How to customize provided props?

Even if using the standard Golaem Crowd Character Pack model, it is possible to customize its props to match production requirements. 
 

Modifying An Existing Prop

  • Open the appropriate source .ma file (e.g. for Mental Ray: /crowd/sources/CMO-man_golaemMR.ma)
  • Modify the existing prop as needed (skinning weights, mesh geometry…)
  • Open the Assets Manager, and load the appropriate .cam file (in /crowd/cam/)
  • Select the CMO-man_golaem Geometry Group, and remove it by clicking on the "-" button. It may be a good idea to write down the current Bounding Box values, as they will be needed afterwards.

  • Check the Show Selection in Maya checkbox and select the CrowdMan character

  • Click on the Export Selection as FBX button, and save the new .fbx to the /crowd/fbx directory.

  • Select the bounding box of the created character and set its values in the Attribute Editor. They should be similar to the previous ones, except if the modified props are so bigger that it modifies the bounding box.

  • Save the .cam file
Note that if a simulation cache has already been exported, it is not needed to re-export it to take the modified prop into account. Reloading the .cam file and rendering is enough.
 

Disabling An Existing Prop

The simplest way to disable a prop is to set its weight to 0 in the asset manager's Rendering Types tab and save the .cam file.
 
 
As for modifying a prop, if a simulation cache has already been exported, it is not needed to re-export it to take the disabled prop into account. Reloading the .cam file and rendering is enough.
 

Adding A New Prop

  • Open the appropriate character source file (e.g. /crowd/sources/CMO-man_golaemMR.ma for Mental Ray)
  • Create the new prop, and skin it to the existing skeleton. To find it more easily later, maybe it is better to put it into an existing geometry group, or to create a new one
  • Assign an existing shader to the newly created props, or create a new one.

  • Open  the Asset Manager, and load the appropriate .cam file (from the /crowd/cam/ directory)

  • Select the added prop mesh in Maya, and add it into its category group by clicking on the "+" button (or create a new category group).

  • If needed, right-click on the created mesh asset and select "Exclude Mesh Assets", to select the mesh assets that should not be attributed with this one.

  • Delete the existing Geometry Group and export a new .fbx file
  • In the Rendering Types tab, set a weight for the new prop

  • Save the .cam file
As for modifying or disabling a prop, if a simulation cache has already been exported, it is not needed to re-export it to take the disabled prop into account. However if some new shaders have been assigned to props, they should be imported in the crowd scene used for rendering. The .cam file should also be reloaded.