Hi Nick,

When I loaded a terrain and tried to place the agents, the agents location is always affected by the terrain. Since i want a flat grid of agent above the terrain, is there a way to disconnect the place to the terrain?

Difeng

Tutorials Thursday

Hi everyone,

thanks to those who made it yesterday and sorry again for the late notice.

I will be giving tutorials on your submissions tomorrow.

I will be available in the 1st year studio- (back office)
from: 9:00 - 12:00
and : 16:00-18:00

If you are coming though please email/post the time you are planning to attend.

You can also get a digital version of the submission guidelines

HERE

As a reminder, you may work in pairs on the project, but each person must submit a copy.

maya import plugin

DOWNLOAD

Monday 17th

Hi everyone,

because of the pt3 exams the time/place for the course had to be changed. So we will meet Monday morning @ 10:00am in the Diploma Jury room- please spread the word. As I said before I will be talking with each of you about your submissions and going over the guidelines


Nick

painting

paint example

graidientExample

here

session5 today

FILES

Fixed Files

Hello,

I think I found the problem with the files from last time[download below] Sorry about the hassle, the new version of the software seems to have some bugs


SESSION 3 FIXED

geometry attach

Hi Nick

I added some blend to a geo node and when i connect the geo node with skeleton node, the blending cannot be activated but when they are disconnected i can see the blending by pulling the active slider. However, i've got multi skeleton nodes and want to assign different geo node to them. How do i attach them seperately?

Another question, how to show the yellow color on geometry in Bone View?

placing geometry question….

Hi Nick,

So I made a new geometry to use with your blend2 file and I can see my new geometry in the view window (off of the surface grid), however when I try to place the new geometry on the plane (Ctrl + P) only the little spheres show up and not the geometry.

Session 3

Here are the files we will be looking at today

SESSION3


The general plan for today is to look at some new material and then I'll spend the rest of the time answering questions

massive question

is any one else having crashing problems when trying to load geometry?

Session 2 files

Hi everyone,

here is a link to the example files we will be using on Monday.


FILES


Nick

Tutorial files

I left a DVD with all the tutorial videos and files taped to the wall outside the 1st year office. please copy the files onto your computer and leave the DVD there

Nick

session 1

This is where I'll be posting all the information for the course and where you should post any questions in between sessions. Below are some basic notes from last time and here's all the agents


AGENTS SESSION 1

MpM Session 1 Notes

Intro:

-Massive is not a modelling program. It is used to build up the logic systems for geometry created in other programs(maya, rhino, etc..)

Fuzzy Logic in Massive

-Fuzzy logic is a methodology of creating rules as a series of graphs which describe an inputs degree of truth (ie any number between 0 and 1) which is different from traditional programming languages which operate most from Boolean logic.(ie. YES or NO).

-The degree of truth is described by where the incoming number intersects the graph: see example below:

-SEE MpM reference for hotkeys/basic navigation

How to run the program

-For massive to work the license manager must be running

double-click mhost to run it

when the box opens click -start-

you should get a message about how many licenses you have available

-open Massive


Next session I show you how to set it up where mhost automatically starts when you start Windows.

Placing agents

CLICK HERE EXPLANATION

Edit -> Place

• select what type of placement Circle, point, line, poly

• set the parameters

• click Place to create the agents

• click Close

Agent #1 – moving around

1A:

-To create an agent you first need some geometry to visualize it.

1.Go to the Body section (change tab on the upper right)

2.drag a box onto the scene

3.click on the box to show its properties. In the Shape tab you can adjust the size and rest position of the box

Download working agent

Make it move

BRAIN BASICS

-Go to the Brain Page (change the drop down on the top right corner)

-Drag an OUTPUT node onto the scene

NOTE: The way an output node knows what to do is by what you write in the CHANNEL box. The output can be named anything, but the CHANNEL must be one of the specified keywords.(see MpM reference for a list of all CHANNEL names)

-make the channel tz

this specifies the translate Z channel for the agent. Massive is Y up so tz means forward

-either move the slider or give it a value (say around 3)

since tz is an agent channel it means the rate of change per frame and not an absolute value. Check here for the difference between agent and segment channels.

-add other output nodes for tx and ty to see how they combine together

-also try rotations rx , ry, rz

TIMER AGENT

DOWNLOAD Timer1

This agent uses a TIMER node to input information into the graph

INTRO TO FUZZ NODES

-drag on a FUZZ node

-connect the Timer to it: hold Ctrl – L click timer – L click fuzz

-to disconnect nodes hold Ctrl+Alt and repeat the above process

-start the simulation (spacebar)

-select the fuzz node and you should see a blue line running across it: this is the value coming from the Timer.

-We will use the shape of the function to determine how the box moves in the Y direction (up and down)

-The fuzz node is connect to an AND node which is connected to a DEFUZZ node;

-DEFUZZ nodes determine the output value range. Fuzzy logic rules only operate on the values 0 -> 1 so defuzz nodes allow you to relate the degree of truth to a specific value.

-NOTE: by setting the range of the output node before connecting the DEFUZZ nodes it determines the range of the DEFUZZ sliders

• by pressing the Else button on a defuzz node it makes calculate its output based on what the other DEFUZZ is not doing, therefore balancing the system

• 
  

Extended:

Download Timer 2 – an introduction to Alt connections

Download Timer 3 – alt connections and variables- randomized heights.

Place 1000+ and watch results

Basic crowd: Using Sound to avoid.

DOWNLOAD Basic Avoid Agent

-In Massive, sound is used like sonar (bats, dolphins, submarines) as a means of determining the environment around an agent.

-To use sound an agent must emit sound: this is done by making 2 OUTPUT nodes setting one’s channels to:

sound.f the frequency it is broadcasting on

sound.a how far it is sending the sound

-The information used here is through the channels:

(drag on 2 INPUTs and set the source attribute to.

sound.x the angel between the agent and the other agents around

sound.d the distance to the agents

Extended:

Sound Agent2: Avoids and interprets distance in other ways

Submission Day

Hi everyone,
just a reminder that submissions are due today (I'm sure you had forgotten)

I'll be in the 1st year studio office until 5pm, so please drop off a disk.

If you are planning to submit your final version after the break I still need whatever you have so far today by 5.

Submission Requirements

Hi everyone,
I wanted to clarify what is exactly required for the submission.

minimum

1CD with:

-.mas file setup
-.cdl files of agents

- at least 1 diagram explaining the logic of your system


Preferred:

everything above +

-a solved sim file
-an image sequence of the frames
(go to Run -> Sim)
-animation of compiled frames

from the dialouge box click the Sim button in output and make the format amc

create a folder in your default massive directory (//program files/massive/bin)
called Sim
and 1 called Pic

run the simulation for however many frames you want.
for the images it is only an opengl capture so you may want to change the look of the screen

you can hide the grid and time code under View (uncheck them)

and you can give a different background colour by

selecting the camera from the scene view
click on the background tab
select an image file


I have to admit since this is the 1st round of work using the software, I'm feeling a bit generous so if you don't think you are going to finish everything by monday let me know.

You must at least hand in your diagram and the massive files (as developed as possible) to me by 5pm monday, but I'm willing to let you finish the work over the Easter break as I think its important to get quality output.

I'll be in the 1st year space all day, so just come find me. and of course if you have any questions between now and them just post them here


Nick

schedule

If any of you would like some extra help this week i'm available in the 1st year studio


Wednesday 2 - 5
Thursday 10 - 1
Friday (not sure)

if you are planning to come by please send me an email

growing color change agent

Files

Blend Shape problems

Several of you had problems today regarding blendshapes.

To solve the segmentation fault problem:

-save the agent file in the same folder as the obj files.
-write in the mesh names rather than using the file browser.


MESH DOESN'T Blend

In massive if the mesh don't have exactly the same number of vertices the blendshape won't work.

I recommended to a few of you if you are creating geometry in rhino to bring it to maya to convert to polygons, but it seems the method i originally thought:
Convert polygons / triangles / count (pick how many triangles) isn't so reliable as it seems to somehow still not always give the same number of points even when you give the same number of triangles.
SO, the best way to convert is to
-import into maya as an iges
-((make sure you have the iges and obj plugins loaded:
((Windows/ settings preferences / plugin manager / [check Iges.mll ] [check obj.mll] ))


-Modify / Convert / NURBS to Polygons / Control Points
this seems to be the most reliable

-export as an OBJ

individual segments moving

example of independent segments bound to geometry


EXAMPLE

seperate segment movement

hey all... i've been trying to get different segments of the same agent to move independently of each other. it has yet to work, they always move together, even if given different brains. has anyone been able to get this to workout? nick, you said to attach a geo node but it makes no difference. without a root they both won't show up, and attached to a root they always work together... ie, they screw each other up if given different logics.

thanks, david

lighting data

Alex had the question, but it may be useful to others.

Below is the link to a maya script which generates a series of grayscale maps which display the intensity of light on the surface over time.

lightMap script



To use it:

(Assuming you already have the lights animated)

copy the entire script and execute it (ctrl+enter)


First make a material which calculates the light intensity by running from the script editor:

surfLum;


this will make a new lambert with the right connections to it to calculate.

apply this material to the surface you want to calculate for.


The other procedure calculates the lighting over whatever range of frames you specify. The format of it is

calcLight(start frame, end frame)


For example if you wanted to calculate the maps from frame 1 to frame 50:

select the surface
shift select the material

calcLight(1,50);


it saves the maps into your project directory, or if you have hypershade open you can see them all.

paint Example

Hi everyone,

there were a couple of question about "agent painting" last time so I put together a simple example:

paint example


It explains it pretty well in the manual, but basically you need:
a terrain to paint on
a map on the terrain (in this case a blank white image) in tiff format
-the resolution of the image has an effect on how the agent paints as the size is in pixels

To save the map that agents have painted go to File/ Save Terrain Map

Just signed up to blogger - testing

My wind response agent, no change since last lesson:

# CDL created with massive v3.0.1

units m

object wind Respond
id 1
colour 0.000000
angles degrees
render_pass 1 shadowpass velocity visible casts_shadows
render_pass 2 beauty velocity visible casts_shadows
bounding_box_tolerance 0
collisions normal
dynamics
angle spring 500.000000
angle dampen 0.000000
angle friction 0.100000
collision spring 1000.000000
collision dampen 100.000000
collision friction 100.000000
CFM 0.000000
ERP 0.200000
ODE ff 1.000000
collision CFM 0.000000
collision ERP 0.200000
collision mu 1.000000
bounce 0.000000
bounce velocity 0.000000
drag 0.000000
gravity 980.000000
steps 1000
end dynamics

segment box
translate 240 520
density 0.01000000
primitive box
size 1.000000 0.200000 0.200000
centre 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000

geometry geo
id 1
translate 240 440

fuzzy input
id 1
name wind.x
translate -400 560
channel wind.x
integrate position
range 0.000000 1.000000
fuzzy output
id 2
name tx
translate -280 560
channel tx
defuzz COM
integrate position
range 0.000000 1.000000
1 input 1
fuzzy input
id 3
name wind.z
translate -400 500
channel wind.z
integrate position
range 0.000000 1.000000
fuzzy output
id 4
name tz
translate -280 500
channel tz
defuzz COM
integrate position
range 0.000000 1.000000
1 input 3
fuzzy output
id 5
name box ry
translate -280 380
channel box:ry
defuzz COM
integrate position
range 0.000000 1.000000
1 input 6
fuzzy input
id 6
name -(atan(wind.z/wind.x))
translate -400 380
channel -(atan(wind.z/wind.x))
integrate position
range 0.000000 1.000000

tree active 0

end object



Hope to combine with two other agents as macros.

object painting

Nick, I think you told me today that it is possible to make objects paint but which one is the video tutorial for that? I just can find the ones for making objects react to the color but not to make them paint... maybe I misunderstood you? Thanks,

Lara

S4 files

agents and setups

info on Vision

session 4

Just to let you know that we'll be starting around 10:30 today... sorry for the late notice,

Nick

Performance issues w/ Mac+Bootcamp

Is anyone else having super-slow playback occuring in the viewport on the Macs?
Seems to happen when I load a terrain file...

Using the computer lab

Also, Massive is now installed on
PC21 , PC22, and PC23 in the computer lab. (I'm assuming they are ones in the back room)

Session 3

Hi everyone,

Just a reminder that for tomorrow you are to present a quick example of your first Sound Agent. (As I mentioned its fine if you work in pairs on this) The focus should be on smaller numbers of agents and focussing on the ways that they (and especially their geometry) interact.

Afterwards we will be looking at VISION as another source of sensing for the agents. (I'll post the example files a bit later)

see you tomorrow

Nick

License errors again....

Well, this time it's me. I can ping the license server so connection is OK I think.

Nick, it's unlikely that Massive/AA Sysadmins have a fix for this so I would suggest the following:
First run a test to see what happens on the client when the lic server is reset. If it just hangs until the license can be re-established (ie. no crashing/no work is lost), then I think we could ask the AA sysadmins to set up a job on the server that kicks the lic server/mhost every 12 hours (or even shorter intervals, like every 2 hours).
In my experience this can sometimes be the only temp workaround when dealing with crap homebrewed licensing software. What you think?

I can't prep for class now (although admittedly it's late) - I just wanted to do a batch run through the tutorials and it worked earlier in the week. It's going to be very frustrating to have to schedule one's work around when the license server is up and running. Getting more licenses won't neccesarily solve this I think.

Best,

Henrik

Session 2

Hi everyone,

Here is the link to download the agent files we will be looking at this week:

Session2 files

We will be reviewing some topics from last week as well as:

-More advanced uses of sound (Priorities and multiple decisions)
-Variables and expressions
-Beacons and frequencies
-blendshapes and controlling geometry



See you tomorrow,

Nick

software and tutorials

There are two visiting students in this class who had to miss the first week. Can anyone help guide us to getting the software and tutorials? I assume Nick has them but I haven't heard from him about it.

Thanks, David + Andrew

license working again!!

Thanks for your suggestion, queue moan and rolling eyes did work. I went to the computer room, they restart the server and after that it is working at the school and at home. They said that the reason could be that there is more than 10 people using the program and there is just 10 licenses.

license error

I still have a license error at home and at school so I can´t open Massive. I tried to uninstall and install it again but does not work. Which could be the reason for that???

Session 1

Each of you should have received an email invitation to be an author on the blog. If not let me know. I would suggest that you subscribe to the Atom feed of the blog by adding the link:

http://mindplusmatter.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Its important that you look through the manual and the tutorials to begin to get a better understanding of how the program works as there's a lot to take in. The main difference between programming with "fuzzy logic" rather than traditional boolean is that you set up a network of possible outcomes which evaluate to certain degrees rather than to set values.

Important to Review in the Manual

Intro to fuzzy logic in massive
Input Nodes
Output Nodes
fuzz nodes
And nodes
defuzz nodes

In the tutorials Have a look @

1-1 basic skeletons + skeleton01.mov
1-2 basic channels
2-3 placing agents + place01.mov
2-5 sound + sound01.mov (this shows you how to make the agent from today)


For next week each of you should have produced a variation of the sound agent by either adding to the form or adding new logic OR BOTH!

As I mentioned, any questions or discoveries should be posted here and I'll be adding new things along the way as well