ALM Places Module Released !

Hi guys,

It has been a long struggle, but it's finally over, and I can share with you all my newest creation: the Places module. This has been my most complex project so far, with many challenges along the way, but the battle is won!

What does the update contain:

• Places module introduces a new interface and enables you to:

  • Define a walking surface for your character.

  • Set a base character height to ensure it fits the floor perfectly.

  • Create spots around the play area that can later be set as ALM action targets.

  • Write descriptions for each spot, which will update Voxta's context, allowing the AI to know where the character is located.

• The ability to define custom animations for actions via a dropdown menu.

• An expanded Inspector, which now contains proper context (with {{char}} stubs removed) and a full log of executed actions for easier scene construction.

• A wizard to help bootstrap your project. To start with the wizard, simply select a different icon when adding the plugin to the Person atom.

You are a wizard Alita !

The wizard will be expanded over time for even better integration into existing scenes.

Using the module without the wizard:

If you prefer not to use the wizard, follow these steps:

• Add ActionListManager and the Timeline plugin to the Person atom.

• In Timeline, import the Places animations, which are included in the plugin VAR.

• Add the CUA or shape to serve as the floor, then select it in the Places window.

What's important:

• Once the Places module is active, the character's current location is locked. You can no longer move them freely. This is deliberate, as the plugin needs to track the character's exact position.

• For now, AP_walking and AP_standing_idle are the only custom animations available for Places. These have been tuned for smooth performance, and more walking styles are on the way.

• Before engaging Places, the character must be standing in the designated walking space. Places can be engaged by using the wizard or manually adding the first place in the interface. Ensure the CUA (if used as the walking surface) is positioned correctly so the character can immediately stand on it.

• For passthrough mode, the automatic floor is labeled Floor/Floor. This is a Cube object large enough to accommodate your apartment. You can add walls and furniture as blocking objects using Cube atoms from VaM. Simply parent them to the Floor/Floor atom (collisions and gravity are unnecessary) and reselect the floor atom in the Places window for updates.

• For passthrough I use the default color - Black and that's how I've defined the helper floor Cube. In my opinion this is the best color there is for the job and the only thing you need to be aware if is that your character does not have complete dark spots around them

What's coming:

• This weekend I'll try to release a simplified demo scene that has been used to create the second teaser video

• A rework of all bundles, shifting from the "atom root on the left side" approach (introduced by the Voxta team) to a "root in-between legs" configuration, enabling smoother character rotation.

• Custom height setting for each action/place (haven't decided yet), so that every chair and bed will fit the existing animations. For now you can use the action trigger to modify the height properly

• Continuous Emotion bundle rework will be coming very shortly, I almost have it finished. It allows the character to leave the last emotion that was triggered by Voxta. I've tuned it specifically so that the emotions are not exaggerated and don't bother character talking

• An easy-to-use editor for passthrough mode to help map your flat and block walls/furniture. This feature will take significant effort but is necessary due to VaM's poor handling of custom shapes.

• More walk styles for Places as mentioned above

• Additional bundles, as previously mentioned in other posts.

• More demo scenes when I can find the time to create them.