Export hair and feathers as allembic with multiple materials

[trainer-living]

Hi, I was wondering if anyone knows how to export hair objects with multiple materials or group IDs for game engines. Thanks.

[Dr. Sassi]

Hi trainer-living,

Please post in the Q&A Forum.

IF you have problems getting access, then this is the right forum to ask. Thank you.

All the best

[Dr. Sassi]

Hi trainer-living, for posting the access request.

In Hair, set the Generate to Spline, then use Alembic.

For Feathers, this needs one more step: create the feather as you like to have it, then select the object (preferably a copy) and press the C key, now set in the new Hair Object that is created the Generate to Splines.

Since I do not know about your target with Alembic, perhaps you could also try other Gernate options.

All the best

[trainer-living]

Thanks Dr. Sassi. I tried setting the generate to spline but it didn't work. The alembic asset doesn't have an alembic selection tag in C4D.

This is what I did: created hair > selected some of the hairs > set selection (name the tag selection_1) > inverted the selection > set the new selection to a new tag (name the tag selection_2) > made two hair materials (feathers_1 and feathers_2) > apply the two materials to the hair object > in the tag of the materials selected Use selection and apply Selection_1 and _2 to each > just in case, I also made two standard materials and apply them to the hair object and to each of the hair selection tag names > in the hair object (Generat > Type: Spline > I tried selecting and deselecting Render Hairs) > I tried both with bake as alembic (on the right click menu on the hair object )and exporting it as an alembic

In any of these cases I got an alembic asset with a selection tag. The only thing that was exported in the alembic asset was the two non-hair materials but with no selection tags, so the materials were doing nothing.

I also tried exporting more than one hair object inside a null, or a connected object but the hair objects don't export a alembic if they are inside another object.

Any help will be very welcome. This workflow for exporting hair with selection tags is needed to be able to create hair in game engines, and I guess to export hair to any other application. Thanks.

[Dr. Sassi]

Hi trainer-living,

I hope the admins can clear your account soon. I have to move it to the Q&A forum now.

Spline selelctions and material selection, I'm not aware that there is a connection.

Try this
https://stcineversityprod02.blob.core.windows.net/$web/Cineversity_Forum_Support/2024_PROJECTS_DRS/20240208_CV4_2024_drs_24_HAal_01.zip

You can see that I have set the Generate to something that creates Polygons. When this is turned into an abc file, you can create a copy and make it editable until you get polygons. These polygons are selectable and can be stored in a Selection tag. This tag can be used on the abc import. As long as no polygons change (change of amount or length, etc. Then, those can be used for Material tags.

Other than that, I have currently no idea.

I will move the thread to the Q&A; we can take it from there. Sorry, but the Site Issue site can't be the backdoor for questions.

All the best