Point Cache


Play back point cache files exported from 3d packages such as .pc2 .mdd and .mc files. You can now bake you complex mesh animations to one of the industry standard formats supported by all the major 3d packages and play them back quickly and easily. This is a very powerful modifier that can make life a lot easier if you have a very complex animation in a 3d package that you need in Unity. It allows you to bake the animation to a file that holds the vertex positions at given frames the modifier will then play those back making this a very fast system. This allows the artist complete freedom over the animation produced and can add as many effects, bones, deformations as they like. The downside of the system is files can get quite large to combat that the system has an option for bezier interpolation of key frames as well as linear interpolation so the artist can experiment with exporting every nth frame instead of every frame to get a balance of accuracy versus memory usage. The modifier makes use of industry standard point cache files which are produced by all the 3d packages so you can pick a file format that best suits your work flow and 3d package.

This modifier is very handy for animating physics based objects such has cloth exploding objects which would not be possible using bones and taking advantage of the poweful physics simulations included in 3d packages.

Info

Make sure you are using local space point cache files, so for example if you are using Max make sure you use the Object Space Point Cache Modifier as opposed to the World Space version and in other packages be sure to click the local space option box in the exporters.
Also if you have Mapping Failures check to see if the Optimize Mesh option is turned off in the Unity FBX import settings.

Point Cache Param Description

Import Buttons

Click the appropiat ebutton to import the point cache file data.

Mod Enabled

This is the common param to enable the modifier in the stack.

Display Gizmo

This is the common param to display the gizmo for the modifier, this will only be a box for point cache.

Order

The common parma for the priority of the modifier if you want to change the order.

Giz Col 1 & 2

Colors for the gizmo.

Time

This is the current time for the playback of the point cache data.

Loop Time

The max time of the animation this is set on import from the data file but you can change it you if want.

Animated

Check this to have the animation play back at runtime.

Speed

Use to alter playback speed or make go in reverse with a negative value.

Loop Mode

Animation loop mode, either clamp, ping pong or loop.

Interp Method

Choose between linear or bezier interpolation, linear is faster and is fine for most cases but if you have set a large time step for the export of the data you may get more pleasing results selecting bezier.

Blend Mode

Should the point cache changes be added to the base mesh (ie on top of any other modifiers before it in the stack) or just replace which is the normal mode if nothing is effecting the mesh before this modifier. This does allow you to have multiple point cache files on a mesh.

Memory

Read only value showing how much memory is being used for the animation, if it is too high then reexport your data with larger time steps.

Point Cache Class

public class MegaPointCache : MegaModifier
{
    public float             time;
    public bool              animated;
    public float             speed;
    public float             maxtime;
    public MegaRepeatMode    LoopMode;
    public MegaInterpMethod  interpMethod;
    public float             weight;
    public MegaBlendAnimMode blendMode;
}

Video Guide

You must be logged in to post a comment.