NWoolridge
10-11-2002, 04:59 PM
[This is a duplicate post from Postforum; just wanted to spread the good word...]
Folks,
I've just been experimenting with the extraordinarily useful Xpresso tools in R8. these are amazing, and should not be overlooked, especially in conjunction with the very flexible user data fields you can create on any object. Take a look at this screenshot:
http://www.bmc.med.utoronto.ca/c4d/R8Xpresso.jpg
This is my Xpresso implementation of Naam's very useful toon rendering system (here abbreviated NPR for non-photorealistric rendering).
In the lower right you can see the custom interface built using the user data fields defined on the "NPR Control" null object. These are linked to the parameter controls of various objects through Xpresso. Everything updates in real time as you manipulate the user data fields.
The possibility for customized control rigs and workflow UI improvements is enormous. Think of a single null object containing all the controls necessary to articulate a hand, or the important components of a particle system.
Good work, Maxon!
Nick
P.S.There are limitations, perhaps to be addressed by the final release: I can't figure out a way to re-order the user data fields once they are created; this would be useful, as you often want to rearrange the order of controls, and insert new ones in existing groups. Once a user data field is created, you cannot change its type from, say, float to integer (this may be deliberate, to avoid munging any dependencies where it has already been inserted in an Xpresso evaluation).
Folks,
I've just been experimenting with the extraordinarily useful Xpresso tools in R8. these are amazing, and should not be overlooked, especially in conjunction with the very flexible user data fields you can create on any object. Take a look at this screenshot:
http://www.bmc.med.utoronto.ca/c4d/R8Xpresso.jpg
This is my Xpresso implementation of Naam's very useful toon rendering system (here abbreviated NPR for non-photorealistric rendering).
In the lower right you can see the custom interface built using the user data fields defined on the "NPR Control" null object. These are linked to the parameter controls of various objects through Xpresso. Everything updates in real time as you manipulate the user data fields.
The possibility for customized control rigs and workflow UI improvements is enormous. Think of a single null object containing all the controls necessary to articulate a hand, or the important components of a particle system.
Good work, Maxon!
Nick
P.S.There are limitations, perhaps to be addressed by the final release: I can't figure out a way to re-order the user data fields once they are created; this would be useful, as you often want to rearrange the order of controls, and insert new ones in existing groups. Once a user data field is created, you cannot change its type from, say, float to integer (this may be deliberate, to avoid munging any dependencies where it has already been inserted in an Xpresso evaluation).