- Fri Dec 23, 2011 5:57 am
#350912
Maxwell for SketchUp
Version 2.6.1 Release Notes
This build brings some brand-new features, along with improved usability.
Changes
New Maxwell Fire UI
This version introduces a new Maxwell Fire UI:
By default, Maxwell Fire in this version is auto-started when the window is opened; this behavior can be controlled using Scene Manager > Options > General > Start Maxwell Fire.
The purpose of the main buttons should be clearer than with the old UI; to start rendering, hit GO, and to stop, hit STOP. The next button, Lock, prevents changes made in the scene from triggering an accidental re-start of the rendering. The next three have the same purpose as in the old UI: re-exporting the scene, saving the image to disk, and changing Maxwell Fire settings.
The buttons at the top right are new. The first one controls whether the rendered image is shown at actual size, or resized to fit the Maxwell Fire window (the actual size of the rendered output is indicated in the lower-right corner of the window). The second one enables a new full screen mode, and is only available in the Render Suite plugin. The third button shows the new Maxwell Links overlay, and the fourth one hides the window's heads-up-display (i.e. the translucent top and bottom visors, which contain these buttons, and the rendering status/progress bar). When the Maxwell Fire window is focused, you can toggle these buttons using shortcut keys: H to toggle the heads-up-display, F to enter full screen mode, A to toggle between actual size and fit-to-window, and L to toggle the Maxwell Links overlay.
This version also introduces and automatic update checker; notification of a new version is shown in the Maxwell Fire window, and you can choose to be notified only of new public releases, or of both beta builds and public releases. Update checking can also be disabled; see Scene Manager > Options > General > Update Check. When you run this version, it will tell you that there is an update available; that is really just so that you can try it out and let me know what you think -- obviously, this is the most recent build available.
New IES Material Character
This version introduces support for IES lights via a new IES File Material Character type.
Additionally, both this IES File Character, and the standard Emitter Character now have a new Temperature parameter. When enabled, the emitter is given the specified correlated color, otherwise the RGB color is used as before.
When an IES File is assigned here, its file data is stored into the associated SketchUp material; upon opening the file on another machine where the specified IES file is not found, this data is written back out to disk for use by Maxwell. Therefore, it is possible to create IES components which have no external dependencies, and which may therefore be shared via channels such as the 3D Warehouse. For example, here is a simple Dynamic Component which implements an embedded IES File Character:
You can download this DC here. Note that there is currently a bug in the engine regarding instances with emitter materials, so to use a DC like this, you either need to disable instances, or go into each component to the point where you can use Make Unique on its ies-sphere sub-component (and also the back-light component, if you have that enabled). Here is a quick example of this DC in use:
New IBL UI
As mentioned in the above list, the Image Based Lighting UI has been completely re-worked to reflect that of Studio 2.6:
Where we previously had the Use Background for All function, we now have the ability to explicitly choose the source for each IBL channel. By default, Reflection, Refraction, and Illumination are set to Use BG (Background), so the operation is similar to before, albeit somewhat more flexible. Additionally, along with the per-channel Intensity parameters, we now also have a global IBL Intensity modifier as well, and control over whether or not to apply interpolation to IBL maps.
Miscellaneous
There are now installers available for the Standalone plugin (the zip distribution is also still available, for those who prefer a zero-impact installation). Additionally, some new plugin settings have been implemented, in the network rendering area. They can only be accessed via Ruby, and work like this:
I write all of this because none of these changes are yet documented in the plugin manual.
Downloads
As usual, I am hosting this preview build on my own server, so please do not share these links elsewhere:
Version 2.6.1 Release Notes
This build brings some brand-new features, along with improved usability.
Changes
- Added installers for the Standalone plugin on Windows and Mac OSX.
- Added an update checker (see Output > General > Update Check).
- Re-worked IBL user-interface to reflect Maxwell 2.6 capabilities.
- Added Maxwell 2.6's Sharpness parameter to Output > Tone Mapping.
- Added new IES File material Character type, for IES-based emitters.
- Added Temperature parameter to Emitter & IES material characters.
- This version should trigger the document's 'dirty' flag less often.
- Implemented a new heads up display style UI for Maxwell Fire.
- Added a new 'Maxwell Links' overlay in the Maxwell Fire window.
- Added Ruby network configurability via MX::Settings.network.
- Added support for Silverlight 5 on Windows, and detection on OSX.
- Maxwell Fire & material preview renders are now double-buffered.
- Added new Full Screen mode to Maxwell Fire in Render Suite plugin.
- Added new Actual Size/Fit to Window options to Maxwell Fire.
- Added a new Lock function, which prevents inadvertent re-starts.
- Added a readout showing the actual Maxwell Fire output resolution.
- Output auto-naming broke Maxwell Fire in the Render Suite plugin.
- Various UI elements were flickering on mouse-over, when on Mac OSX.
- Nd input remained disabled when switching from Custom Metal character.
- Auto-focus was calculated using the current view, even for other Scenes.
- C++ export could use outdated camera values previously stored by Fire.
- Plugin About box missing background image on some versions of Safari.
New Maxwell Fire UI
This version introduces a new Maxwell Fire UI:
By default, Maxwell Fire in this version is auto-started when the window is opened; this behavior can be controlled using Scene Manager > Options > General > Start Maxwell Fire.
The purpose of the main buttons should be clearer than with the old UI; to start rendering, hit GO, and to stop, hit STOP. The next button, Lock, prevents changes made in the scene from triggering an accidental re-start of the rendering. The next three have the same purpose as in the old UI: re-exporting the scene, saving the image to disk, and changing Maxwell Fire settings.
The buttons at the top right are new. The first one controls whether the rendered image is shown at actual size, or resized to fit the Maxwell Fire window (the actual size of the rendered output is indicated in the lower-right corner of the window). The second one enables a new full screen mode, and is only available in the Render Suite plugin. The third button shows the new Maxwell Links overlay, and the fourth one hides the window's heads-up-display (i.e. the translucent top and bottom visors, which contain these buttons, and the rendering status/progress bar). When the Maxwell Fire window is focused, you can toggle these buttons using shortcut keys: H to toggle the heads-up-display, F to enter full screen mode, A to toggle between actual size and fit-to-window, and L to toggle the Maxwell Links overlay.
This version also introduces and automatic update checker; notification of a new version is shown in the Maxwell Fire window, and you can choose to be notified only of new public releases, or of both beta builds and public releases. Update checking can also be disabled; see Scene Manager > Options > General > Update Check. When you run this version, it will tell you that there is an update available; that is really just so that you can try it out and let me know what you think -- obviously, this is the most recent build available.
New IES Material Character
This version introduces support for IES lights via a new IES File Material Character type.
Additionally, both this IES File Character, and the standard Emitter Character now have a new Temperature parameter. When enabled, the emitter is given the specified correlated color, otherwise the RGB color is used as before.
When an IES File is assigned here, its file data is stored into the associated SketchUp material; upon opening the file on another machine where the specified IES file is not found, this data is written back out to disk for use by Maxwell. Therefore, it is possible to create IES components which have no external dependencies, and which may therefore be shared via channels such as the 3D Warehouse. For example, here is a simple Dynamic Component which implements an embedded IES File Character:
You can download this DC here. Note that there is currently a bug in the engine regarding instances with emitter materials, so to use a DC like this, you either need to disable instances, or go into each component to the point where you can use Make Unique on its ies-sphere sub-component (and also the back-light component, if you have that enabled). Here is a quick example of this DC in use:
New IBL UI
As mentioned in the above list, the Image Based Lighting UI has been completely re-worked to reflect that of Studio 2.6:
Where we previously had the Use Background for All function, we now have the ability to explicitly choose the source for each IBL channel. By default, Reflection, Refraction, and Illumination are set to Use BG (Background), so the operation is similar to before, albeit somewhat more flexible. Additionally, along with the per-channel Intensity parameters, we now also have a global IBL Intensity modifier as well, and control over whether or not to apply interpolation to IBL maps.
Miscellaneous
There are now installers available for the Standalone plugin (the zip distribution is also still available, for those who prefer a zero-impact installation). Additionally, some new plugin settings have been implemented, in the network rendering area. They can only be accessed via Ruby, and work like this:
Code: Select all
This would set this machine up such that rendering to Network would not start a network manager, but would start a network node, if one is not already started. When it did start a node, that node, and the network monitor, would both bind to 127.0.0.1.network = MX::Settings.network
network.start_node = true
network.start_manager = false
network.bind_node_to = '127.0.0.1'
network.bind_monitor_to = '127.0.0.1'
MX::Settings.saveI write all of this because none of these changes are yet documented in the plugin manual.
Downloads
As usual, I am hosting this preview build on my own server, so please do not share these links elsewhere:
- (version superseded)
Next Limit Team
...and a Merry Christmas to you, JD!
- By hwolfejr
- By choo-chee