Hi All,

Ok, more of my sneaky cheeky idea's. Two of the things that caught my attention about Houdini is the procedural environment combined with character Muscles and FEM.

http://www.sidefx.com/docs/houdini/character/muscles [sidefx.com]

Now I've got some rudimentary Human MRI data converted to relatively low resolution meshes (already been messing with quad upresing) to play with thanks to some lovely Japanese Academics. http://lifesciencedb.jp/bp3d/?lng=en [lifesciencedb.jp]

I am looking for like data on as many animals in existence and other human body types/Races etc, etc, as well as extinct. I know the Smithsonian have this groovy project here's a scan of a Woolly Mammoth, just bones obviously, it might be overall surface scans than component part (not had a chance to check yet) https://3d.si.edu/explorer?modelid=55 [3d.si.edu]

1.) So first question is better sources of actual data rather than clever sculpting from reference, ideally initial non-commercially available for free. Or equally academic or commercial organisations willing to allow me access to develop my ideas.

2.) Its not clear if the http://www.sidefx.com/docs/houdini/shelf/muscle_frankenmuscle [sidefx.com] is actually any geometry object or just the muscle geometry objects generated as Muscles by Houdini. So obviously I want to be able to give real muscle, etc data the same properties, turn them into such things.

I will also be repurposing nerve and circulatory system meshes for real-world application use, the why on having as much real world scanned/MRI and such data as possible. Equally real-world application will need to be lightweight so it's also looking at ways to use all this data to grow bones including engineered internal structures and Mechatronics. In fact grown complete characters that exist both digitally and physically. Still allowing artist input and workflows for Zbrush, Maya, Game Engines etc, etc. Their are equally real world applications for Blind people and better disability accessability and a whole lot more.

The project idea's working name is Replicant X - System, wonder where I got that from, he..hee

So lots of help really welcome.

Cheers,
Sam

Paramojo Org UK
1.) So first question is better sources of actual data rather than clever sculpting from reference, ideally initial non-commercially available for free. Or equally academic or commercial organisations willing to allow me access to develop my ideas.

that BodyParts3D site is very cool - tons of objects, bad topology etc, but it's the only data set like it that I know of that is mostly free (I don't know what restrictions on use it has - do you?)

It would be great if there were more data like this.

The muscles tools can take in any geometry.

Peachy Micheal, great plan to get more up to speed on Houdini in general terms tonight. Any best tutorials you can recommend when it comes to this area at all, then I can have more time to fiddle in detail?

I'll do more digging as sure i saw someone fiddling with real world MRI data (the on instructables of all places), just becoming common place in architectural design using real life geospatial data. Yup here's at least one of them, sure I saw a different better one before. http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-convert-medical-scan-data-into-a-3D-printab/ [instructables.com]

See if any veterinary or zoology teaching college's, Zoo's even, might help out on the animal front, then can donate back to saving those rare species if idea's become commercial.