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Dev update #120
🕑 Added 2023-07-25 09:59:28 +0000 UTCHi! Still no delays - more static renders and animations posed and rendered.
I promised a deep dive into the animation topic so here we go!
As some of you may know, animating in Daz Studio was quite a challenge for me when creating Deliverance, and by a challenge I mean nothing but pain. The animations were either too smooth or too jarring. It was only a matter of time after completing the first game that I switched to a different software.
And I did.
Let's talk about the first switch. While the animating itself became a far more pleasant experience, there were so many extra adjustments I had to make manually, it became clear that it's not the software's fault that my animations in Cybernetic Seduction looked... subpar.
The linear movement in my sex animations were clearly visible, and it definitely wasn't what I was aiming for. However, this switch did open the door for improving render quality significantly, and that was definitely a solid first step in the right direction.
But as we all know, the heart of animation lies in its movement, not just the render quality.
And that's where my journey to find the ultimate solution began. After months of searching and (not very successful at first) education, I've found the answer.
After yet another software switch, this time only for animating purposes, the animations look more realistic than ever before, and luckily, the need for graph editing has been drastically reduced because of the software's superior interpolation between keyframes. This means that the animations now have a natural sense of momentum, allowing you to see the weight and effort a character puts into the movement. And by movement, I generally mean thrusting.
The effect is much more visible in the 'pounding' animations. There is nothing more frustrating than a female character saying: Fuck me hard... and the proceeding animation looks either exactly the same as the previous one or we see a slightly sped up version. But the truth is, I just didn't know how to keyframe and interpolate between the 'pounding' poses. BUT NO MORE!
Now, they accelerate, decelerate, and feature fast, heavy movements! So finally, using the Morph drug offers more than just squirting / cumming more... Now, be prepared for actual 'pounding' animations!
Let me be clear, as I mentioned earlier, it's not the software that makes great animations, it's the guy animating. I'm still learning and I will continue to do so, but the improvement is significant. And that's more than enough for now.
Now, let's discuss render speed. Like many other developers, I used to render animations on my own PC. However, this had its limitations as I couldn't work on other animations or static images while rendering was in progress. So, I faced a tough decision: either invest in a second PC or find a more innovative solution.
I found a dedicated rendering cloud, specifically designed to work with Octane Render. This was a game-changer for me. While exporting the scene and uploading process can sometimes be a bit challenging, and I must admit that it's FAR MORE expensive than traditional methods, the benefits are tremendous. By using this rendering cloud, I can now pose one animation after another while the cloud handles the rendering process. Which is a dream come true to any game developer.
Also, I continue my education on bouncing simulations (BOOBIES!), collision simulations (two bodies colliding - still too tough to crack) and looping clothing simulations. Everything to improve the quality!
As I mentioned in the previous dev updates: more animations, better animations... faster.
Oh, oh! Episode 3 holds not one, but TWO huge surprises! Stay tuned for the next dev update for (some of) the details.
Take care!
