Hello, I would like to request a new overlap fetaure.
Proposition
The idea would be to have a marker be able to overlap with it’s neighbouring x amount of markers instead of one.
To be even extra, there could be an option to allow x intersections up the chain and y down the chain.
Here the collisions have been solved as an overlap group, but this is not ideal as I wouldn’t want the two legs to collide in a pose like this one:
But I can’t separate them as they both collide with the chest at the elbows.
With the proposed overlap feature I would be able to have them separated but still allow intersections with the chest.
Other examples where this could be useful
Things built with IK splines: spines, necks, tails, snakes, etc.
It could be very useful for chains with too many joints. Normally I build another set of joints that point in the right direction so I can skip some. If I had this option I think I wouldn’t mind assingning to all the joints.
Hey @emi, good to hear from you it’s been a while.
As for your proposal, I definitely see where you are coming from, this is a hard problem to solve. Before I entertain the idea however, can I ask whether you have considered including rather than excluding collisions?
For example, in that last hand scenario, with Self Collide = Off nothing would intersect and the world would be a great place. However, now fingertips overlap which is no good. So you put a Overlap Group = -1 on each fingertip and presto, now they collide with each other and palm etc.
The rational being that most things generally don’t need contacts. Feet need contact with the ground, lower arms need contacts with belly and hip, and so on. Generally things that need contacts are in the minority, rather than majority.
For another example, the skeleton spine; none of those are likely to benefit from collisions. The spine will likely ever contact with the ground and possibly the lower arm or hand, so they can safely be disabled altogether.
Let me know your thoughts on this, it can take some getting used to but the level of control you gain is great and I have yet to find a scenario where this does not solve any and all intersection problems.
Ooh I have not tried excluding that’s a cool one, I’ll remember that for next time!
I think the only undeniable example of necessity I set is the lion, even considering exclusion groups I can’t think of a way to get the upper arms to allow collision with the chest but remain excluded from each other.
I always have a hard time with hands, especially if the character is holding something, I must try that thanks!
That is true, but I think this could still be useful. Normally the torso is quite wide so you would want quite a big marker that represents that.
Unfortunately spines tend to have a lot of joints close together, which is when I would build a custom rig under the skeleton for ragdoll; it’s quite a tedious workaround (unless you script it but still some extra manual labour).
But if you could do overlap +2 or +3, you can still have the large markers, but there would be some extra rigidity in the spine so it can’t completely fold over it’s self - I am aware you could potentially achieve this with limits and stiffness but, overlap groups would be less work, ha!
I can think of a scenario where I would want collisions on the spine and a lot of markers
that’s a cool one, I’ll remember that for next time!
