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Hi. I was wondering if anyone could detail a simple workflow for dealing with MXS\MXI files. Seems when I create a scene, render tests, different camera angles, materials files get overwritten and it becomes confusing and unmanagable. Are there any experienced users that could share their tips and workflow suggestion. I use Rhino (sometimes Max) and dont use Studio.

Thanks in advance,

T

Hi tbny65,

Here is the standard routine (for the Rhino plugin):

1. start a .3dm
2. save it as something (if you don't, how will the plugin know where to save things? it will just go to the default folder on your desktop)
3. if you don't want MXS files to be written in the same place as the .3dm, go to Scene Manager > Output Settings > Scene Path, and choose an output file
4. when you render the first time, the MXS will be written to a location which depends on steps 2 and 3
5. when you render the second time, the plugin will ask if you want to overwrite the existing MXS

Now, the plugin offers some user-preferences (see Scene Manager > Plugin Options) which allow you to modify this behavior to suit your preferred way of working:

Suppress Warnings: if this is set to 'Yes', then the 'overwrite' dialog from step 5 will not be shown, the file will just be overwritten
MXS Auto-Naming: if this is set to 'Yes', then MXS files will not be overwritten, instead they will have a number appended to them
Image Auto-Naming: same as MXS Auto-Naming, except applies to the image output
MXI Auto-Naming: if this is set to 'Yes', then the MXI filename written into the MXS will always be made to match the name of the MXS file

Regarding step 2, there are also two other settings, under Scene Manager > Plugin Options > Default Paths:

Scenes Path: if there is no document name, and no Scene Path specified, this path will be used (if it is not empty) for MXS output instead of the default output folder, which is on the desktop
Renders Path: same as above, except for image output

JD

Yeah .. If you don't watch it you'll have mxs' and mxi's everywhere --- filling up the HD.

I think the solution is pretty simple, but diligence is required.

You basically need to just follow a couple of rules.

For renders that are basically meaningless, simple tests or just messing around -- create a folder (desktop, My Documents, ..wherever ). At that point, .. just make sure to direct the plug-in to that folder(everytime or this doesn't work). If you don't name anything you'll get the default naming scheme and everything will just get overwritten. Remember, ...you can set that option in the plug, ie., to overwrite or not. If you don't overwrite -- you'll just have to delete that folder out once in awhile as it gets loaded with mxs files.

For real projects .. you just have to create a project folder. Determine whether you'll be overwriting or not as you render. At the end of the job, ..make another determination if you need to keep any of the mxs' /mxi's.

It's pretty basic system .. perhaps others use fancier systems, but simple seems to work for me just fine.

Thanks bot of you for your replies! They really helped! Oh and sorry about the double post...

So basically (to recap).....

I set up Maxwell to Auto- rename the MXS, Mxi and Image file. If I don't specify a path they all get saved automatically in the same folder as the Rhino file and they use the filename as the basis of their names (with an increment). Now in the end I can go thru whats there from the day and keep the pairs of MXS\Mxi of the scenes I want to keep. (and images of course). Now I can name them what I want.

Now heres the follow up....

Resuming

If I autoname then when I reload the MXS it will automatically laod the proper MXI and I can then check the resume and continue the rendering.

b) If I don't automatically save the MXI. I can decide to save at renders end ten:

Save the MXS and an Mxi. When I want to re render (continue) I then open the MXS, load the mxi, open the mxi again i render options and resume.

PS I don't understand the resume command under File, it always says "resume not found"

I hope this makes sense. Seems the easiest thing to do is let it automatically save and rename the decide later what to keep later.

Thanks again for the help!!! Im on my way!!!!

T