Population Tool Locator

The Population Tool Locator provides an easy way to place Golaem Entities in the scene. Each Entity will be given a position, direction and an Entity Type. The Population Tool Locator has several parameters to specify the population like Entity Type weights in the population, distance, noise…). The Population Tool Locator generates Maya particles or nParticles, which store all the data necessary to spawn the Golaem Entities when initializing the crowd simulation.
 
 
The Population Tool locator can be mapped to a Terrain Locator. In this case, Entities Y position will be adapted according to this terrain.

Creation

Configuration

Population Tool Id Unique id of the Population Tool Locator

Population Attributes

This panel contains parameters to precisely manage the slot placement in the locator.

The slot size is the bounding box of the Perception Shape, which is defined in the Character Maker and can be overridden with any geometry in the Entity Type node Perception Attributes. Slot size also takes into account the mean scale defined in the Entity Type Character Attributes and the Entities Scale in the connected Crowd Field or in the Crowd Manager Node if the Population Tool is not connected to a Crowd Field.

Placed Slots Actual number of slots placed in the area. It can be different from the number of slots if a Terrain Node with a NavMesh has been assigned to this locator and there's not enough space to fill the Population requirements (size, distance between slots)
Slots Number of wanted Entities. Notice that if the zone is too small or contains too many obstacles, it is not always possible to generate the wanted number of slots.
Number of Columns Number of columns of the area. This attribute are editable only with the center point shape, by updating the size of the grid. With other shapes, it's an information about the size of the computed grid.
Number of Rows Number of rows of the area. This attribute are editable only with the center point shape, by updating the size of the grid. With other shapes, it's an information about the size of the computed grid.
Refresh Bboxes Trigger a manual refresh of the Perception bounding boxes in all the Population Tools. This is useful when Perception Bounding Box is edited in the Character Maker or the Character file is replaced in the Entity Type.
Distance X / Z Distance between slots. A negative distance brings slots even closer together.
Distance Noise X / Z Position noise of Entities. For curve population tool, will noise X in curve tangent direction, and Z orthogonally. 
Safe Distance X / Z Distance to add around the slots to prevent them from getting any closer to other slots. The Safe Distance parameters are in the slot's local coordinate system.
Orientation Orientation of Entities
Orientation Noise Orientation noise of Entities
Look At

Modify the orientation of Entities in order to look at a Locator


Look at orientation

Density  Open the Paint Tool to paint the Population density 
Particle System

Choose "New" to create a new Particle System, or select a Particle System from the scene to replace or merge it with current particles.

Crowd Field

Choose "New" to create a new Crowd Field, or select a Crowd Field from the scene to link with the created / replaced particle system. Is it also possible to choose "None" to emit particles which will not be assigned to a Crowd Field. A Crowd Field can also be created afterwards if required (see Crowd Field documentation).

Create When you get the wanted repartition, press this button to create a new Particle System. The Particle System will be fed with an initialization positions, directions, Entity Types and other requested attributes
Replace/Append

Replace or append the Particle System selected in the previous combo box with the new one. Notice that replacing a Particle System will preserve existing connections and expressions.

Several Population Tool Locators selection

When you get the wanted repartition in several Population Tool Locators, select them and press the Create button to create a new Particle System containing relative particles. Replace or append the Particle System previously selected in the Combo Box with particles from the selection.

 
Create, replace or append particles from selected Population Tools Locators

Notice that, due to a Maya limitation, it is possible to add particles to a particle system but not to remove some. Thus, when replacing (with the Replace button) an existing particle system with less particles that it had before, the particle count of the particle system will stay the same but the extra particle lifespan will be set to 0 (not simulated)

 

Tips: In order to create several Population Tool Locators from the same shape, it is possible to duplicate a Population Tool Locator. To do so, it is recommended to use the Duplicate Special command (Edit / Duplicate special), with the Duplicate input connections option enabled, in order to conserve the connection with the Terrain Locator and the related Entity Types.

 

Orientation Attributes

 
In Vector Field Locator

Vector Field attached to this Population Tool. The Vector field will be used to orient the slots. Select the Vector Field with the combo box. Painting in the selected Vector Field will automatically update the slots orientation.

 
Population Tool slots without and with Vector Field.

Orient On Ground Normal The slots up vector is generatedaccording to its support normal
Orientation Attitude Modify the orientation attitude of Entities
Orientation Bank Modify the orientation bank of Entities
Orientation Attitude Noise Adds random noise to attitude
Orientation Bank Noise Adds random noise to bank
Up Normal Blend In some cases, it is preferrable to blend the support normal with the default 'up' vector (grass, trees on a sloppy ground) to get a proper slot normal.

Decimate Attributes

Decimation offers different ways to limit the population slots output, either by distance to an element or a slope criterion.


Decimate by distance to the selected plane on top of view, on a grid population tool, for example: the audience of a concert


Decimate by slope: for example, some vegetation only growing at these slopes.

Add New Decimate By Distance Adds a new decimate by distance entry
Reference Object Map a VERY low poly mesh (2 triangles plane, simple box, low poly cylinder), then each slot can be decimated based on its distance on the closest triangle of the mesh. Beware that each slot will be tested against each mesh triangle to get its closest distance, thus performance depends greatly on the bound mesh.
Comp Comparison operator: ">" - decimate slots which are farther than the Distance value, "<" - decimate slots which are closer than the Distance value
Distance Distance at with to start decimating
Falloff Adds an additional, linear falloff on the given distance, where slots will not get decimated. The closer the slot is to the limit distance, the greater the chance that it will not be decimated.
Decimate Slope Min Minimum angle with the up axis of kept slots (0-180 degrees). This parameter is only available when Orient On Ground Normal is enabled.
Decimate Slope Max Maximum angle with the up axis of kept slots (0-180 degrees). This parameter is only available when Orient On Ground Normal is enabled.
Decimate Slope Fall Off Adds an additional, linear falloff out of slope bounds, where slots will not get decimated. The closer the slot is to the limit slope (min or max), the greater the chance that it will not be decimated. This parameter is only available when Orient On Ground Normal is enabled.

Edit Slot Transforms

It is possible to edit Population Tool slots using Maya Translate, Rotate and Scale manipulators. To edit slot, go in Maya UV Mode (F12), select one or more slots in the Population Tool Locator, enable Maya Translate Tool (W), Maya Rotate Tool (E) or Maya Scale Tool (R) and use the gizmo to move, rotate or scale the slots. To reset the slots position to their original positions / orientations, set the Slots count to 0 and reset it at the previous value

Refresh From Selection Refresh positions of Slots that have been created on object components by selecting both the population tool slots and the components and hitting this button

As Maya selection for components of different kinds can be a bit tricky, here is the order of selection that will work:

  • start by selection the population tool slots in param point component (F12)
  • hold shift key and click on the object to select components from
  • switch in the correct component mode (point/edge/face)
  • hold the shift key and click on the components to add on selection
  • hold the control key and click on the population tool node from the outliner
  • click 'Refresh From Selection' button
Show Slot Id Display the Id of each slot
Lock Slots Lock the selected slots. A locked slot will be displayed with dotted lines .
A locked slot is not affected by the placement attributes updates, its position and orientation are locked. However if the total number of slots is not sufficient to place this locked slot, it will be removed.
Unlock Slots Unlock the selected slots. Unlocked slots will be displayed with continuous lines 
Sort slot indices Sorts slot indices according to an axis (useful to allocate targets slots to specific entities)
Major sort axis The slots will first be sorted against this axis
Minor sort axis If several slots share the exact same major axis value, minor axis is used to further order them.

    EntityTypes / Group Attributes

    This panel defines which kind of Entity Types will be affected to the emitted particles. Notice that Entity Types previously selected in the Population Tool Context are present in this layout. 
    EntityTypes Attributes
    New Entity Types can be mapped by choosing it in the combo box and then by clicking on the add button . To remove an Entity Type just click on the related remove button . Clean all mapped Entity Types with the remove all button.
     
    Each selected Entity Type has an attribute defining its weight relative to other mapped Entity Types. The ratio of Entity Types in the Population Tool Locator will be affected by changing weight attributes.
     
    Illustration of the use of Entity Types during the placement step with different weights
    Notice that Entity Types distribution is influenced by the placement seed and the Crowd Manager random seed.

     

    Notice that Entity Types can also be painted on the Population Tool with the Paint Tool.

    Group EntityTypes Attributes

    This panel defines which Group Entity Types will be affected to the emitted particles.

    As with EntityTypes, the ratio of Group Entity Types will be affected by changing weight attributes.

    Group Size Attributes 
    Group Min Size Entities will be grouped by at least this value
    Group Max Size Entities will be grouped by a maximum of this value

    By using these attributes, you will be able to group several Entities inside a Population Tool Locator. The same Group Entity Type will be used by the Entities inside a cluster.


    Illustration of Group Size Attributes (min:3 and max:5)

    Emitter Attributes

    The populationTool can be used as an emitter. In this case, it will emit from the first (active) frame of simulation, at emitter rate, until max count is reached. The generated particles will be configured as defined by the Population Tool: same slots, EntityTypes weights, etc. If the number of population tool slots has been consumed by the previous emitted particles, the emission starts again at first slot.

    Emissions can also be achieved via behaviors, see Emit

    Emitter Max Count
    This is the maximum count of particles emitted by this Population Tool. When this number is reached, the Population tool stops emitting particles.
    Emitter Rate The emission rate (in particles / second) of the particles. Notice that this attribute can be keyframed

    Scatter Attributes

    Only used with a scatter mode populate on selection (). The scatter attributes give the min/max samples picked around a random position before changing it. If min and max are 1, the population is completely generated from the first randomly picked position.

    Scatter Seed Count

    Controls the number of different random seeds (picked randomly on surface), which will generate as much manipulators. The total count of slots will be evenly spread between all seeds.

    Manipulators can be found under the outliner, parented to PopulationToolLocator :

    Seeds manipulators parented under the population tool locator

    They can be moved to modify the seed location:


    A seed moved on a scatter population tool locator

    Scatter Clustering Min The minimum number of samples generated via poisson disc method, before changing of random position
    Scatter Clustering Max The maximum number of samples generated via poisson disc method, before changing of random position

    Terrain / Collision Attributes

    Terrain Locator

    Terrain Locator attached to this Population Tool. The Terrain locator will be used to make the locator slots adapted to the terrain. Select the Terrain with the combo box. If you don't want the slots to be adapted to the Terrain, just unlink it.

    Place on Connex Zones Slots are only placed on the specified navmesh connex zones. See the Terrain Locator for more information about Connex Zones.
    Enable Collision If checked, slots in collision with slots of Population Tools listed in the In Colliders attributes will not be placed
    In Colliders

    Population Tools to consider slot collisions with. By default, Population Tools sharing the same Terrain Locator will be automatically added as Colliders.

    Check Self Overlap When enabled, the Population Tool removes Slots that overlap

    Component Placement

    This panel allows to modify a Population Tool created with the populate on selected component tool 


    Component Placement

    Replace or append population slots into a previously created Population Tool (use CTRL Key to select the Population Tool in the Outliner after performing the selection of components). This action preserves configured attributes.

      
    Append components to a Population Tool Locator

    Emission Attributes (Per Particle)

    This panel defines per-particles emission attributes of the Population Tool Locator.
    All per-particles attributes will be exported in the wanted Particle System. If a per-particles attribute does not exist, it is automatically created.
    Emit NParticles Emit this Population Tool Locator in a nParticle System
    Orientation PP Name Name of the vector per-particle attribute in which the orientation of the Entities will be exported.
    EntityType PP Name Name of the float per-particle attribute in which the Entity Type of the Entities will be exported. The Id of an Entity Type can be found in the attribute editor of the EntityType
    Enable Conserve In Particles Enable or disable the conserve attribute in the wanted particle system
    Particle Render Type Select the particle render type of the wanted particle system

    For more explanation about how to use ppAttributes, see ppAttributes Handling.

    Paint Attributes

    Resolution Resolution of the painted map. This goes from 256x256 to 4096x4096. Changing resolution resamples the map. Bigger map takes longer to save and uses more memory.
    Use Paint For Density This attribute is activated automatically as soon as the Paint Tool is used to paint slot density on the Population Tool Locator
    Use Surface Normals If Use Surface Normals is enabled, a dot-product is made between the surface normal and the vector between the surface point and the closest spline point. 
    Add Spline Add a spline free slot where you can map a spline and specify its rendering attributes
    Render


    Rendering splines will erase the surface if at least one spline is enabled

    Spline Attributes
    • Enable/disable check
    • Mapped spline
    • Radius around the spline that will influence surface
    • Paint intensity/slots density
    • Remove spline button

    Advanced Attributes

    Disable AutoUpdate Disable the automatic update of slots, useful when using heavy population tools with decimate or collision attributes which take a lot of time, to save performance while batch-changing attributes.
    Quincunx placing Use a quincunx shape for particles placing
     
    Without quincunx placing (left) and with quincunx placing (right)
    Placement Seed Value used to initialize the current Population Tool Locator seed in addition of the Crowd Manager random seed. Changing this value has an influence on the Entities placement, but only in this Population Tool Locator.
    Default Size Default size to use for the slots in X, Y and Z axis, when there is no Entity Type or the mapped Entity Type has no character file.

    Callback Attributes

    This panel allows to define MEL or Python callbacks which will be called each time a Particle System will be created, replaced or appended by the Population Tool Locator.

    PreEmit Callback

    MEL/Python script command called just before a particle system is created / replaced / appended (using special tag #pt# will be replaced with the Population Tool Locator name)

    PostEmit Callback

    MEL/Python script command called just after a particle system is created / replaced / appended (using special tag #pt# will be replaced with the Population Tool Locator name and  #ps#  with the created/replaced/appended particle system name)

    Locator Display Attributes

    Display Base Object

    Activate the preview of the chosen entity types in addition of the slots, to have a look and feel feedback. Note that asset repartition and scales of the produced entities may differ. It is only for a quick preview purpose, and only active in the viewport. The crowd field generation IS mandatory to render the entities. 


    Display of a tree scene populated via scatter + slope decimate, with 'display base object' option active
    Refresh Objects If the entity types assets are changed, you may need to use this to refresh the population tool preview.
    Display Color Color of the Population Tool. This is also applied in the Outliner
    Display Transparency Transparency of the locator
    Locator Height Height of the Population Tool Locator for display only. Particles will still be generated on the terrain
    Locator Scale Factor Scale factor to apply to the locator display

    Relationship between emitted Particle Systems and the Population Tool Locator

    When a particle system is emitted from a Population Tool Locator, a link is created between the two objects. This link can be used to retrieve which Population Tool Locator has been used to emit one particle system.


    Relationship between emitted particle systems and their Population Tool Locator

    When a particle system is emitted from a Population Tool Locator, some special Per-Particle Attributes are created and set automatically. If some of those Attributes do not exist, Golaem uses default values. The created Per-Particle Attributes are the following:

    Created Per-Particle Attributes

    glmEntityId Unique id of each Entity. The value of this PPAttribute is set every time a simulation starts. When emitted from the Population Tool, it is set to -1.
    glmEntityType Entity Type Id to which the Entity belongs to. It corresponds to the same id stored in the Entity Type nodes. If not existing, the first Entity Type created will be assigned to the Entity.
    glmOrientation Euler angle representing the orientation of the Entity. If not existing, Entities will be initialized X-front
    glmPopulationTool Population Tool Id from which the Entity has been emitted. It corresponds to the same id stored in the Population Tool Locators. This attribute is not required at simulation time, it can just be used to retrieve emitter information
    groupEntityType Group Entity Type Id to which the Entity belongs to. It corresponds to the same id stored in the Group Entity Type nodes. This attribute is only required when using Group Entity Types
    populationGroupId Population Group Id to which the Entity belongs to. This attribute is only required when using Group Entity Type

    Overwritten Per-Particle Attributes

    position Position of the Entity. It corresponds to the position of the slot
    rgbPP Display color of the Entity. It corresponds to the color of the slot.
    lifespan Lifespan of the Entity. It is set to the maximum value possible to make sure Entities don't get deleted during the simulation

    For more explanation about how to use ppAttributes, see ppAttributes Handling.