Mihai wrote: ↑Tue Jul 04, 2017 4:24 pm
Thanks for the info Andreas and Jeremy. Andreas, do you know the material parameters the LB plugin has? I don't understand the "quality level" of materials they refer to, and I agree with Jeremy that a simple solution would be to just let users add a custom path to a standalone material file, thereby overriding any settings in their plugin's material settings.
In addition to this, when Maxwell will have some sort of hue randomization built in to its materials, Laubwerk should expose an instance id which Maxwell can use for the randomization.
So in LB player, I choose a tree age, LOD etc. but for the material I just point to an MXM file.
Mihai,
In my conversation with Laubwerk I didn't have a "technical" discussion about how the implementation and which of their parameters could or should be streamlined when exporting to Maxwell. It goes well beyond my capabilities and understanding in what is involved.
There is no Laubwerkplayer for Maxwell yet and I am not sure the mentioned Windows-version is already incorporated in the current player, so this is not giving anything away also.
I can imagine it is also a part of their USP, their inherent biological knowledge of plants and trees and their "universal" representation in f.i. materialisation. It is what they are emphasising on their website. And that's what is also standing out in their models.
Your suggested workaround is contrary to what they are describing, finding a universal approach for, even dynamic animated or procedural, geometry and materials, within their protected environment, and then subsequently developing players for translation to whichever renderer. It is their "business model" if you like.
The last part is interesting however, because working together with Maxwell would deliver them, possibly, the right amount and kind of Maxwell hooks for their parameters which could maximise their intend of expressing the quality of the species and also would utilise all the relevant capabilities of the Maxwell render for this purpose. A commercial win-win I would say.
If you understand what I am trying to say..........
In my mails I only stressed and offered the hope that the Maxwell community" could assist in solving the possible problems they encounter when implementing a Maxwell plugin in the Laubwerkplayer. Or when they are going to implement future enhancements like the mentioned randomisation of color/material or hues.
I even dropped your name
.
I can ask them again about the parameters or I can PM you the details from my Laubwerk-contact. Let me know.
Andreas