FaceForm has released the latest versions of its 3D scanning tools, Wrap 2024.11 and Wrap4D 2024.11, introducing a suite of new features aimed at streamlining workflows in VFX, game development, and virtual production. These updates focus on usability, stability, and advanced functionalities tailored for high-performance pipelines. Let’s unwrap the details.
Wrap 2024.11: Node Graph Enhancements and New Tools
Wrap 2024.11 brings significant improvements to the node graph, enhancing user experience and efficiency. Users can now group nodes to organize complex graphs better, search for nodes by name to navigate large projects swiftly, and temporarily disable nodes to expedite graph evaluations. Additionally, the new SwitchGeom node allows users to toggle between input geometries, facilitating the preview of experimental changes.
The update also introduces several new nodes designed to refine the retopology process:
- SmoothGeom: Smooths high-frequency artifacts on geometry surfaces, aiding in cleaner mesh outputs.
- MirrorGeom: Mirrors geometry vertices, enabling effortless duplication during blendshape cleanup.
- TransferVertexMask: Maintains consistent vertex masks across geometries with varying topologies, ensuring uniformity in complex projects.
These additions aim to reduce manual cleanup and enhance the precision of topology transfers, though it’s advisable to test these features within your specific pipeline before full integration.
Brush Toolset Overhaul
The brush tools in Wrap have undergone a comprehensive overhaul, now optimized for tablet usage to provide a more intuitive and responsive user experience. New brush types have been added, including:
- Move Surface: Allows for intuitive manipulation of geometry surfaces.
- Relax Surface: Helps in smoothing out irregularities on the mesh.
- Mirror Clone and Clone Project: Facilitate the duplication and projection of geometry features.
- Erase: Enables precise removal of unwanted geometry details.
Additionally, the introduction of Reference Image Projection allows artists to display reference images within Wrap, serving as a guide for editing geometry. This feature is particularly beneficial for aligning 3D models with source imagery, enhancing accuracy in the modeling process.
Wrap4D 2024.11: Introducing the Blend Rig Pipeline
Wrap4D 2024.11 takes a significant leap by introducing a comprehensive Blend Rig Pipeline, a new toolset for creating and working with blendshape-based facial rigs. This pipeline allows for the generation of a blend rig from expressions and corrective blendshapes, fitting a blend rig to given geometry by optimizing controls, and exporting blend rig controls to a JSON file for easy integration into various engines.
Key nodes in this pipeline include:
- LoadBlendRig: Generates a blend rig from expressions and corrective blendshapes.
- FitBlendRig: Fits a blend rig to a given geometry by optimizing controls.
- SaveBlendRigControls: Exports blend rig controls to a JSON file, facilitating integration into different platforms.
- SmoothBlendRigControls: Prevents jittering or jumps in a blend rig control sequence, ensuring smooth animations.
- InsertBlendshapeToBlendRig: Allows adding or modifying an expression and dependent corrective blendshapes without recreating the rig, providing flexibility in rig adjustments.
This new pipeline is designed to enhance the creation and manipulation of facial rigs, offering greater control and precision in character animation. However, as with any new toolset, it’s recommended to evaluate its performance within your specific workflow to ensure compatibility and stability.
Availability and Pricing
Both Wrap 2024.11 and Wrap4D 2024.11 are available now. For detailed pricing and licensing information, visit FaceForm’s official website.
FaceForm continues to push the boundaries of 3D scanning technology, offering tools that enhance efficiency and precision in digital production. Whether you’re involved in VFX, game development, or virtual production, the latest updates to Wrap and Wrap4D provide a robust set of features designed to meet the evolving needs of the industry.
