MB-Lab
ManuelbastioniLAB
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ManuelbastioniLAB is a free and open source[1] plug-in[2] for Blender[3] for the parametric 3D modelling[16] of photorealistic[4] humanoid characters. It's developed by the artist and programmer Manuel Bastioni[Nota1].
History
Version 1.0.0. Released January 28, 2016. Main features: Morph system with fuzzy interpolation of parameters, human and anime characters (shojo style only), character rigging[19], pose library, expressions library. Version 1.1.0. Released March 7, 2016. Main features: Improvement of mesh topology and UV layout. New "modern style" for anime (Source: http://www.manuelbastioni.com/release_note_110.php) Version 1.2.0. Released April 23, 2016. Main features: Automodelling system based on body proportions. New GUI. Measure system for anthropometric[12] modelling (Source: http://www.manuelbastioni.com/release_note_120.php). Version 1.3.0. Released July 25, 2016. Main features: Skin editor for human and anime shaders[20]. Metaparameters system (age-mass-tone) with non-linear interpolation. (Source: http://www.manuelbastioni.com/release_note_130.php). Version 1.4.0. Released November 03, 2016. Main features: Proxy system for automatic fitting of clothes and hair. New classes of non-human characters: "Realistic style" for anime, elves male and female, male dwarf. Improvement in rigging and textures[21]. (Source: http://www.manuelbastioni.com/release_note_140.php). Version 1.5.0. Released April 14, 2017. Main features: Automatic retarget of motion capture data (bvh). Big improvement in anatomy and realism of base models. Improvement and optimization of human characters topology. Improved rigging with roll bones.(Source: http://www.manuelbastioni.com/release_note_150.php)
Graphical interface and usability
The plugin is completely integrated in Blender. The GUI[11] is designed to be auto-explicative and intuitive and when possible the features are designed to work with one click. Over 90% of the character is defined with only three sliders that control age (from 18 to 80 y.o.), body mass and body tone. The character is finished with other lab tools for body and face details, poses, skin and eye shaders, animation, poses, proxy, ecc.
Technology
The software is designed as a laboratory in constant evolution and includes both consolidated algorithms as the 3D morphing[8] and experimental technologies, as the fuzzy mathematics[6] used to handle the relations between human paramaters, the non-linear[18] interpolation (Source: http://www.manuelbastioni.com/guide_define_the_character.php#meta_parameters) used to define the age, mass and tone, the auto-modelling engine based on body proportions and the expert system[7] used to recognize the bones in motion capture[14] skeletons[Source: http://www.manuelbastioni.com/guide_posing_the_character.php#animations]. The software is written in Python[10] and works on all the platforms supported by Blender: Windows, Osx and Linux. All the characters use the same standard skeleton, so the poses and animation can be easily moved from a character to another. Most of the data distribuited in the package is stored using the standard json[24] syntax.
License
ManuelbastioniLAB is completely open source, released under standard licenses of the Free Software Foundation[13](Source: http://www.manuelbastioni.com/guide_license.php). Code: All files written in python are released under GNU General Public License 3[23] Data: All data files released in the ManuelbastioniLAB package are released under GNU Affero General Public License 3[22]. The characters generated with ManuelbastioniLAB are released under double license:
- GNU Affero General Public License 3 (as derivative of AGPL'd data, meshes, textures ecc..) - Commons Creative Attribution 4.0 International, in order to be used in closed and/or commercial projects.
Anatomy and mesh topology of 3D human models
ManuelbastionLAB provides two different base meshes for male and female models. Each model respects the fundamental requisites of a professional mesh, as defined by the author (source: http://www.manuelbastioni.com/guide_base_characters.php):
- Optimization for subdivision surfaces[9]. - No triangles. - Edge loops[15] designed for deformation during poses and animation - The topology permits to model the main features of bodies and faces. - Minimal use of poles. - Human readable topology. - Sculpting-friendly topology[Nota 2].
The base humans are modelled after accurate studies of anatomy and anthropology. The lab 1.5.0 provides about 470 morphs for the each human character, designed to parametrically describe most of the anatomical range in human bodies, faces and expressions. Genitalia are not present.
Anthropology and phenotypes
From the official site: "A "phenotype" defines merely the physical appearance of a class of characters, it is not related to politics, culture, language and history. It's used to describe the variations of human traits in relation to the evolution in a specific geographical area. ManuelbastioniLAB supports the most of common human phenotypes to the extent of volumetric modelling features." (Source: http://www.manuelbastioni.com/guide_phenotypes.php)
The lab provides three main classes of humans: Caucasian, Asian and Afro. For each class there is a specific set of phenotypes. Each phenotype can be loaded from the library and used as base for a custom character, or mixed with another phenotype. The available phenotypes are:
- Afro phenotypes: Afromediterranean, Afroasian, Aboriginal, African. - Asian phenotypes: Central Asian, North Asian, East Asian, South Asian, Central American, North American. - Caucasian phenotypes: Central European, Afrocaucasian, East European, North European, Euromediterranean, Euroartic, North West European, West Asian.
Non human models: Anime, Elves, ecc
While the lab is aimed to create realistic 3d humans based on a scientific description of the parameters, the same technology can be successfully applied to non-human characters, like fantasy creatures. The version 1.5.0 of the lab supports three variety of anime characters: classic shojo, modern shojo and "realistic style" anime. There are also male and female elves and male dwarf. Each model has a separate set of morphs to create millions of variations. Concerning the creation of fantasy characters, the lab supports some extra parameters for humans too, like pointed ears, specil teeth, ecc..
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_and_open-source_software
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plug-in_(computing)
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blender_(software)
[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photorealism
[5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzanne_Award
[6] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuzzy_mathematics
[7] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expert_system
[8] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morph_target_animation
[9] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subdivision_surface
[10] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Python_(programming_language)
[11] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphical_user_interface
[12] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthropometry
[13] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_Software_Foundation
[14] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_capture
[15] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edge_loop
[16] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3D_modeling
[18] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonlinear_system
[19] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skeletal_animation
[20] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shader
[21] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texture_mapping
[22] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affero_gpl
[23] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU_General_Public_License
[24] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JSON
Nota1: Active in Open Source since 1999. Coauthor of "The Official Blender 2.3 guide, the open 3D creation suite" with chapter "From Blender to YafRay Using YableX". Founder of MakeHuman project, that received in 2004 the Suzanne Award[5] for the best python script for Blender. He left the MakeHuman project in 2016. [Source: http://www.manuelbastioni.com/contacts.php]
Nota2: Designed to be optimally sculpted with Blender, Mudbox, Zbrush, etc.
Img 1: Graphical interface of ManuelbastioniLAB, integrated in Blender.
Img 2: A sci-fi girl created with ManuelbastioniLAB
Img 3: The graph of non-linear functions used in the algo of age metaparameter. The vertical axis represent the delta value to add to the average character. The orizontal axis represent the age from 18 to 80 years old.
Img 4: A comparison between the results of the age algorithm. The image also show the skin shader and the wrinkle map that is automatically created by the ManuelbastioniLAB.