Simulation Tool Overview

The Golaem Crowd simulation can be run just by clicking the Play Forwards button in the Maya interface.
 
However, in order to run the simulation and export the simulation results (simulation cache and renderer files), you must use the Golaem Crowd Simulation Tool.
 
The simulation tool will only export the entities that are actually simulated in each Crowd field. This can be configured in the Crowd Manager.
 
The Golaem Crowd Simulation Tool can be accessed through:
  • Crowd shelf: 
  • Crowd menu: Simulation Tool
  • MEL command: glmSimulationToolCmd;

 

Simulation tool - Simulation Cache Export

 

Configuration

The following parameters are applied for every type of export:
 
Crowd Field Nodes the Crowd Fields to export. This list contains all the available Crowd Fields. Only the Crowd Fields selected in this list will be exported.
Use existing simulation cache

avoids running the simulation if a simulation cache already exists, and only exports the FBX/renderer files
Start Frame the first frame to export. If the selected Crowd Fields are started after this frame, the export will only start at the frame at which the Crowd Fields start.
End Frame the last frame to export.

The rest of the Simulation Tool parameters are grouped in tabs that match each type of export:

 
 
Once the Simulation parameters are customized (see sections below for each type of export), the user can run the simulation by clicking the Run button in the Crowd Simulation window. At any time during the simulation, the user can press the Esc key to stop the simulation.
 
During the simulation, if the simulation cache, FBX or renderer exports are enabled, a Crowd Assets Association file (.caa) is automatically created in the simulation cache folder. This file defines the association between Crowd entities and rendering types. The Crowd Assets Association file is used by the renderer plugins to manage the appearance of Crowd entities. The Simulation Cache Editor also uses this file to determine the skeleton associated to each Entity.
 
Note: the renderers export relies on the Rendering Types defined with the Assets Manager. Entities with an Entity Type which is not connected to a Rendering Type have no geometrical representation and thus cannot be rendered with the chosen renderer.