A Shader Conversion Preset (below the 3 buttons). You can check on the dedicated tab (with the path) that the new shader is now the one you chose
- Load the preset you saved and make the conversion.

I just tried on several 0 opacity objects, this way they remain with a 0 opacity, and use FilaToon Base Shader. (Note that this procedure does not add outlines on these nodes so you can use the outline add utility if you need it).

On my side I'm going to try to implement a better solution (more straight forward) but I don't know which one to chose. I cannot do this tomorrow because I have some family I haven't seen for a while coming to visit me, but on monday I'll have a look :
- either if I can include the Opacity VALUE in the "Store trans Maps" text file and if I can easily add a "Restore Opacity Values" in the "Restore or Remove Trans Maps" script (I'm not sure how I can rewrite the reload to properly use either the maps or the values)
- OR I can include as an option the "keep Cutout Opacity Values" directly in the conversion script (this should be doable, but may slow down a bit the conversion, and I would like to be sure it does not add issue with semi transparent surfaces).

Going to bed now, I'll do my best to answer tomorrow if there are still more questions, but tomorrow is an heavy day for me where I will be less available than usually (come on it does not happen often!).

barbult · January 12

There is no rush to deal with this Opacity issue. Take your time to think through what might be the best way to go. First, enjoy your visitors.

Artini · January 12

Thanks for the tips, @V3Digitimes

Yes, storing transmaps and restoring them after the conversion solved the problem with eyelashes,

Using different materials for Victoria 4.2 solved problem with the eyes.

I have used https://www.daz3d.com/lr-s-bianca-for-v4 an that works well.

As I understand there is no way to change the look of the eyes to be more toon, unless one use toonish original eyes.

Probably that applies to the hair, as well.

I also do not convert the scalp in the hair - it always looks bad after conversion.

Artini · January 12

Used Colors and Shadows Manager on the hair and now I like its look better.

Artini · January 12

After adjustments in Outline Manager and changing some Filament Draw Options.

V3Digitimes · January 13

OK, I updated the conversion script this morning :

Due to an eye conversion issue on the eyes of Generation 4 figures (Victoria 4, Michael 4, etc..), the surface "7_EyeSurface" is now also considered as set as transparent when the option : “Usual Semi Transparent Human Eyes are set as transparent” is checked (default behavior). This should help a lot with the Victoria and Michael 4 family eyes issues.

A new conversion option, UNchecked by default, with allow you to transfer the cutout opacity value from the original shader to the final shader. This was made compatible for the following original shaders : (a) any shader using “Cutout Opacity” property to control the opacity, (b) “Daz Studio Default”, “omHumanSurface”, “omSimpleSurface”, “AoA_Subsurface”, “omUberSurface”, “Daz Studio Glossy Plastic/Metal/Matte”, “Daz Studio Plastic/Metal/Skin”, “Daz Studio Toon Glossy Plastic/Metal”, “Daz Studio Toon Metal/Plastic/ Skin”, using their “Opacity Strength” Control. For other initial Shaders, Cutout Opacity is set to 1 in the final Filatoon Shader.

The function to restore the original Opacity values acts before the function to maintain eyes semi transparent surfaces at 0 opacity, to be able to keep the required eyes surfaces transparent, and acts before the Glass Options too (so that it does not interfere with your other choices).

I'd like to have some tests before submitting the update, @Artini, @barbult, would you like to check if the new version is OK with what you wanted to solve and does not bring any other issue?I'm especially interested in knowing if I should keep the option unchecked by default or if I should change it checked by default. I'm afraid it could cause more issue than solutions if I check it by default...

Artini · January 13

Thank for the updates, @V3Digitimes.

Probably I would have some time after work to test the new version,

but mostly during the weekend.

V3Digitimes · January 13

Fine, we can do that. It gives one more week to users to find eventual additional enhancements, plus it gives the week end for you to test. I submit the update next monday, and this is great:)

Can you PM me your mail so that I can send you the update ,or if you prefer that we discuss another procedure so that you get the file :)

Artini · January 13

Hi V3Digitimes,

I have sent you PM.

All the best.

V3Digitimes · January 14

I got your message, and I send the script to you ASAP. Today I'm lost in a kind if French Kafka administration nightmare, I don't have a lot of time :)

Artini · January 14

Thank you very much. Take your time and do not rush. As I am working during the week, I do not have spare time either.

I have found another V4 character, that her eyes do not convert properly.

Still do not understand why some V4 eyes converts properly, but the other not,

barbult · January 14

Artini said:

Thank you very much. Take your time and do not rush. As I am working during the week, I do not have spare time either.

I have found another V4 character, that her eyes do not convert properly.

Still do not understand why some V4 eyes converts properly, but the other not,

Do they use different shaders?

Artini · January 15

That is the good question. I will make a list of characters in both groups and then check the details.

Artini · January 15

Conversion of the eyes of

https://www.daz3d.com/victoria-4-wet-maps
http://docs.daz3d.com/doku.php/public/read_me/index/3910/start

works.

V3Digitimes · January 15

@Artini : I sent you the update, if it works, great, if it does not work, don't worry we'll find another solution for this Generation 4 eyes "not on all figures" issue :)

Artini · January 15

Thanks a lot, @V3Digitimes

I really like how this M4 character looks after the conversion.

Artini · January 15

V3Digitimes said:

@Artini : I sent you the update, if it works, great, if it does not work, don't worry we'll find another solution for this Generation 4 eyes "not on all figures" issue :)

I think, that I can just choose the eye materials, that works after the conversion, even on different characters.

I have accumulated so many V4 and M4 characters during the years.