Are Hair Cards the best option?

Hey,

I was just watching the Hair Card Course where Kent Trammell shows how to make polygon modeled hair cards with particle hair as texture. While I was watching this, I was wondering if this is the best approach if I want to cover a larger part of the body with hair, like doing an animals fur. So, is it? Or is there another way to do something like this for a cat or something?

Regards,
tobles

  • spikeyxxx replied

    Hi tobles :)

    It depends on the look you are going for (realistic/ stylized and if stylized, what style...), but hair cards with Curves is not a good idea for a cat (or animal fur in general).

    However, if you use a Hair Particle System on the 'cat', and then use a Particle Instance Modifier on the hair cards, using the 'Create along Paths' setting, that would save you a lot of hair particles, while being able to  'comb/groom' the hair cards.

  • spikeyxxx replied
  • tobles replied

    Thanks spikeyxxx,

    I only had a short peak at the video by now, but I looks pretty much like what I was looking for.
    Some day I'll sculpt you a bear for your help!!!

    Regards,
    tobles

  • spikeyxxx replied

    Some day I'll sculpt you a bear for your help!!!

    I'd love that !

  • tobles replied

    Well, I've watched the video and from what I got they do the same that Kent has done in his hair card course. Did I miss something?

  • spikeyxxx replied

    In Kent's course, he uses Curves to 'groom' the hair cards....one by one!

    By using Hair Particles, you can 'comb'  several at the same time and even put in a Force Field to get the hair cards moving in the wind or something like that...

  • tobles replied

    Ah, that's what you are up to. I thought you meant that the whole hair card approach wouldn't be desireable.