Cinematic VFX pipeline for hero character and creating good skin shader. Using UDIM-s [REDSHIFT]

[ISUther]

I know Houdini focus has been VFX,

I have few questions regarding cinematic pipeline.

Hero characters, close shots UDIM-s etc.

 

I know by the fact UDIM-s are used in films and often also on hero characters and in VFX pipeline.

Main reasin is that you have more control over texture details on specific model.

For example: If i have a character face and i need specific part of that face to be more detailed then other i have udim-s and that specific part (UDIM tile / UV tile) that covers that area of face has higher UV texture resolution thus means that that area can have more detailed / higher rez textures.

 

Now typical pipeline i understand is so called Sketch to screen workflow. (same workflow that Aaron Sims Creative Studio uses) and many others.

1. Model is sculpted

2. Model retopology is done (retopo that supports and follows basics for topo that is needed for animation)

3. Model is animated (in maya or houdini)

4. Model is textured (ptex or UV-s)

5. VFX is created

6. Look dev that means shaders are created, lights are created etc)

7. VFX compositing (nuke etc)

8. and final shot(s) are rendered.

 

What i struggle is how to proceed with my pipeline.

Need to focus on specific things and not to try study full program as houdini is huge. Need to take one project and step by step try to complete it.

SO at the moment regarding my project>

 

1. Sculpting part is done

2. Retopology part is done

3. UV-s are done (Used Unfold 3D( and model has UDIM UV-tiles

4, Model is tegxtured in Mari (So now model has UDIM textures) tho i was thinking for second to try ptex also but i think it does not support xyz texturing method.

 

And now i am strugeling with shader building as there are not many good tutorials regarding Houdini skinn shader-s.

And not getting good result with those.

For second i was thinking to use substance painter as in that case you do not have to build shader from scratch.

Example

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaUoYyWfMzE&t=75s

 

But problem is that Substance does not have fully implemented full UDIM-s support. It does support UDIM-s but you cant paint seamlesly over model that has UDIM-s.

Explained here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihQTBc_e8DM

 

So now i was thinking may be i can do skin shader in Maya

as there are way more maya btutorials regarding UDIM-s and skin shaders then there is Houdini,

But as my plan was also to create VFX effect i would try to do it in Houdini. And now arises question can i do VFX in houdini and shaders in maya and some how bring those over to Houdini or vice versa_

 

[davpe]

hi,

I don't understand... is your issue mainly the shading or is it creating textures? because it seems like you're mixing those two terms together. for hero character textures with udims I think it makes most sense to use mari and then just plug those textures into the shader in Houdini... i typically don't do characters so I can't really contribute much to how good is the actual skin shader in Mantra. I've seen some pretty good results thou

regarding udims, it's very straightforward. in your texture path, just use %(UDIM)d expression to read udims. you can also create custom houdini variable and substitute that string with whatever is more convenient to you. also, this post: 

 

as far as i know currently there is no out of the box solution to transfer materials between maya and houdini. if you want to render in houdini you have to build your shaders in houdini. 

Edited November 12, 2018 by davpe

[ISUther]

Hey, 

Thank you so much for trying to help me. 
My issue was shading but same note i do understand that texturing is also important. If textures are bad no shader can make model look better. 
This is my model at the moment 

This is retopo version of model (I have full model retopo done not only head).
 

But on same note i realised that UV-s have t0o be also good so i wont get any texture stretching and other similar issues. 
Same goes with cuts and where those are placed.
Here i try to show how it was textured in Mari and what texture maps i used. Also how and what result i see in Houdini. 
In Houdini i created Redshift node in Shop and inside only base color is at the moment connected. 
I have no clue where to connect Multy chanel map and displacement.

 

[davpe]

well first of all, you should have mentioned you want to render with RedShift and not Mantra. that could filter out many misleading advices you might get, including the one about udims I gave you.

yes, all aspects of the asset pipeline are important. if either model, uvs, textures, shading or lighting sucks, the result will be just bad.

I have no idea what is your Multy channel... you are the one to know it's purpose if you created the texture

I guess it's unlikely somebody will give you a satisfying answer here given you're asking a buch of different questions in this thread and you ultimately want to be answered a very complex thing which is "how to create a great looking character". I don't even know where I'd start answering that