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error when I put a grey clipmap to obtain transparency

Posted: Wed Aug 30, 2006 11:50 pm
by catbaby
Hello!
I have to create a lamp, a luminous colored flat pannel. So I build a plane for the lamp in a box. I create a plastik texture in the hypershade for the box (the pannel),I added transparency for the box with a clipmap, and error when I render the scene...
Could you help me? Or do you have a better idea to create this light pannel?
Thanks.

Catbaby :

Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2006 12:01 am
by DrMerman
Hey catbaby. What is the error you are getting when you try to render? Also, the clipmap has to be an rgb image, and not just greyscale (confuses me too. moreso than I thought :D)

Cheers,
Dr Merman

EDIT : yep, well.... I got it wrong...one day I shall learn :D

Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2006 12:14 am
by 3dtrialpractice
if your using version 1.1 of maxwell then you do NOT use those mayamaxwell shaders.. You only USE the MXM shader and then link it to a mxm..

thos maya shaders are obsolete left over from over a year ago this maya plugin is crippling
(if you use that plasitc maya maxwell shader and map specular channel you wil also get an error..since Specular map is not something to mapps exactly to realworkd shading or maxwell shading. its defined by roughness and yes you'll have to tweek your specular maps.. invert them then play with curves/levels till you get a appropriet roughness map)

ONLY use MXM's even for emmiters it wil save you alot of error msg problems

and then to do the Lamp I think the dual Weighmap approach maybe good for your shhader.. if you want greys alpha approach- if you have a solid black white map (clip) you can use one bsdf and map it in the transittence slot (you may have to invert your map)

Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2006 1:14 am
by jomaga
And remeber to save allways your grey or B&W images as RGB, Maxwell don't work with greyscale images

Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2006 11:00 am
by catbaby
Thanks "3dtrialpractice", "DrMerman" and Jomaga...

It is a rvb grey map, not a greyscale.

I'm using V1.1, so when you say to only use mxm shader and then link it to a mxm, I don't get it...
I took a "MXPlastic" in the "surface" menu in the hypershade, put the maps in "Color Map" and "Clip Map".
For emitter, I did the same : I took a "MXEmitter" from the "Surface" menu, and then choose a color in the "custom" mode.
Do I have to import or load MXM files from Studio? And so how?

I have to stay in Maya to render because it's an animation project. And all is already "playblasted" in Maya.

And why I can't play with the "environment" : I can't change the "Hour", "Day", so it's impossible to place the sun...

Catbaby

Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2006 3:10 pm
by DrMerman
Catbaby,

You can use the standalone MXED.exe (material editor) program to create an MXM, just like in studio, and then save it. If you then click the 'add MXM material' button on the Maxwell shelf in Maya (instead of an MXPlastic), you can source the material you just created, and then add THAT to your objects.

The material editor (MXED) now has the same wizards built in as when you add MXPlastics etc, so it shouldn't be too hard to make the switch.

About the environment, to change the sun settings I just click the environment button on the shelf, which brings up the environment attributes, and you can change the hour from there. If the hour box is red, and this is why you can't change it, try right clicking on it and hitting 'break connections'. You should now be able to change it.

Hope this makes sense :)

Cheers,
Dr Merman

Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2006 4:18 pm
by catbaby
Dear Doctor!
Thanks, and....
I'm confused, and stupid.
I don't know how, but I have installed the V1.1, Maya keeped the path of the old plugin (beta8.x)... I had a doubt when you wrote that I can use a MXM, and I couldn't see this button... MXM is present only in the beta 9.x plugin!
Maxwellrender V1.1 was launched correctly, but with the old plugin...

My mistake!
:oops: :oops:
Now all is ok, sun too!
Thanks anyway!
I'll be back for new questions! ;-)

Catbaby

Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2006 4:27 pm
by DrMerman
Glad to help mate :D

Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2006 4:48 pm
by catbaby
I don't understand how maxwell place the sun : In Barcelona, 16h30 and the sky is dark and yellow... With a beautifull yellow point far in the background...
I need a light 20h00 to have a cool warm and lateral sun for shadows, and I don't success to place my scene.

Cat

Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2006 10:45 pm
by DrMerman
Hey Cat,

I've had a quick play with the environment settings, and if I set them as follows, I get a blue/yellow sky, with the distant yellow sun.

Cheers,
Dr Merman

Image

Posted: Fri Sep 01, 2006 5:46 pm
by catbaby
Hey Doc!

It seems my scene isn't in the right axes for your environment settings.
Could you show me the north? I think I'm LOST... :D :D :D

Cheers
Cat

Posted: Fri Sep 01, 2006 6:42 pm
by catbaby
roch,

voilà mon test : juillet, barcelona, 9.394 h...

Image

etrange non?
je dois etre completement à l'envers...

catbaby

Posted: Fri Sep 01, 2006 6:44 pm
by catbaby
:? doc,
I was on the french forum...
I said : this is my test : july, barcelona, 9.694 H

I find it very strange, I think my axes are in the wrong way...

catbaby

Posted: Sun Sep 03, 2006 6:31 pm
by DrMerman
Cat,
Is there any chance you could post a slimmed-down version of your scene? I'd be interested to see what your overall settings are.

Cheers,
Dr Merman

Posted: Mon Sep 04, 2006 5:26 pm
by catbaby
Hi Doc,
you can download the file at:
http://www.synthese-factory.com/maxwell ... ghting.zip
About 20Mo,in the zip file the maya file.
It seems that the pluggin has the longitude and latitude inverted...
I read a post on it.
If I'm right, someone has seen the default in a mel script, and corrected it, but it was for an alpha version, not this one...
A non corrected bug...

Cat