Manuel Bastioni Lab, turns Blender in a laboratory for 3d humanoids creation

Coding Released Scripts and Themes
1482

Dear Manuel

thank you for sharing this amazing tool! Perhaps you can clarify something regarding the measurements system?

I have built a script that generates 500 Caucasian female avatars (an example of the code is below).

I derived the the measures of my 500 avatars from statistical analysis on the Ansur public database. Basically these avatars represent a sample of all different body types (e.g. Hourglass, Triangle etc). I know the value of all of the measures that can be specified in the Lab, for each of the 500 avatars.

However, when I use the Lab and insert the measures (e.g. bust girth, hips girth etc), these do not seem to be applied accurately to the avatar generated. E.g. when I measure the resulting mesh, I notice that some measures do not match the values that I specified.

Is this because the measurement system is still “experimental”? if so, do you have an idea when it may be improved?

I would be happy to help testing the measurement system if useful (for instance, using the script and baseline data I created).

If this is of help, can I contact you directly to see what can be done?

For context, my project is as follows. I developed a tool that stitches the patterns of clothes on my 500; from that I can provide a measure of fit to the wider population. The pattern are taken from any industrial fashion CAD e.g. Optitex.

Thanks!

import manuelbastionilab
blab_measures = {
“upperarm_axillary_girth”: 0.3151,
“shoulders_width”: 0.3837,
“wrist_girth”: 0.1543,
“upperleg_top_girth”: 0.62,
“buttock_girth”: 1.0587,
“waist_girth”: 0.801,
“lowerleg_calf_girth”: 0.3751,
“chest_girth”: 0.9682,
“body_height_Z”: 1.57,
“upperleg_bottom_girth”: 0.39
# I have more measures from my Ansur analysis, but these seems to produce the most accurate results so far
}
#generate avatar mesh:
humanoid = manuelbastionilab.mblab_humanoid
humanoid.automodelling(use_measures_from_dict=blab_measures, mix=False)

Here is the mesh produced (in grey) vs. a mesh with the proportions as I specified in the code (in pink, from another tool).

test1
test11600×900 265 KB

1483

Assuming that you are working on a finalized model:

Edit mode → Select the linked vertices with L key → Separate with P key.
Note that altering the topology will create problems with shapekeys.

Yes.

In version 1.7.x the workflow of measure system will be modified: the results will be more realistic, but limited in the range of the selected template. For example it will be impossible to obtain an overweight character starting from an underweight template. For more info about the workflow see: http://www.manuelbastioni.com/wip_170003_new_models_gui_and_expressions.php

1 Like
1484

Coming back to this issue, I have sent you a link to a file with the problem in your messages. Please check them. Thanks!

1485

Hi. Is there a way to quickly reproduce a head of a real person? I need to create a couple of digital doubles for my short. I found Looxis Faceworx which allows you to create 3d model of a head based on two photos. It can be exported to obj after that. I could then import it to Blender and attach to a MBL model in Edit mode, however, I will lose the rig that comes with MBL, right? At least Faceworx doesn’t produce any facial rig as far as I’m aware, so I’ll have to recreate this one from scratch? I’m not so good in rigging at all. Just looking for quickest way of creating digital double of a real actor for wide shots (maybe middle, but not close up), without extra details and with full body and face rig set up.

1486

scan the head, retopologize using a similar mesh structure to a MBLab model and use the weights and bones used in a character created there as a guide

then add it to the credits of the project

1 Like
1487

Development update: hands completed. Realistic anatomy, accurate rigging, detailed textures and improved shader for cycles:

9 Likes
1488

There was a very old old program that would let you take a photo then add points around the eyes, lips, nose, and ears then press a buttton and it would make a 3d face for you which you could export to an .obj file. It had a free version that limited the number of polygons that it would use to construct the .obj. The problem is that I cannot remember the name of the program. I think it was called “Facemaker”

I think this is it.

That was one of them but I what I was thinking of was an older version of a program called Faceshop 3.5

Now called Headshop.

1 Like
1489

Thank you. I know about this program. Faceworx is actually a free alternative to Facegen Modeller. Headshop and DAZ are also commercial things, and I prefer free and open-source software, because it’s just a personal project. I don’t have an opportunity to photoscan my actors – unfortunately – so I think I’ll stick with Faceworx and manual replacement of a MBL character’s head. But thanks for your response anyway.

1490

Manuel Bastoni lab is outstanding for quickly building realistic humans, but I really hope that future versions will allow for easier replication of human faces from reference images. Functionality like facebuilder for Nuke would be amazing.

1491

that’s the part you sculpt after the model generation, isn’t it?

1492

Hi,
Thank you so much for your wonderful work. I would like to share a character I created with ManuelBastioni Lab and imported to unreal engine. I can confirm that it is possible to retarget animations provided in unreal anim starter kit and also use the blend shapes as morph targets in unreal engine to create more life like facial animations. I am currently testing live/real-time face-mocap to drive the character’s facial features in unreal engine.
It was possible to transfer shapekeys from MBLab character onto additional cloth/hair. However the script I wrote is unoptimized and I’m hoping there is an easier way to transfer shape key mesh deformations to clothes/hair (like beard and moustache). Thanks again :slight_smile:

Test Video

Capture
Capture677×706 336 KB

1 Like
1493

Hi i seem to be having some issues with the manual lab rigging you see when i activated the manual lab muscle system in a character it doesnt move like at all , i have tried everything and i run out of idea can some please help me

1494

what blender? what addon version? are you using IK? which character preset?

version 1.6.1a seems to work ok on my end.

1495

Great progress Manuel. I am happy you will implement face bones. More options is always better. I like your work with bendy bones muscle system it works very well and simple. No drivers, no complex constraints system, just simple and effective. I like basic IK setup for leg and hands in your rigs. Thank you for your hard work. Will wait when 1.7 version will be released!

1 Like
1496

I have question. Addon uses shapekeys for facial deformations(poses) that means topology of finalized model must stay unchanged. Is it right? If so i have little suggestion - it would be nice to have ability to change topology without breaking all those nice shapekeys (it’s lot of work), to do so maybe apply some algorithm at finalization stage which will separate head from rest of body so user can easily adopt body topology without loosing head morphs. I ask this cause unified topology for different characters (creatures) isn’t always work well and other reason is optimisation for BGE (realtime engines) would be cool to have ability to reduce polygon number for background characters or LOD models or for lowpoly styles.

Also would be cool if IK rig could have FK switch for hands and legs maybe switchable properties IK hand > FK hand, IK leg > FK leg.

1497

Well it seems like you can separate body mesh from head without breaking shapekeys, at least my face shapekeys still working. Thats great! :grinning:

1498

Hi! I was having a similar requiremeent so I created this script which transfers shape keys. Please check this link:
Shape Key Transfer You can try recreating the shape keys for lower poly LOD versions using this script

1499

Thank you very much. I will use your addon!

1500

Hey fBlah, could you point to a tutorial (or consider making one) about the process? Not the general retarget, there are plenty of stuff about that, but how to save and use the morph targets on MBlab characters, how to set up physics (clothes, breast etc).

1501

Hi mzproz, the quick instructions are as follows:
Link to instructions

As for the retargeting process. It actually took me several weeks to get it done with several reiterations till I got something acceptable.
Can you list out the requirements you need me to address and I will try to make a tutorial or a series trying to address the same and the pipeline I’m following sometime soon… I haven’t made a tutorial video before and will need to get a microphone.