Xenomorphing on the XBOX 360

[BenQ]

I don't know if "Xenomorphing" is the technical term or if it's simply a buzzword, but it's something that I don't believe is used in any videogames currently ( correct me if I'm wrong ), and I'm really interested in seeing what can be done with it.

For those of you who don't know, Xenomorphing seems to be a method of seemlessly morphing one character model into a completely diferent character model in real time. I first heard about it a while back when M$ announced XNA.

Here's a link to a trailer showcasing Xenomorphing.

http://www.gametrailers.com/player.php?id=3123&type=wmv

and here are a few pics....

EDIT : and if you can't see the pics, here's the link = P

http://www.xbox360degrees.com/2005/03/01/Screenshots/xna-xenomorph-demo-screenshots.html

For those of you who know more about this, I have a few questions about how it's implamented on the Xenos. I'm just GUESSING, so don't laugh at me too hard if I'm way off base.

I imagine that the geometry tesselation unit ( GTU ) on the Xenos would be used to create a vertex mesh for the character models, just like they would for implamenting proper displacement mapping.

I assume they would use the GTU as when morphing from one character model to another, the geometry not only needs to be reorganized, but most likey the first or second character model would be comprised of a different number of polys.

Then the actual morphing process would be handled by the Xenos vertex shaders ( Unified shaders ).

Again.... that's just a guess.... I'm hoping someone in the know will help me better understand more about what Xenomorphing is = )

The special effects of Vertex processing has always sort of taken a back seat to what can be done with pixel shaders. Presumably that's why GPU's have roughly 3X's the ammount of Pixel shaders to vertex shaders. I'm interested in seeing devs push those vertex shaders

 

[London Geezer]

That's NEAT!

And for the first time, realtime fur done properly.

 

[BenQ]

I don't know if you guys can see the pics or not. But if you can't, here's the link = )

http://www.xbox360degrees.com/2005/03/01/Screenshots/xna-xenomorph-demo-screenshots.html

 

[London Geezer]

I don't know if you guys can see the pics or not. But if you can't, here's the link = )

http://www.xbox360degrees.com/2005/03/01/Screenshots/xna-xenomorph-demo-screenshots.html

The video is much better... not much morphing in pictures is it

 

[BenQ]

I hope to see this technology ( or something similar ) used alot in next gen games.

Were at the point where technology can render very detailed environments, but the problem ( as I see it ) is that these environment, while pretty, tend to be largely static, with not enough movement and life to them.

Using Xenomorphing ( or something similar ) I can imagine entire landscapes changing right before me eyes, or maybe planting a seed only to see it spring up into a massive beanstalk ( magic beans ).

I'm looking forward to seeing some truly next gen animation ( for the environments, and not just the character models ) come next gen = )

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Looks fun, though the examples I think too different to work well. Morphs between similar models are more 'convincing'. The tweening of the animation was very good. Can't see many uses unfortunately, except for a killer werewolf game or two!

 

[London Geezer]

Looks fun, though the examples I think too different to work well. Morphs between similar models are more 'convincing'. The tweening of the animation was very good. Can't see many uses unfortunately, except for a killer werewolf game or two!

Think outside the box:

You dont need to morph into something else. You can morph into a different version of yourself.
Bodies to get damaged properly, any kind of morphing monster but also any kind of "update" a character would have, the main i can think of is damage in a fighting game for example. A more subtle use, but still morphing.

Think a character being burnt, and his body morphing into a nice realistically crusty thing, then a pile of ash...

 

[BenQ]

Looks fun, though the examples I think too different to work well. Morphs between similar models are more 'convincing'. The tweening of the animation was very good. Can't see many uses unfortunately, except for a killer werewolf game or two!

If the same technology can be applied to game environments, and not just character models, then I can think of alot of interesting applications = )

 

[two]

Is the same video from XNA demo?

 

[AlNom]

Now we're getting into Fable's original tree-growing capability before it was canned.

Boobies are morphable.

 

[Wunderchu]

Is the same video from XNA demo?

yes

 

[shortround]

Kameo tech?

 

[Laa-Yosh]

Goodness, don't try to invent new technology when there's none

It's called xenomorphing because it's morphing (a traditional, age-old technology) between alien creatures, also called xenomorphs.
Morphing is used for many things, most often for facial animation (the most famous example is Gollum in the LOTR movies).
Transitioning between different creatures is, however, quite hard because both models need to have the exact same number of vertices. This is a very serious limitation; and then there's the topology of the model (the layout of polygons) that can be quite restrictive. Say, where should a 4-legged creature put all the vertices that build up the other 2 legs of a 6-legged one? Or how to hide a second head?
No wonder that most VFX companies prefer image morphing tricks for such visual effects, it's a lot more flexible.

 

[ralexand]

Transitioning between different creatures is, however, quite hard because both models need to have the exact same number of vertices. This is a very serious limitation; and then there's the topology of the model (the layout of polygons) that can be quite restrictive. Say, where should a 4-legged creature put all the vertices that build up the other 2 legs of a 6-legged one? Or how to hide a second head?
No wonder that most VFX companies prefer image morphing tricks for such visual effects, it's a lot more flexible.

Sounds like the challenges the Spore game faced.

 

[Laa-Yosh]

I don't think so... As far as I've seen, Spore does not morph creatures into each other, it "only" has to combine - probably prebuilt - parts into working creatures.

 

[mckmas8808]

Think a character being burnt, and his body morphing into a nice realistically crusty thing, then a pile of ash...

Now you're thinking l-b. See that's why I like that guy, he's a thinker.

If the same technology can be applied to game environments, and not just character models, then I can think of alot of interesting applications = )

Now we're getting into Fable's original tree-growing capability before it was canned.

Didn't Sony show something like this in their Conference? Is the growing trees, flowers, and plants that Sony showed the same thing has what's being brought out now?

 

[London Geezer]

Think a character being burnt, and his body morphing into a nice realistically crusty thing, then a pile of ash...

Now you're thinking l-b. See that's why I like that guy, he's a thinker.

What guy?

 

[deathstar121]

Is the same video from XNA demo?

Yep old vid from last year.

 

[mckmas8808]

Think a character being burnt, and his body morphing into a nice realistically crusty thing, then a pile of ash...

Now you're thinking l-b. See that's why I like that guy, he's a thinker.

What guy?

You man. I guess you're a guy, you're name is london-boy.

 

[Lazy8s]

The Panzer Dragoon games on both the Saturn and the Xbox had nice effects where a dragon morphed between multiple forms.