RPC Creator
RPC Creator
RPC Creator Pro makes creating custom RPCs a very simple process. The order in which you utilize the dialogs to create the RPC object is up to your discretion. Any required tabs will appear in red text until completed. At the end of the creation process you will be able to preview your RPC.
To activate the RPC Creator Pro you will need to configure a path to the ArchVision Content Manager (ACM) where the RPC Creator Pro license resides. With out a license, the RPC Creator Pro will only create watermarked content. For information about obtaining a license read the Getting Started document.
Start Tab: The first screen that appears when the RPC Creator Pro opens provides an option to Import. This option provides users with the ability to edit their existing RPCs. This option will not work for RPC Content created by ArchVision. If you are creating a new RPC, select the Name tab to begin the RPC Creation process.
Note: Prior to running RPC Creator Pro, you should already have all of the RGB images, alpha images and preview images necessary to compile the RPC you wish to create. If you need assistance creating these images, please view the RPC Creation Tips on optimizing images for RPC Creator Pro.
Name Tab: There are three naming fields for RPC content. Content Category allows you to select the grouping for your RPC. You are welcome to use one of the types already created by ArchVision such as People [Casual] or create your own.
Content Name refers to the name of the RPC itself. We suggest keeping the Content Name and the Object Name identical for continuity and ease of finding the RPC in the scene.
Tip: Provide custom RPCs with names that will make the content easy to locate within your scene. Also, make sure that the category information will not be confused with other content categories.
Height Tab: Default Height is the height of the RPC object in inches. Keep in mind that the Height refers to the overall image height and not just the subject. To make your height value more accurate, limit the amount of dead space at the top and bottom of your images. Random Height Min and Random Height Max allow you to set recommended ranges for Randomize Height settings in RPC Mass Edit.
Tip: Remember, the entire height of the RPC will include space above or below the object. For example; if you create an RPC of yourself, the height value will need to greater than your actual height to accomodate the additional space (pixels) at the top and the bottom of the images.
Self Illum Tab: The self-illumination setting of the RPCs refers to the default brightness of the object. We suggest that you use a setting of 55 for Indoor objects and a setting of 75 for Outdoor objects.
Tip: User higher values for RPCs created from darker images and lower values for RPCs created using brighter images.
Images Tab: Begin by selecting the type of RPC Content to be created in the RPC Type box. Next, open your RGB image file(s) by clicking the Add button and then selecting the image(s). Once the file has been selected, a preview of the first image will be displayed. Then load the Alpha image file(s) in the same manner.
If the RPC was Imported into Creator Pro, an option to Use Imported will be available in the RGB Filename and Alpha Filename dialog boxes. It is also possible to add new images and their corresponding alpha images to the imported images by clicking the Add button.
For 2.5D content, the first image needs to be time 0 of the action sequence. For 3D content, the first image should be the back of the object. For 3.5D content, the first image should be the back of the object at time 0. The order in which images are named should reflect a counter-clockwise rotation around the RPC if creating 3D or 3.5D content.
For 3.5D content, it is required that your content be named in the following format:
<base><view><separator><time>.jpg
In this naming construction, Base can be any alphabetic naming structure as long as it does not end in a number. View should be a number that increments as you move clockwise around the object. The Separator is simply to divide the View and the Time numbers into distinctive portions of the file name. The separator must be a dash, a period or an underscore. Time is the order in which the frames should be played. The frame rate for the time sequence should be 30 frames per second (fps).
Example names are:
image0000-0000.jpg
image0000-0001.jpg
image0000-0002.jpg
Description Tab: This step allows you to enter in information about the RPC as a Meta tag. These descriptions should be separated by a comma. You have the option of leaving the field blank.
This tab also contains an entry box for Gait, which is only available when creating 3.5D objects. The Gait value defines how quickly a 3.5D object moves along its spline. Gait is expressed as inches per 1/30th of a second.
Pivot Tab: Pivot Offset allows you to adjust the center of the RPC. This allows you to compensate for the fact that often times the center of the image is not the center of the subject. This figure can be found by opening the file in Adobe Photoshop or a similar program and determining what percentage of shift in pixel is needed to the right of left of center to find the center of the subject. Normally this figure does not need to be adjusted for trees.
In the example object below, the subject is not at the center of the image. By adjusting the Pivot Offset value, the RPC created from this image will behave as if perfectly centered!
Begin by re-sizing a copy of the first RPC image file in the sequence to a width of 100 pixels. Then zoom in on the image so that you can place a guide precisely at the center of the RPC subject.
To determine the exact pivot point, simply subtract the pixel number for the center of the subject from 50. This will provide you with the pivot point for the RPC. Your answer will range from –50 to 50.
In our example image above, the subject's center is at 3 pixels. By subtracting that number from 50, the pivot point for the RPC becomes 3. Remember, this formula only works if you begin with an image that has been resized to 100 pixels in width.
Tip: When the subject is a person, the pivot point is normally decided based on the position of the feet rather than the position of the torso or head.
Preview Tab: As discussed in Creation File Guidelines, a Preview File is used to represent the RPC in the RPC Interface. Locate it on your machine by clicking the Browse button and then selecting the appropriate bitmap file or use the default image. If you choose to create your own, make sure that it is 124 x 98 pixels and saved as an RGB (24-bit) .bmp file.
Icon Tab: Next, select to use either the default Icon, which appears as crossed planes in your 3D application, or to use a Custom Icon. Custom Icons can be created from DXF, OBJ, or MSH file formats. MSH is the file format generated by the RPC Icon Exporter.
Download RPC Icon Exporter for Max and Viz:
Contact Tab: The fields provided on this screen allow you to enter in specific information about the creator of the RPC content.
Create Tab: Set the RPC filename by clicking on the Browse button and locating the directory where you would like to save your file. Then type the RPC name into the File Name field and select to Save. Next, click the Create button to complete the file saving process. We recommend not saving over an existing RPC.
Once you click the Create button, a status bar will appear to show the file creation progress. The time required for assembly will vary based on the type of content being created and the number of images used. A dialog will appear confirming that the content was completed and offer you the option of previewing the RPC object. Selecting Yes will open the RPC ActiveX Viewer™ and display your content.
These documents will provide you with details concerning the creation of files necessary to construct high quality RPCs:
In order to create a piece of content with the RPC Creator Pro, you will need to have at least 2 types of files prepared. The first type is the color image of your content, which the program refers to as RGB files. RGB image files should consist of 3 channels (RGB) and be saved in JPEG format.
Additionally, you will need an Alpha image that corresponds with each RBG image. Alpha files should consist of 1 channel and be saved in JPEG format.
The second optional file is an Icon Mesh used to represent your RPC during editing in most 3D applications. Custom Icons can be created from DXF, OBJ, or MSH file formats. MSH is the file format generated by the RPC Icon Exporter.
Download RPC Icon Exporter for Max and Viz:
All RGB images and Alpha images used to create an RPC should be exactly the same size. If the images are different sizes the creation process will fail. Also, you will want an additional 1 pixel of space on the top and sides of the image outside of the physical object. On the bottom, you must have exactly 1 pixel of additional space. This space should be black on the alpha images and match the background color on the RGB images.
The resolution of the images is up to you. The optimum amount of resolution is going to vary depending on whether you are going to use your RPC for a still or animation. For renderings used for video purposes, an RPC should be about 600 pixels tall. For Hi-Res stills, this value can even be higher.
The quality of the images used to create your RPC Content will vary depending on how the RPC will be used in the scene. As JPEG quality and resolution increase, so will the file size of the RPC. Generally, ArchVision recommends using Alpha jpegs that were saved at 50% quality and RGB jpegs that are saved at 85% quality. You can save even more on file size by saving Alpha images as grayscale. Saving your JPEG files at these quality settings should provide the best balance of quality versus storage size.
The number of RGB images and Alpha images needed to create RPC content varies depending on the type of content you wish to create.
2D RPCs: Require one RGB image and one Alpha image.
2.5D RPCs: Require 30 images per second of animation. Motion sequences do not have to be loop but this is suggested for shorter sequences (10 seconds of animation or less). Also, it is important that the camera remain static.
3D RPCs: The more images present in an RPC the more smooth and three-dimensional it will appear when animated. ArchVision recommends using no less than 360 images for creating a 3D RPC to reduce jittering. When creating trees and other objects that extend a large distance from the pivot point, it is recommended to use more than 360 images.
3.5D RPCs: Require images representing the viewing position and time. Thus, it is necessary to have images from views around the object and each of those views must have images representing time. The motion sequences for 3.5D RPCs must loop.
For more tips to creating objects using RPC Creator Pro, please visit our website at www.archvision.com.
Images should be cropped reasonably tight, but a few transparent pixels (less than 5) should remain on the sides and the top for the best results. The bottom of the image must have exactly 1 additional pixel. Remember that all images used to create the RPC must be exactly the same size, therefore you should you should not crop images any more than could be cropped for the largest image.
When creating an RPC, the background should be similar to the color of the object to prevent the appearance of a slight halo around the RPC. This is caused by the background being in great contrast to the edges of the object, which then causes the outermost pixel to blend to the color of the background.
To reduce this effect, ArchVision recommends that the background be in the same color range as the object. In the example below, you can see the background has been altered to account for the colors of the subject. It is also a good idea to create a mild gradient so that the transition between background colors is not highly contrasted. It is important to note that these background colors must be consistently used on every image used to create the RPC.
When creating RPCs from 3D objects, it is important to rotate the camera around the object at eye-level. The camera should always be the same distance from the object center at every angle so that the RPC does not appear to shift when animated.
Additionally, lighting should be consistent around the 3D object. Keep in mind that light captured when creating an RPC from a 3D model may vary at different camera angles. In order for an RPC to blend into any scene seamlessly, it is critical that the lighting be as even as possible.