meshedvr
patreon
VaM2 Progress Update
🕑 Added 2024-01-22 23:14:54 +0000 UTCHi all-
I’m here to give an update on VaM2 progress. VaM2 is the next generation of VaM. VaM2 and Hub improvements are all that we are working on these days. The original VaM is no longer being developed and is in the loving hands of the community for further improvements. Check out the Hub ( https://hub.virtamate.com ) to see all the amazing creations and addons the community has come up with. Due to our amazing community, VaM still has a lot of life left in it while VaM2 continues to be developed. Your support here now directly funds VaM2 development, running the Hub, and making improvements to the Hub. We are also planning Hub2 for VaM2 since assets will not be directly compatible between VaM and VaM2. To avoid confusion, we need a dedicated space for VaM2 content. Therefore, your support on Patreon also funds the development of Hub2. I want to say a huge thank you to everyone for continuing to support this project while there has been a big lull in between product releases and progress updates. VaM2 has taken a considerable effort to get off the ground. VaM took a similar effort, but a lot of this work was completed before the Patreon project was started. VaM2 has instead been developed while the Patreon project is active.
Today we are giving a succinct overall update. We are planning to give a more detailed update about a more specific completed major feature in a later post. The later post will include screenshots and be more “show-off” style. I am hoping to do more frequent “show-off” posts as we check more things off our feature list going into the 1st beta release. A lot of the work done in 2023 didn’t lend itself to “show-off” style which is why I haven’t done a progress post in a long time. There is a lot of momentum getting items to completion now, so it should be easier to provide more frequent progress updates going forward.
We expect to release 1 or more beta versions of VaM2 this year (2024).
We track overall task completion towards beta releases on our Trello board here:
https://trello.com/b/KByJdWtA/vam2-public-roadmap
The Trello board is not the entire story because we don’t track % completion on each item. We don’t mark an item complete until it is 100%. Much work has been done on most of the things listed on the roadmap for beta1. Below is a more detailed overview of that:
- (Character Model System) This system is 95% done. All that remains is GPU acceleration to improve performance. The next post on Patreon will be a “show-off” of this system in more detail.
- (Runtime Engine) Redo of the parameter system to merge best of previous VaM2 work and more recent VaM improvements to the parameter system. An undo/redo system is a part of this and is now functional. A parameter recording system is also part of this which can be used for real-time capture of parameter changes for later playback. This makes it easy to animate anything in a more analog fashion, like expressions. Additional rework was done to match up with the new modular UI system. The parameter system is now about 90% complete. The undo/redo system is also about 90% complete. The save/load system relies heavily on the parameter system which already includes this functionality, so the save/load system is also nearing completion. The preferences system is also built on the parameter system, and therefore is mostly complete.
- (Runtime Engine) Investigated best options for plugin support. We are close to deciding on this. We are likely to use a much improved version of the system used in the original VaM.
- (Addon Kit) The addon kit is what will be used to build all content (character models, environments, props, plugins, etc.) for VaM2. This kit will be released to the community and is also what we use internally for making everything you see in VaM2. The major work completed is the blend shape (morph) import system and the combined model (multiple detail levels and automatic level-of-detail system) import system. The next post on Patreon will also “show-off” this system along with the Character Model System.
- (Content) We investigated genital graft choices for the models further. We finalized this decision recently after solving some technical issues with the top choice.
- (Content) Work continues on several Genesis 8 female texture sets. As soon as we get the new updated Addon Kit to our artists with the finalized genital grafts we will make much more progress on this front and mark these items complete. We plan to include multiple texture sets for everyone to use and/or modify to their liking to make additional textures for VaM2 models.
- (Tech updates) We continue to move forward Unity versions and update everything as needed. We plan to stay on the cutting edge of Unity releases as much as possible.
Next steps:
- Clean up addon kit and get it in form it will be in for sharing with everyone.
- Share the new version of the addon kit with our internal team for development of official assets (character models, textures, morphs, etc.)
- Complete the GPU acceleration item on Character Model System card and declare that item 100% completed.
- Post another Patreon update that shows off the completed Character Model System and the portions of the Addon Kit that are complete.
Thank you again for your tremendous support! We are excited to get VaM2 into your hands in 2024!
I would also encourage everyone to join our Discord server. I am much more active on the #vam2 channel there. You can connect to Discord here: Settings | Patreon
Meshed and Team
Comments
Caliell
will there be finally automatic clothing (pseudo)clothing and hair collisions worked in as the standard? - One of my heavy disappointments about current hair system for example, is the lack of making genuine Lara Croft style braids. Will there be standard work in like GensAutoThruster that opens up possibilities to scale vastly different size of the models? Logic response behavior?
수경 최
이젠 지쳤어 해지해야겠다
shiping cen
Can't join Discord ,can't download 2.0
Denzil
Also been a creator for 5 years and love the work you do; would be great to get an update on how things are progressing with VaM2.
SupMyDude
Any word on when we'll be getting another look at VAM2 again? I can't figure out the daggum plugins system still in VAM1.. LOL been a creator for like 5 years or so now. I believe in the work and you do a great job. You're always surprising me with stuff I didn't think I could do with the software, even all these years later, with a build from 2022 I think? Whatever the newest V1 is. Anyway, getting stoked to see some new stuff soon! I'm hangin in there, just keep up the good work!
G. L. Zimmerman
Looking forward to VAM2 and especially the Addon Kit, which is sadly unavailable for VAM1. Please consider keeping a DirectX 11 executable for VAM2, some of us may still be using very old hardware.
Mngbe
Any way you could make a Vam to blender bridge ?
Justin McDonald
Discord is super active.
Thewatchstander
Is this project dead? Haven't seen any posts or updates in quite awhile. Seems like there are alot of users and people who would love if this had some updates and new developments. /shrug
DD666
Will you guys also make significant performance improvement on the VR end? I hate playing on 22 to 27 frames just for it to look plain, unappealing with horrible anti aliasing, it would be great for Vam2 to emphasize on VR and modified content optimization along with good looking and convincing visuals that makes it a good experience overall for the VR users also a VR based UI would be great it's already a pain to use in Vam1. Also making editing scenes and making scenes for VR scale.
Pheasant Void
Would be nice if VaM didn't require you to become a new kind of Rocket Scientist everytime you open it for something simple.
joe blogger
I really wish Vam would be built with unreal engine 5 and not Unity, then we could see some really amazing lighting
GrowCloneGrow
As a creator I am curios. Will VaM2 have a timeline built in similar to the one made by acidbubbles?
bauhausmaus
Hi, is there an up to date downloader? The pinned link is from 2020 and it constantly gives Fatal Error on install. Is there a known issue?
Ari
Even though I don't regularly use VAM, I've remained a supporter for a few years now I think, and glad to see this post. Not gonna lie, I thought of discontinuing a few times in 2023 from the lack of updates, thinking it would never see the light of day. Keep on keeping on.
Matthew Burnett
Now or Not?
Bizzyjax
Wow this will be well worth the wait! I am glad you will be able to use the higher models. I have just started investing in Daz and other softwares.
Meshed VR
We are planning a built-in fluids system this time, but it will appear in a much later beta. You can see the Trello board linked in the post for a rough idea.
Meshed VR
Yes. VaM2 models we include are Genesis 8 based, and VaM2 can support other models (even non-Daz) using our addon kit that we will make available to creator level backers.
Meshed VR
Apple would now allow sale or distribution of this type of app and there isn't a way to sideload apps outside of their eco system without using a developer account of your own. I am considering AR headsets for the future of VaM though as it is a very compelling idea.
Meshed VR
I hope to make VaM2 scale to a wide range of hardware, but it will be able to utilize the best hardware out there with settings cranked up.
seter
Thats amazing i really hope you launch it with a cumshot system (similar to wildlife) so that we dont have to use clothing for cumshots. Then i would say it would be a perfect v2
Nerezza
I've said it before and I'll say it again - take as long as you need. Would rather something special to drop than something rushed.
Bizzyjax
Will the next version of Vam be able to run Daz 3d models 8 and up?
Blue Factory Games
Thanks for your hard work. Your hard work is really appreciated.
flk99
maybe i can use Apple Vision pro to play VAM1 and 2
Kenshi98
Definitely excited for Vam2 what kind of system requirements do you think it'll have? I have a 3050ti right now but if i have to upgrade my card for it this year its Definitely worth it for Vam2
Peter
2024 just got more exciting ! ❤️
cloud1a7
V2 alpha destroys V1 in performance, so surely excited about this.
Meshed VR
VaM2 is also Unity based. UE is not a great engine for supporting community-built addons which is central to the VaM experience. We are moving to Unity's HDRP rendering system, so the quality is much higher. I agree MetaHumans in UE look great. I think eventually that level of quality can be done in VaM2. Most of what accomplishes the quality is the shaders used, not the engine itself. MetaHumans use very complex shaders to achieve the results you see. VaM2 will support custom shaders so I fully expect the quality level over time will go up as shaders are improved.
Callan Scott
Thank you for the update and all your hard work. I happily remain a supporter because of the enjoyment VaM has brought me. I was wondering if in VaM2 you will continue to use Unity or are you moving to Unreal Engine? I recall in one of your posts on the hub you explained that you used Unity because UE was not readily available at the time. I'm sure you know much more than me if this even matters, but those UE MetaHumans look really nice so I'm wondering if that's what we'll see in VaM2.
Ghostmerder
Thanks for the update.
carcosa
Thanks for the update, great to see such core being made! Having worked on large code bases (usually as a QAE) for almost 2 decades now I can appreciate how much foundational work it takes a green-field project just to get to a “show-off” stage. Looking forward to 2024!
Meshed VR
Thank you! We are very excited for VaM2 and can't wait to see what everyone does with it.
Meshed VR
Thank you! I appreciate that!
Meshed VR
Thank you!
Meshed VR
Yeah it is quite hard to do this in reality. In a lot of cases there is overlap where both items need to show depending on the cut of the clothing. There can be some ways to adjust clothing though so it sits further off the skin. This could help with the proper layering, but it will likely have to be manually done and not fully automatic. For simulated clothing, the physics system can somewhat handle this, but I think that will not be perfect either due to performance considerations.
Meshed VR
Yes - that will come right away. Creator level backers will get access to the addon kit mentioned in this update.
VRDollz Chloe
Thank you!💖 I'm so in love with VaM1! 💯 It's the most amazing software of it's kind, not just an adult game, but a powerful creation tool and so so much more! I'm very happy to be able to continue my support, even without the hope of VaM2. Meshed and the team have given us so much already! and thank you for your dedication and time spent with VaM2, so many exciting things to look forward too 😍 sending all my love and well wishes 🥰
Benjamin Miner
Nice! Can't wait to see it. Proud to be a continuing supporter of the project. I'm sure VaM2 will be just as revolutionary as the first!
George Washington of the Jungle
Thank you for the update! Thank you for all of the hard work! I am excited for V2.
Alien Axe Man
As a video game programmer by trade, I can safely say; this is a nice dream, but far from reality from my experience. We had entire teams of artists, programmers, and technical artists working on layered clothing for some of our games, and it was always a huge pain that required tons of special case manual work. All those clothing items are really just polygonal meshes, and there's really no good math or physics to make them behave naturally in a systematic way to handle layering as you describe. There are a number of tricks to help, but overall, it's not something yet practical to automate away.
Jonathan Sheen
First, thank you so much for the very hard work you put into this project. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your diligence. A question: is there a possibility of a better method of layering clothing? I'm picturing a system of priorities, where the further "outside" a layer is, the higher its priority is, and higher-priority layers suppress the lower-priority items under them. (Picture the example of a Hogwarts girl: her bra and panties are lowest priority, the shirt is next-higher, so it suppresses them. The shirt-tails are tucked into the skirt, so the waistband of the skirt suppresses the parts of the shirt underneath it. The tie suppresses whatever parts of the shirt it covers. The v-neck sweater suppresses the parts of the shirt and tie it covers, and the robe suppresses whatever it covers. I have no clue how to CODE any of that, but that's the logic that seems to work for me. Does anything like that seem possible?
HankB
When released, will VAM2 be "open" in that people can make plugins as they can with 1.x? Or will that come later?
campy potato
Can’t wait to get my hands on it! As soon as a beta is out in people’s hands, the community will go buck wild with it
