[JDHill]

Maxwell for SketchUp
Version 2.7.10 Release Notes

Changes

• Compatible with Maxwell Render 2.7.10.
• Improved performance of Maxwell context menu.
• Improved window-focus behavior (MXED, etc).

Fixes

• Displacement applied to faces would crash the engine.
• File paths could not be cleared for Grass maps.

[JDHill]

I will also mention, for those who are feeling experimental, that you can find an easter egg hidden in the plugin's startup.rb file. If you figure out how use it (it works via the plugin menu, toolbar, and entity context-menu), you will find out why it is currently hidden (it doesn't play well with instances)...but it might be fun to mess around with it, anyway.

[Burkhard]

Well, I must have something doing wrong. A short hint?

When manipulating the startup.rb, the Scene Manager opens automaticly with Sketchup, together with the Ruby Console. ( The new Icon is visible )
But in the Ruby Console all is running.

Trace and scene manager with # helps but why do you need this code?

[JDHill]

In Ruby, if you put a "#" in the front of a line, it is ignored. This is to allow comments in code. You can also use this to temporarily disable some code, in which case it is called "commenting-out" the code, since it causes the code to be ignored. The startup.rb file can be used to change some behaviors of the plugin, and the lines which are commented-out are just there to show some examples of what a person might want to do. You may already know this -- I just mention it for anyone who doesn't. If you have changed the file and don't remember how to put it back, you can always just delete it and run the installer again (choose the Repair option if you are on Windows).

However, the interesting line here is the second to the last, and is not commented out -- it is this one: ENABLE_MXSREFS = false. If you change that to ENABLE_MXSREFS = true, you'll get some new items in your menu, toolbar, and context menu (when a component is selected). You may be able to guess what they do, from the name of the variable. If you don't have this line in your startup.rb file, that means the file was in use when you ran the installer, and could not be replaced; in this case, you would also delete the startup.rb file and reinstall or repair the installation.

[Burkhard]

Yep, I've set false to true and delete the # in front of the code lines at first.

But deleting the # by " Show Scene Manager" and " Show Ruby Console" both came up with the Sketchup start and the Console is
permanent running. Just wondering why.

Thanks for that JD

[JDHill]

Running with MX.trace = true has enabled Scene Manager > Options > Diagnostics > Ruby Echo, which is a setting that is remembered between sessions. When it is enabled, it causes the Ruby console to be shown whenever the Scene Manager is opened. So just disable Ruby Echo, and the Ruby console will no longer pop up every time.

[numerobis]

ENABLE_MXSREFS = true

so you mean if maxwell instancing is disabled xrefs are working now for sketchup?!? This would be fantastic!!!

[JDHill]

No, you do not need to disable instancing -- in fact, it will not be possible to do so for MXS references, since if you reference the same MXS twice, it would be loaded into memory twice. So, they are always instanced. The problem is that instances of MXS References do not currently render correctly in Fire; we are still working on that. Here is a pretty successful test, 1,620 Lamborghini Gallardos. The MXS (one car) was originally exported from Rhino:

SketchUp viewport



Maxwell Fire



This scene exports in 0.8s with the C++ exporter, and 1.4s with the Ruby one.

[numerobis]

[stebehan]

FINALLY!

(I love you JD!!)

[archigrafix]

I tested...and it almost works for me!
the model I exported to MXS gets instances and groups inside and that is causing problems.
When I first insert the MXS everything is ok but when I copy this "PROXY" the copies become all weird!
I feel it just is because of those components nested in the PROXY!? I will soon test exploding the tested components and see...
I think thats what you did in your example because you get only one "inside CUBE". Am I wrong?
The problem is just something about the coordinates system of those nested components. So you are not far to make it work...and to say the least it is a major top feature!

[archigrafix]

JD I tested with very simple component... 8 faces no components, no groups
The problem is still the same. when I copy the proxy in 4 ex on the x axes...in Fire tey appear 4 ex but on the z!!! Strange!

[JDHill]

Yes, there are reasons that the feature is not officially exposed; it's probably almost useless in Fire, but may work reasonably well when exporting and rendering in Maxwell Render itself. I revealed it here mostly so that I could get some feedback on the implementation (the way of making & managing references, I mean) in the plugin.

[archigrafix]

but I did you manage doing your cars image? You say it is in Fire, but from inside Sketchup or from studio?

[JDHill]

Ah, I see the confusion -- it was in Fire, in the plugin, but was using a different build of the engine, which I forgot to mention.