Poser Resources: Victoria 4 Weight-Mapped

One of the coolest modifications to this level of 3D technology is the addition of Weight Mapping to figures. Here's the short version of what Weight Mapping is: It is a technology that helps create more realistic bends in 3D figures.

For example:

• Hold your arm out and bend your elbow; you should see that bending your elbow adds a small flex to you bicep. 
• This happens automatically because, in order to bend your elbow, the biceps muscles must contract and this makes them look bigger.
• The same thing happens to your calf muscles when you bend your knee or foot. 
• This happens to a lot of muscles and in a living creature it's automatic.
• This is NOT automatic in 3D figures because they're not alive and they don't have muscles; they're just mathematics and geometry inside a computer. 

Most high-end 3D software (Maya, Lightwave, Z-Brush) has supported weight mapping for a while, and even some of the consumer-end stuff (Daz Studio & Poser) has had limited support for it in the newer figure ranges, particularly Daz3D's Genesis 3 & 8.

Unfortunately, Poser (which is the backbone of my 3D illustration process) does not easily support the Genesis figures. This means that, essentially, I'm "stuck" with using Victoria 4 and Michael 4 (and earlier) figures in my work.

Now, although Victoria 4 and Michael 4 are fantastic figures that are still full of life (especially for my comics work that doesn't require animation or 100% photo realism), they do feel a bit "long in the tooth" when it comes to things like weight mapping. Instead of having smart rigs that know how to flex muscles automatically when bending leg or arm, you have to do those modifications manually.

Fortunately, some really smart people created the scripts and info needed to apply weight mapping to Victoria 4 (hopefully Michael 4 will be soon behind, but I doubt it as the guys just don't get the love that the women do).

The V4 WM resources can be downloaded at this location:

http://www.morphography.uk.vu/~cagepage/poserplace/poserplace.html

When the 'Big Brother' gets it so wrong but is still right (sort of)

I hope I can relate this amusing anecdote without "triggering" anyone to go on and on about online privacy and how they always use a TOR browser behind a VPN routed through the Netherlands. I am fully aware of how online privacy works and have a VPN and don't need or want any advice about improving my online security. I'm quite comfortable with my online presence and I found this so funny that I actually laughed out loud so hard my wife came over to find out what I found so amusing.

I am not a musical person. It's not that I couldn't learn to play an instrument (I played Cornet in junior high band and didn't suck more than anyone else did at that age), it's just that I would rather draw and write. So Saturday afternoon I was puzzled to see a bunch of ads from Amazon pop up in my Facebook feed for things like Guitar amps, mixing boards, custom guitar picks and a plethora of things like that. For the life of me, I couldn't figure out why I was seeing these things, and then it hit me.

It seems that the Great Data Analytics in the Cloud decided that I suddenly had developed an interest in learning guitar because of something I did on Friday night.

Friday night I started work on an illustration of Conan the Barbarian (I'll share it when I get it done). I didn't like the poses and props I had on hand, so I went to Renderosity and found several products that were on sale, so I bought about four or five sets for under $25. And yup, I bought a few guitars and multiple poses so I can show the Cimmerian shredding it on an "axe."

And that's when I started to laugh and laugh and laugh!

I just had to shake my head because all that technology got it so wrong while still getting it right (sort of).