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How to Create Your Own RPC Objects

Written by accustudio's Christopher Gerber and Jon Jonas

Two of the coveted tricks of the rendering trade are to never draw what won't be seen, and to infer detail with
texture maps where possible, rather than drawing high-polygon models. These are the premises behind
ArchVision's Rich Photoreal Content, better known as RPC objects. RPC's are an efficient way to add photo-
realistic objects to renderings. While there are hundreds of people, trees, cars, houses, fountains, and other
objects available on the ArchVision website (http://www.archvision.com/), there will inevitably come a time
when you wish to create your own. ArchVision has developed a tool to facilitate this, called the RPC Creator.
You may download RPC Creator for free from the ArchVision website. Although they offer this great software
tool, they don't provide much documentation on how to use it. The purpose of this tutorial is to fill in the gaps
and take you step-by-step through the basic creation process.

What is an RPC

Before commencing the creation process, it is useful to understand the basics of what an RPC object is.
Fundamentally, an RPC is an image decal-mapped onto an object, like one of those celebrity cardboard
cutouts you may have seen at the mall. Unlike the celebrity cardboard cutout at the mall, though, the RPC
object is like a cardboard cutout with a motor that automatically turns the cutout to face the camera. So when
you place an RPC in a scene, the RPC determines where the camera is in relation to itself, and then turns to
face it. That is an RPC in its simplest form. There are currently 4 types of RPC's: 2D Static, 2D Motion, 3D
Static, and 3D Motion.

2D Static RPC's are actually very similar to celebrity cardboard cutout. They are a single
photograph or image, decal-mapped onto an object that spins to face the camera, wherever the
camera is positioned. The image is always the same, taken from a particular angle, hence the
term "2D". The reason it is "Static", is because the image is not only of a single angle toward the
subject, but it also is a single snapshot in time like from a traditional camera. 2D Static RPC's
are excellent for objects in still-image renderings.
2D Motion RPC's are similar to the other 2D ones, except that rather being a single snapshot in
time, they are actually a movie being played on the celebrity cardboard cutout. The movie,
which is created with multiple still images, could be of a person dancing, a flag blowing in the
wind, or even Santa Claus pulling gifts out of a bag. These are good for animations where the
camera does not move, or only moves along the same angle to the RPC object.
3D Static RPC's are a hybrid of both 2D types. This is like being at one of those discotechs with
a spinning floor. It is still a snapshot in time for the subject, like the 2D Static, but there are
multiple photos taken at once, from various angles. This type of RPC determines which image
to display toward the camera by only displaying the image which most closely corresponds to
the angle between the object and the camera. It fakes a 3D person or object by representing
multiple sides of the subject, which is why they are better than 2D Static images for animated-
camera renderings.
3D Motion RPC's combine the time-lapse element of 2D Motion with the multiple-angle element
of the 3D Static RPC's to represent a subject which is both moving, and can be seen from
multiple angles. Think of a person now doing the Macarena on the spinning dance floor, and
rather than seeing a snapshot in time, you can now see every movement, from any angle.
Because of this, a 3D Motion RPC uses hundreds of images (such as one photo taken from
each degree angle, at 30 frames per second, for 20 seconds) to represent the subject. It is best
for showing complex, multi-angle movements of people and other entourage in animated-
camera renderings, and the file sizes are very large.

As you can see, RPC's are basically images decaled onto simple objects. For this reason, the complexity in
creating an RPC comes in two parts: first one has to photograph a subject, then the photos have to be
digitally processed into file types that the RPC Creator can recognize. This tutorial not-so-slyly ignores the
image acquisition part, because most people create RPC's from photographs that they have taken. In order to

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create a complex RPC like a 3D Static one, the subject would have to be photographed from every angle.
Without an industrial-size lazy-susan, this is a daunting task just to acquire the photos.

This tutorial will walk you through creating a 2D Static RPC. To create any of the other types, the same steps
can be followed multiple times.

There are 4 basic steps in creating an RPC:

1. Create an Image File


2. Create a Mask File
3. Create a Preview Image
4. Use RPC Creator to Compile the RPC

Step 1: Create an Image File

The first step is to get an image that you want to make into an RPC. This image can be
from a photograph, or series of photographs, rendering, or other source. We will use the
term "Image File" to refer to this texture map, and it is what gives the RPC its color.
Figure 1 shows an example of an Image File of a palm tree taken with a digital camera.
The Image can be of any size, but it must be saved as a JPG, and named with a number
at the end of the filename. For this example, the Image File is cropped to the size of the
palm, and saved with a filename of PALM-i-01.JPG. The "i" stands for Texture map.
Notice that the photograph has a building behind the trunk of the palm, and that the fronds
are against the sky. Keep in mind the context of your subject when photographing it,
because there are some backgrounds that are more difficult in step two than others. For
the same reason that a TV weatherman does his report in front of a blue-screen, step
number two will be easier if the photograph has a more plain background, since you will
eventually be creating an opacity map, also called a Mask File of this image.

This is a good place to note that JPG images use lossy compression. This is important to
know because if you open and save a JPG image multiple times, it degrades in quality figure 1: Image
each time. To minimize this, you may desire to either keep your original texture maps as File saved as
TIF's or TGA's, and save them as JPG's when you are done editing them. When saving PALM-i-01.JPG
the JPG texture map, save it with low-compression/high-quality so as not to lose any more
quality than is acceptable.

An RPC's file size is directly related to the file sizes of the Image Files that make it up.
Therefore, cropping it to the size of the subject, and using an appropriate resolution keeps
file sizes reasonable. There is no need for an Image File of an entire forest if you only
want an RPC of a single tree. By the same token, if the RPC will only be viewed from a
great distance, and it will only be in a small corner of the final rendering, there is no need
to scan the photo in at 2000x3000 pixels - 800x1200 will probably work just fine for most
applications. Most RPC's made by ArchVision are typically about 1000-1200 pixels tall.
This is because RPC's were originally designed for animation work, which is usually
shown at low-resolutions. Since arguably most AccuRender users do still images more
often than animations, you may find that you prefer making your Image Files of a much
higher resolution, so that they look more crisp in the final output.

Step 2: Create the Mask File

A Mask File is also known more generically as an opacity map, and is a separate
grayscale file that is used as a stencil over the Image File. This stencil has white pixels
where it is to be transparent, black where it is opaque, and gray in between for varying
shades of opacity. When an opacity map is saved within a file type like a TIF or TGA, it is
generally referred to as an alpha channel. JPG files cannot save alpha channels, and
RPC Creator cannot read TIF or TGA's, so this grayscale stencil must be saved in a
separate JPG file, called a Mask File.

There are many ways to mask off the subject and save the resulting mask as a Mask File.

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In the case of the palm tree example, a selection tool was used to trace around the trunk
and fronds. Once a mask is created, most image editors have a command to save the
selected area or mask as a new file. This new file will be the Mask File, and it should look
like figure 2. Save this as a JPG with low-compression/high-quality, and name it using a
similar name and number as the Image File, but change the "i" to a "m" for Mask File. This
is a personal convention, and is not necessary. There are only two necessary things about
file naming are that you need to be able to discern one image file from another, and that
the numbers at the end of the files need to be the same, and less than 5 digits. This is
necessary for the RPC Creator to match up which Mask File goes with which Image File.

As an extra tip, anti-alias the edges of the mask before saving it as an opacity map. Anti-
aliasing reduces the "stair stepping" along the edges when viewed closely. This is usually
done by softening, feathering, or otherwise smoothing the mask to create a transition zone
between the white and black areas that is a couple of pixels wide. Tracing the mask to
closely follow the edge of the subject is paramount to avoid halos on the RPC. Halos are
less-prevalent if the mask perfectly follows the edge of the subject, and/or when figure 2: Mask
background area of the texture map is in the same color family as the subject. Halos are File saved as
more prevalent when the opacity map does not closely follow the edge of the subject, PALM-m-
and/or when the background is a completely different color as the subject, like an olive 01.JPG
tree against a brick building. This goes back to properly photographing your subject, and
why TV weathermen do their broadcast in front of a blue screen -- it makes it easier for the
computer to trace the mask.
Step 3: Create the Preview Image

The final image is much easier to create. It is a preview image of the RPC, and must be
124 pixels wide by 98 pixels tall, and must be saved as a 24-bit color Windows Bitmap
(BMP) file. Making the background of the preview a consistent color makes it easier to see
what the RPC is, and also creates a consistent look to all the previews, rather than having
a lot of clutter in the background. It is not necessary that you do this, but we recommend figure 3:
you use a neutral color of 75% gray (HSL:0,0,75 or RGB:128,128,128) as shown in figure Preview Image
3. The file name does not have to match the names of the texture and opacity maps, saved as
because it is an image that represents the RPC as a whole, not just from a particular PALM.BMP
angle. Just remember to save it as a BMP, not a JPG.
Tip: Automate Steps 2 and 3 to Save Time

All major image editors allow you to automate processes such as


those outlined in steps 2 and 3. By using this feature, you will save a
lot of time, especially when creating multi-view RPC's. Since many
people use Photoshop as their graphics editing application this tip will
focus on the specific steps involved with it in particular. It is fairly easy
to follow along and do similar steps in your graphics application if you
prefer to use something like Painter, Paint Shop Pro, or Picture
Publisher. Also included here is a Photoshop Action that has the steps
built in. The Action is downloadable in Photoshop 5 or Photoshop 6
versions.
figure 4: Screenshot of the
Download Photoshop 5/5.5 Action Photoshop Action Window
Download Photoshop 6 Action

To install the Photoshop 6.0 Actions save the RPC.ATN to the


C:\Program Files\Adobe\Photoshop 6.0\Presets\Photoshop Actions
folder, or wherever you keep your Actions. For Photoshop 5.0 & 5.5,
download the file called RPC-5.ATN to the C:\Program
Files\Adobe\Photoshop 5.0\Goodies\Actions folder. Next, start
Photoshop and open the Actions window - Window -> Show Actions.
See figure 4 to the right. At the top right there is a gray circle with a
black triangle pointing to the right. Click on this and choose Load
Actions. Find the Action called RPC.ATN. Included are 2 sub-Actions,
Alpha to JPG and Resize to 124x98. If you click the triangle to the left
of the RPC Action folder, you will see these 2 sub-Actions.

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Before running the Actions on an Image File, you must first have the
desired subject area selected with a mask. Many professionally
created Image Files, such as those from ImageCELs
(www.imagecels.com) come with an alpha channel, so the desired
subject area is pre-selected. In this case, the Image File is ready to
have the Actions run on it. Click on the appropriate sub-Action and
press the Play button at the bottom of the Actions window to start the
processing. The automation process should create the two JPG's (the
Image File and the Mask File), and then create the bitmap Preview
File.
Step 4: Use RPC Creator
to compile the RPC

RPC Creator is a stand-


alone program developed
by ArchVision which
compiles the three images
we have just created into a
functional RPC. At the
time of this writing, the
current version of RPC
Creator is 1.5. Launch the
RPC Creator software.
There are two options for
the interface, Classic and
Wizard. We will use the
Wizard to simplify this
tutorial, because it divides figure 5: Examples of Content Types from ArchVision, Inc.
the process into ten
separate steps. Click on
the View Wizard at Startup
radio button and then
select Next to begin the
process.

The first screen has fields


for the Content Type,
Content Name, and Object
Name of the RPC. There
are no official conventions
as to how these should be
filled in. However, since
this information is
accessed by software
such as Photoshop,
AccuRender, and VIZ, it
helps to use some
convention. ArchVision
has created many Content
Categories for their own
RPC's, and they are listed
in figure 5.
The second screen is even more self-
explanatory. Simply enter the the Default
Height, as well as the Random Height
Minimum and Maximum. These values
are typically in inches, but can be in any
unit of measure. The number should refer
to the overall Image File Height, not just to
the subject area within the Image File.
This is another reason for cropping to the
subject, because an RPC's insertion point
is at the bottom of the Image File, and if

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the subject is up a few pixels, then it will


look like it is floating above the floor or
ground.

The third screen is for the Default


Brightness. Simply use 55 for an Indoor
image, and 75 for an Outdoor. It is
basically like a self-illumination value, but
AccuRender does not use this parameter
at this time.

Step four is the one that troubles most


people, not because it is difficult, but
because it is almost entirely
undocumented. By setting up your images figure 6: Screenshot of Step 4, choosing Image and Mask Files.
as Image Files and Mask Files, and saved
them with corresponding numbers as
suffixes, you have already won the battle.
Simply click on Browse, and browse over
to where you saved the JPG's that will be
used as Image Files and Mask Files. If
you get a "Padding Error", it is because
your images are not numbered with the
same number of digits as entered in the
pull-down boxes in the dialog. Simply
rename the image and mask files so that
they have the same number of digits as
listed in the pull-down boxes in the Step 4
dialog box. The number of Images must
equal the number of Masks.
Step five has a text box that is used as a
Description for the RPC. Enter anything
you wish to describe the subject matter of
the RPC. It was originally intended for
keywords only, separated by commas. It
is not always used, even for ArchVision's
own RPC's, and many of their RPC's
simply reiterate the Content Name again.
Some do use this field, though, such as
the CG_Cathy.rpc, which is an RPC of a
golfer named Cathy. The description is
"golf, woman, bag, white shirt, blue shorts,
blonde hair, mature". Pretty straight-
forward.

Step six is for setting the Pivot Offset. This


is very important so that your subject
doesn't appear to float around as the figure 7: Screenshot of Step 5, entering RPC description.
camera views it from different angles. In
the example of the Palm Tree, if the Palm
tree's trunk were not centered in the
middle of the image, a Pivot Offset could
be set so that it rotated around the correct
center of the trunk, not the middle of the
image.

Step seven requests you to select the


Preview File. This is the BMP file that was
created earlier. Simply browse over to it
and select it. If none is selected, then the
default ArchVision Preview File is used,
which is a yellow bitmap with something
looking like the FDA's four food groups in

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it.

Step eight is for selecting the Default or


Custom Icons. These icons are wireframe
icons of the RPC, saved as .MSH files.
Currently, AccuRender cannot create
Custom Icons, they must be created in
3DSMAX or VIZ. If you do not have a
Custom one, then simply enter the Height
that was entered in Step two. The Width
and Length will be automatically filled in.
You can edit these, if desired, but are
generally only necessary for multi-Image
RPC's.

Step nine has fields for the author's


credits. Enter any Company, Contact or
Creation Date. Fairly easy to follow. figure 8: Screenshot of Step 10, exporting to an RPC file.

Finally, Step ten is where you enter the


proposed RPC Filename. Click on
Browse, and navigate over to a directory
where the RPC will be saved, fill in the
filename, and select Save. Once back in
the RPC Creator dialog box, click on the
Export button, and the RPC will be saved
out to a file.

Conclusion

Hopefully this tutorial demystifies the RPC


creation process for you. There are
obviously more tips and tricks that can
help you create a higher quality RPC --
from better initial photography, to masking
techniques on 3D Motion RPC's. Future
tutorials may cover these advanced
topics, but in the meantime, for more
information feel free to visit the RPC
support at http://www.archvision.com/ or
Robert Mcneel's AccuRender newsgroup
at news.mcneel.com/ar3.

rev 05.13.02 :: For more information visit http://www.accustudio.com/

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