VaM 1.x Clothing simulation texture extraction

[gslknight]

While researching simulation texture mapping techniques for clothing, I discovered that some creators' clothing designs do not include simulation textures. Through communication, I learned that the simulation information is stored in VAB files. Is there any method to extract the simulation textures?

 

[Clownmug]

I don't think there's anything to extract from VAB files, it would probably just be UV data if anything. The only thing you can really do is create your own sim texture. Fortunately, you can open their clothing item in creator mode and use "Create Sim Template Texture" to have the UV map to work with at least.

 

[gslknight]

I don't think there's anything to extract from VAB files, it would probably just be UV data if anything. The only thing you can really do is create your own sim texture. Fortunately, you can open their clothing item in creator mode and use "Create Sim Template Texture" to have the UV map to work with at least.

Currently, I can extract a complete model with UVs from a VAB file, so I want to try extracting sim textures from a VAB file. This is at least an attempt to understand other authors' sim texture drawing techniques.

 

[techwoof]

Currently, I can extract a complete model with UVs from a VAB file, so I want to try extracting sim textures from a VAB file. This is at least an attempt to understand other authors' sim texture drawing techniques.

Sim textures are not stored on the VAB. They will be referenced on the .VAJ or .VAM file , in the storables[] section.the ID for simulation settings will be "<author>:<assetname>Sim" and inside each material you will find the "simTexture" key which will reference the texture. I made a blender importer for VAM files that converts sim data into weight paint, that's how i extract it.

 

[gslknight]

Sim textures are not stored on the VAB. They will be referenced on the .VAJ or .VAM file , in the storables[] section.the ID for simulation settings will be "<author>:<assetname>Sim" and inside each material you will find the "simTexture" key which will reference the texture. I made a blender importer for VAM files that converts sim data into weight paint, that's how i extract it.

Hey bro, could you share how to import plugins in Blender?

 

[atani]

Currently, I can extract a complete model with UVs from a VAB file, so I want to try extracting sim textures from a VAB file. This is at least an attempt to understand other authors' sim texture drawing techniques.

A guide for Sim textures - Guides -

@Case asked if I knew something about sim textures in clothing and if I could make a guide to go together with my guide for Alpha textures. Well, I don't know much, but something is more than nothing, and maybe it could be useful to others, so...

hub.virtamate.com

 

[gslknight]

A guide for Sim textures - Guides -

@Case asked if I knew something about sim textures in clothing and if I could make a guide to go together with my guide for Alpha textures. Well, I don't know much, but something is more than nothing, and maybe it could be useful to others, so...

hub.virtamate.com

Thank you for sharing, but what I need is not to redraw the simulation textures for the clothing. I want to learn how to extract hidden simulation textures from already packaged clothing. After all, some creators have very good clothing simulation effects, and seeing the simulation images directly is more helpful for my learning.

 

[techwoof]

Hey bro, could you share how to import plugins in Blender?

Can't share the plugins right now, sorry

Thank you for sharing, but what I need is not to redraw the simulation textures for the clothing. I want to learn how to extract hidden simulation textures from already packaged clothing. After all, some creators have very good clothing simulation effects, and seeing the simulation images directly is more helpful for my learning.

You will not get the same simulation effect from VAM in Blender or anywhere else. You can only have the SIM textures and convert to weights on Blender (search for how to convert images into weights). There's no "hidden simulation textures" in the VAB. it carries only data regarding the mesh itself and bindings to the Genesis 2 model's vertexes. The effects you talk about you need to make them yourself in Blender, there's no 1:1 importing because Blender is not a game engine.

 

[gslknight]

Sim textures are not stored on the VAB. They will be referenced on the .VAJ or .VAM file , in the storables[] section.the ID for simulation settings will be "<author>:<assetname>Sim" and inside each material you will find the "simTexture" key which will reference the texture. I made a blender importer for VAM files that converts sim data into weight paint, that's how i extract it.

Let me give you an example. I created a dress with simulation effects and packaged it. As shown in the image, it doesn't include the simulation textures because I didn't put the textures in the clothing's file directory when creating them, but it still retains the simulation effect. I'm not very familiar with the code issue. As you said, the VAB file doesn't contain simulation information. So, when the clothing runs in the game, is the simulation information read from the .vaj or .vam file?

 

[hazmhox]

I would need to confirm this, but I'm pretty sure you're not retaining the simulation WITH the texture. You're only keeping the base bone computation. You're assuming it does, but I'm pretty sure you're loosing part of it if the texture is not included.

 

[techwoof]

Let me give you an example. I created a dress with simulation effects and packaged it. As shown in the image, it doesn't include the simulation textures because I didn't put the textures in the clothing's file directory when creating them, but it still retains the simulation effect. I'm not very familiar with the code issue. As you said, the VAB file doesn't contain simulation information. So, when the clothing runs in the game, is the simulation information read from the .vaj or .vam file?View attachment 569826

In this case the simulation is purely procedural. The settings will be stored on the .VAJ file, which you can find under the 'Physics' tab in-game. It will not simulate the part of the clothing that is attached to the person, but will simulate everything else applying an uniform setting. The .VAM files are presets, they are almost identical to .VAJ in this case, but the .VAJ is the default. To 'replicate' this in blender, just apply cloth sim to all the clothing except what should be pinned to your model. That pinning, or information in what part is attached to the character, is stored in the .VAB and only works in-game with the Genesis 2 model (i assume you know how the vertex binding process works in clothing creation), so even if you exported it, would be useless in Blender.

 

[gslknight]

I would need to confirm this, but I'm pretty sure you're not retaining the simulation WITH the texture. You're only keeping the base bone computation. You're assuming it does, but I'm pretty sure you're loosing part of it if the texture is not included.

After I created this dress and selected simulated textures, then saved it, regardless of whether simulated textures were packaged, the simulated texture directory in VAJ was empty. Will this result in the loss of simulation data?

 

[gslknight]

In this case the simulation is purely procedural. The settings will be stored on the .VAJ file, which you can find under the 'Physics' tab in-game. It will not simulate the part of the clothing that is attached to the person, but will simulate everything else applying an uniform setting. The .VAM files are presets, they are almost identical to .VAJ in this case, but the .VAJ is the default. To 'replicate' this in blender, just apply cloth sim to all the clothing except what should be pinned to your model. That pinning, or information in what part is attached to the character, is stored in the .VAB and only works in-game with the Genesis 2 model (i assume you know how the vertex binding process works in clothing creation), so even if you exported it, would be useless in Blender.

My goal is simple: I just want to see what the sim texture of the clothing looks like. It just needs to show the color depth under UV rays. If it doesn't work, I'll give up.

 

[hazmhox]

Please resize your shots. It makes very hard to read/follow the thread and you can immediately click on the small version to zoom it so there's no need to have it full size in the post. Thanks!

After I created this dress and selected simulated textures, then saved it, regardless of whether simulated textures were packaged, the simulated texture directory in VAJ was empty. Will this result in the loss of simulation data?

I'm never doing the texture sim upfront at the clothes creation.
I'm doing my sim with the settings I need, saving the item, then after the fact I add the texture on top which allows you to test it/update it on the fly.

I would indeed assume that you loose the texture data this way. I'll check in a moment and confirm back to you : )