meshedvr
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VaM2 August Progress Update
🕑 Added 2021-08-31 21:24:31 +0000 UTCIf you haven't read our previous VaM2 progress update, please read that 1st as it contains a lot of information that we don't want to re-post here. Most of this information is still relevant. Here is the link to the previous progress update:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/vam-2-x-progress-51840802
We are 3 months further along on VaM2 development since the last progress update at the end of May, and a lot has been accomplished, but the journey of VaM2 has just begun. Some things have taken more time than expected, but some things were easier due to our previous experience on VaM and the ability to have some reference code and models from that earlier project. Since the last progress update, we made several important decisions after careful evaluation of many options. We decided to take the time to carefully weigh options in various areas in order to avoid long term issues in VaM2 that could affect performance or usability. Improved performance and usability are 2 of our 4 main goals for VaM2. Some decisions in VaM were rushed which led to later issues in both these areas. We are trying to learn from that and avoid similar hasty decision making on VaM2. This does come at a cost of increased time to development.
This progress update does not include any new screenshots or videos due to time constraints. We were attempting to make it far enough along to provide a video demonstrating a physically rigged and poseable model showing the smooth skinning and joint bends using the now fully completed joint-controlled-morph (JCM) system. We did not quite get there in time for this progress update. It has been too long since the last progress report, so we decided to give a lengthy text-only update now to explain what we have been working on. A video demonstrating everything accomplished so far on VaM2 will be coming in the next few weeks once the final pieces have come together. And within a few weeks after that we expect to release the 1st playable alpha. This alpha will be released to all Patreon backers to try out. Thank you for your patience!
Summary of some of the work since the last update:
- Fixed a major issue with the skinning system on high resolution meshes that was causing rough distortions and inaccurate skinning in some areas.
- Evaluation and decisions on physics engines. This took an extensive amount of time.
- Evaluation and decisions on model importing and usage. This took an extensive amount of time.
- Fixed issue with bone import to allow joint controlled morphs (JCMs) to exactly match DAZ Studio implementation.
- Redid the morph system and partially completed bone movement morphs.
- Created initial person physics rig to allow person to be posed and react in a natural way.
- Project reorganization for better development efficiency and future setup for community creation of custom objects (atoms).
If you would like more details, including the updated alpha plans, please see the more extensively detailed post on the Hub here:
https://hub.virtamate.com/threads/vam-2-x-august-progress-update.11116/
Thank you everyone for your continued support through this long lapse in releases between VaM and VaM2, and the long time between official posts on VaM2 progress. Your confidence in us and your very generous backing has helped us continue towards an amazing future for this project.
Comments
Arty Gumption
@Meshed VR man that sounds almost too good to be true! Looking forward to the next one to see what the player experience might be like :)
Meshed VR
Yeah improving ease of use is in our top 4 goals for 2.X. In addition, we tried to make a play vs. edit mode in 1.X but we were never able to get it to the point we wanted. Play mode is intended to be what some of you are describing. Most of the details hidden, where only what is needed to enjoy the scene is provided and easy to use. We are intending for the edit (creator) mode to allow making unique playable content for the play mode, but share a mostly common interface so it is easy to go from one creator's scene to another and not have to relearn the interface. Edit (creator) mode is generally always going to be a bit complex in order to allow a lot of creative possibilities, but we plan to also improve this experience through new UX and layered complexity UI.
kevin stoddard
As a creator, this is such a fun and fantastic toy to play with. I've played illusions games from biko and beyond and find this to be more engaging on a lot of levels. I'll grant I have a pretty decent technical toolset across the spectrum for all things computers, programming, graphics, audio, enterprise software, performance, and beyond, and that sort of engineering mindset is tickled by vam. It is a big challenge to create enjoyable scenes that have a good user experience though, and I agree with sentiments above to a large degree.
Bjeorn Jorgenson
@John Paige - I completely agree, right now this is not a very good playable experience. Possession is clunky and glitches and clips in every seen, completely ruining immersion, same goes for many of the controls. My starting position has been 10 meters away facing 90 degrees away from the action ever time, I need to use the monitor to select any scenes. I'm not looking to spend multiple hours a day learning, developing, and playing with this, I just want a couple playable experiences that work, so that I can be in and out quickly and easily. It needs to be intuitive, and right now it's the opposite. 100%, there should be an easy "play" mode without all the noise and mess, one that hopefully improves on the existing one.
John Page
All I want is a playable version that has nothing to do with creation. A simple menu and simple comands to change positions and or costumes/characters. I think the first one is incredible as a scene designer but with interactive positions and female reactions to the male movements I think will take this to the next level. The blowjob portions with character control are amazing when they work. It is like a whole new experience. But one missclick while im in the zone and everything explodes except for me... I think it would be nice if 2.0 had a seperate launcher for just PLAY and EXPERIENCE. 100's of scenes pre made at 25 bucks a pop. A button for point of view and a button for free cam. All can be controlled with one hand. This should be destroying honey select and any other adult game. But right now it is not a game... it is a tool.. a lot of us just want to live a fantasy not build one. I already have a job. So please work equally hard for both types of PLAYERS.
Niko Mower
VAM DIRECTLY uses characters from free program named DAZ studio. Have You tried it? If NOT go there right away! ;) It's easy, intuitive, and You can make any fantasies You imagine.
someguy
just youtube blender to VAM. i think there a tutorial on the hub as well
Crisisbeat Art
Is there a good tutorial or a way to port my Blender models to VAM? Looks like a really interesting way to make the people interact with them.
tsaric
I am excited for this, but the thing I am hoping for most is better performance under the hood.
Jables
What are you talking about? SLI is basically dead since Nvidia decided they could force more people to upgrade to high margin, expensive cards.
rabbit1qaz
Is it better for new VAM to have CPU with higher core count (like servers AMD 64C unit) or lower count but higher GHz ? Is there a sense to use 3090sli for VAM 1.x ? Will there be for 2.x ? Does someone test it in sli way ?
Torval Tommahawk
That is great to hear. I can only guess when physics is handled by GPUs instead of CPUs, FPS should be really good(e.g: GPU vs CPU in Marvelous Designer). X1 CPU is through the roof atm. Anyway, yall are making miracles happen.
Meshed VR
That is the plan. Clothing also clipped through skin in many situations in 1.X as well. That will be fixed. We are trying to create a uniform collision system for 2.X that works with everything consistently and with a finer degree of precision. 1.X used two separate collision systems which caused both performance overhead and inconsistent and incomplete collision. This will be difficult to achieve, but we believe we have the ability to make this happen. Future updates will include progress reports in this area. We plan to start tackling the collision system after the 1st alpha is out.
Torval Tommahawk
vam1 was almost perfect for me if it wasn't for lack of cloth collisions with the environment and random objects. This may not be others cup of tea but is it a must for me. Cloth physics is PORN in by itself, watching your favorite clothing going through tables n wall is just off putting. I really hope the new physic engine can address this.
Niko Mower
Just out of curiosity, what exactly do You mean? Physics and colliders work just fine without any defining in VAM 1.X or You are talking about something different?
Michał
Does it mean that you'll no longer need to define coliders in order for the phisics to work?
Niko Mower
That's awesome news!
Meshed VR
Thank you! Fluids are planned as built-in feature in 2.X. 1.X didn't have a good enough collision model to really do fluids well, but with the new skin physics system we will have much higher accuracy to allow fluids on skin to look great.
Niko Mower
Can't wait to play with all lovely Gen8 models! Keep up with the work! PS. One feature I'd love to see in final version is built-in realistic fluids system.
Mozaic
Glad to see this post, I was just thinking a few days ago how this project is starting to feel abandoned and was debating pulling my patronage. I will stick around for a while longer now.
carcosa
Thanks for the update, the "Summary since last update" sounds tremendous. Easy to see with the right eyes that so much went into those 7 bullet points!
PixelPorts
What i would love to see in later testing for 2.X is better clothing import and possibly hair imports like their transparency and all that
Meowy84
Even with VAM 2.X in the hopper, the current iteration of VAM is still the greatest piece of software entertainment ever created. I don't think our bodies can take a new generation of VAM. Good bye reality... time to enter the Matrix forever.
Cant wait :)
AmineKunai
Good luck with the new fixes and updates!
