Normal and Occlusion Maps

[punkduck]

This is unfinished business, but I'll post it anyway to show what I'm talking about. I started to create another ponytail with less thickness at the ring. I used 200 hairs to start with, but then deleted all hairs except those on the edge of the scalp.
...
The second particle system uses interpolated children which work well in this case.

Hmm, a lot of new experiences. If this works better, we should put the results into the strand hair thread (and create something like a tutorial, but we both are still learning).

I started manually with 100 hairs (only one half because of mirroring). I didn't even know if mirroring works, but it did fortunately. But one paramerter is always interesting: the number of segments for hair, because after working with the hair you can't change this without loosing all the work. I took only 8 segments, you seem to use a lot more.

I had the same approach in a way. First I designed all hair going through the ring. And then I decided to delete half of the hair (or shorten it) so it looks like it will only go in the direction of the rings. And I regret not to take an additional particle system because these short strands have the same color pattern like the pig tails so I hide part of the ends in the skull. For the frontal long hair strands I took an additional particle system, and even that was not a good idea, I should have taken two systems. So maybe a solution with 6 particle systems is the best. For each side: one for the pigtails, one for the hair directly going to the pigtails and one for the frontal strands. For posing you comb the pigtails and the frontal strands.

On the other hand: did Harley Quinn really comb her hair?!

[wolgade]

but we both are still learning).

That's for sure.

But one paramerter is always interesting: the number of segments for hair, because after working with the hair you can't change this without loosing all the work.

You can without loosing anything. You can select the hair you need more segments for and subdivide it.

[DredNicolson]

Alternatively, start the particle system for the pigtail on a plane inside the hair ring (hide it by checking off Emitter under Render). The ring itself can hide the transition where the scalp strands end and the pigtail strands begin.

And another way to manipulate the strands themselves is to use a Curve Guide, a special forcefield for Curve objects.

Strands affected by a Nurbs Path with a Curve Guide, deformed by a Hook.

To get consistent results, the Emitter and the Curve should have the same rotation, scale, and origin point.

The sample blend file used to create the example image--

dn_curveguide_hair.blend

(v2.78c, CC0)

(593.96 KiB) Downloaded 549 times

[punkduck]

And another way to manipulate the strands themselves is to use a Curve Guide, a special forcefield for Curve objects.

Hmm, it works and it will be a good possibility for a lot effects
But what I did not understand: how are these fields "connected" with the "forced" objects? Simply because the field is there, the hair is influenced? It seems so.

You can without loosing anything. You can select the hair you need more segments for and subdivide it.

Aargh, I never tried that.

Thanks a lot for these tips. I guess I will make a few tests and if the result is okay, there will be an additional picture.

[DredNicolson]

Forcefields are part of the physics system. When added to objects, they automatically interact with anything that a) shares at least one scene layer with them and b) has a physics simulation enabled (softbody, fluid, cloth, particle, and such). They can emulate natural forces like straightline winds, vortices, magnetism, harmonics, etc., and stylized forces like a sci-fi force field.

Strand particles are 'grown' with Newtonian physics by default.

[wolgade]

Aargh, I never tried that.

How could you? I never saw this documented anywhere. I found this by pure coincidence.

[DredNicolson]

Blender's documentation is perpetually behind development by a country mile, and minor features can be forgotten about and not documented at all. One downside of an opensource software with a fast development cycle.

Heck, my knowing about Curve Guides for strand hair came from The Essential Blender, a book written for 2.49b!

[o4saken]

Thinking of doing Captain Jack Sparrow...
Here is a hat so far

[o4saken]

i have been so busy lately that i havent had time to do anything graphic related - but yesterday i decided to hell with it let me start having some fun again.
so although i havent completed anything - this is a start to the hair for jack sparrow - i need to refine some things, and add the loose strands that hang to the side in front of his face that have the beads on them, then obviously work on textures, the red band on his head in render is only a red diffuse.

[wolgade]

You haven't been around for a while. Great to see you again.