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Maxwell for SketchUp
Version 2.7.0 Release Notes

Changes

• Compiled for compatibility with Maxwell Render 2.7.
• Implemented support for new Maxwell Grass feature.
• Added Reset All Parameters command in the context menu
• Added ability to create an MXM file from an existing material.
• Notes from MXM files are now shown in the MXM Info popup.

Fixes

• Non-Watt emitters in MXM files were read/written incorrectly.
• Lock function was not reset when the Fire window was closed.
• Custom file dialogs could fail when working with UNC paths.
• Ruby exporter failed to identify emitter instances in some cases.

This sounds awesome.

I can't wait to try out the grass!

Also, thanks for implementing the "Reset parameter" and the "New MXM from SU material" features! These will come in handy.

Hey JD,

How do I apply grass to an object in SU. When I click on the grass icon in the Maxwell Toolbar, a window opens that shows, "No Selection."

Select any group and you can assign a grass modifier to it.

Best,
Jason.

Just realized, items have to be a group. I was selecting just a plane and saying, "WTF?"

Thanks!

The Maxwell Grass is a great feature!
Three minor comments/requests (nothing really important):
- I miss the possibility to reset the different grass settings by using the small dots in the right side of the Maxwell Grass window (similar to the reset options in the Scene Manager).
- It would probably be very useful to be able to save/load grass presets.
- A rendered preview of the grass would be awesome (like the material preview). A preview from the side with few blades and one in perspective with a piece of lawn

/Stefan

Is there a reason to have a seperate window for the grass feature?

Burkhard wrote:Is there a reason to have a seperate window for the grass feature?

Actually, yes -- this interface is using straight JavaScript/HTML, rather than Silverlight. So it is a preview of where the plugin UI will be going in the future. Hopefully, it is similar enough to the Silverlight UI that it does not disorient users too much when the changeover takes place -- in that, it is somewhat encouraging that you noticed that it was in a separate window, and apparently not that it was not built with Silverlight.

stefan_kaplan wrote:The Maxwell Grass is a great feature!
Three minor comments/requests (nothing really important):
- I miss the possibility to reset the different grass settings by using the small dots in the right side of the Maxwell Grass window (similar to the reset options in the Scene Manager).
- It would probably be very useful to be able to save/load grass presets.
- A rendered preview of the grass would be awesome (like the material preview). A preview from the side with few blades and one in perspective with a piece of lawn

1. As mentioned above, this is using a whole new UI -- thus far, I have not yet implemented the reset feature. Also note, changes you make to precision via the context menus are not yet persisted from session to session.
2. Yes, I have to think about that. There is an idea of a general system being developed for such presets, which would be system-wide, not pertaining just to individual plugins. So we have to wait awhile for that to develop before we know what makes sense to implement in individual plugins.
3. That's an interesting idea, but surely not a simple one.

Im using Standalone version.
I don't know is this only problem with my computer, but while i try to edit sketchup texture (eg. gray colour) by maxwell editor (i want to get metallic material), 'no previev' it shows all the time.

Second thing is - when i try to render something (fire), sketchup got crash. Also - some textures which worked in 2.6.x versions, now doesnt work (mxm materials from resources library - eg. white leather). They are overscaled and works also like textured emmiters.

Previous post, 3rd question:
Its not so painful (no preview of grass) - u can try to render only selected surface. Its quite fast.

1) I am not sure what you mean. Could you let me know a specific set of steps you are using?

2) I have tried downloading all the white leather MXMs I could find (I found 3), and they work fine. Could you provide one (zip the MXM and its textures) that doesn't?

1. I'll try...
So, imagine that I have clear model made with SketchUP (clear = no textures) - for example, it will be chair with metal 'legs' (is this proper word?;p). Now i want to put textures on legs. So, i choose paint bucket tool (SketchUP tool) > gray colour > put it on chairs legs. If ill render this now, there will be no 'gloss' and other 'metallic' effects. It will be just gray colour. So now i open Scene Manager (maxwell plugin) and choose materials bookmark > Entity/material selection tool and click on that gray colour. Now i can edit this colour. So i choose from Character submenu type: metal.
At previous versions of plugin, when i choose metal > chromium/aluminium etc. etc. and click 'Render preview' button, i had an orb which showed me, how that material will look like. Now i get only 'No preview'. I tried also to change shape of that preview figure - no effect. This problem appears only with metallic textures. Other textures works fine, same as embedded mode.

2. How can i upload this?

Thanks, I understand what you mean now, but unfortunately, it is working fine for me here. About uploading, you can just zip and send it to my email (see the Email button near the bottom of each of my posts).

tested and it is already a fantastic tool!
I didnt even imaginate it was going to be implemented in maxwell for sketchup so fast!!!

However some points:
- I cant rename the "selection" dialog box, or missed something about its use?
- idea of saving the parameters as presets is a nice one

Again very great job maxwell team!

Regarding the "Selection" box, yes, you are not intended to change the values here -- it indicates the name of the currently-selected group. To change the names that appear here, you would use SketchUp's Entity Info window.

Using some materials compatible with 2.x Sketchup + Maxwell crash as the rendering is starting. Why so?