Rapidly Create New 3D Creatures/Characters From the Same Ziva Rig; Free Lion and Cheetah Assets
VANCOUVER, Canada – April 10, 2019 – Ziva Dynamics launches Ziva VFX 1.6, introducing anatomy transfer capabilities to their advanced character creation software. With Anatomy Transfer, artists can take the full anatomy of one character and automatically apply it to another, eliminating the need to start from scratch for each new character or creature.
The new Anatomy Transfer feature streamlines a time-intensive part of the character pipeline, enabling studios to scale projects like never before in high-end productions. Instead of waiting days or weeks for modeling team input, character artists can begin immediately, leveraging the anatomy of one creature to generate another. Transferred rigs require minimal remodeling and come with the full power of Ziva physics, creating characters that move, flex, and jiggle realistically.
“Creating hundreds of high-quality characters has never been easier,” said James Jacobs, Co-CEO of Ziva Dynamics. “When we were at Weta, we would have given our left arm for technology like this; now, every artist and studio in the world can ‘build it once,’ instead of again and again.”
The transfer process begins with a source creature simulated with Ziva VFX and the external skin mesh of a target creature with similar topology. Artists use a proprietary bone-warp and spatial-warp to reshape the bones, joints, and muscles onto the second creature. A simple load function then transfers simulation properties to the new rig, including attachments, fibers, materials, and more, resulting in a new, simulation-ready creature.
“We used Ziva to simulate the Megalodon in The Meg. But, we used the anatomy transfer tools to generate hundreds of other sharks in the film as well. Each had to meet the quality standard of our hero character,” said Sue Rowe, VFX Supervisor of Sony Pictures Imageworks. “Anatomy Transfer saved us an enormous amount of time and effort. We’re thrilled this tool is available in Ziva VFX 1.6.”
To help users get started, Ziva’s Zeke the Lion character asset is now included in the Ziva VFX 1.6 software package (valued at $10,000). Users also receive a quadruped cheetah (Lila) to practice the anatomy transfer process.
Zeke is Ziva’s flagship quadruped and has undergone extensive iterations and revisions. The asset includes over 132 individual muscle tissues and an optimized fat/skin layer with about 880,000 collision points. This simulation-ready rig is of blockbuster quality.
Along with the free assets, Ziva VFX 1.6 has another speed optimization that runs 15-20 percent faster than the previous version. With improvements from December and the removal of the fascia simulation from August, Ziva simulations are over 300 percent faster than last year.
To experience Ziva VFX 1.6 in action, resources are available.
Pricing and Availability
Ziva VFX 1.6 is now available as an Autodesk Maya plugin for Windows and Linux users. It can be purchased in monthly or yearly installments.
About Ziva VFX
The Ziva method, used by major studios like Sony Pictures Imageworks, Pixomondo and Mr. X, changes character creation by combining real-world physics effects with the rapid creation of soft-tissue materials like muscles, fat, and skin. By mirroring nature’s properties, users create CG characters that move realistically, removing rigging obstacles.
About Ziva Dynamics
Ziva Dynamics is a leading virtual character software company. Their physics computation and simulation platform, combined with character assets, provides solutions for creating high-quality virtual humans and creatures, and designing realistic digital experiences. Founded in 2015, Ziva’s technology is used by leading film, entertainment, retail, and consumer brand companies.
