[adri]

Hi

It's been mentioned that there's a new plugin almost ready for release. Will it include instancing that works with grouped C4D items? MW instancing within C4D is more or less useless unless this is sorted out.

TIA

Adri

[Maximus3D]

I think that for grouped instances to work they need to work more on the code of the engine as it's there where the problem is and not that much in the plugin itself. The "other" engine also suffers from the same problem with instances, they cannot be grouped and rotated or scaled (atleast not yet). They can only be moved.

/ Max

[adri]

thanks for the reply max!

there's always reference here to what Fry is doing...it doesn't bother me as I've only enough money to buy one!!! be nice to have Vray, Fry etc etc...

As for the instancing problem...As a former programmer I would be guessing here but I would assume that we're talking about geometry translations and references. Basically if it can be done in MXST then the problem is in the translation from C4D to MXCL...or am I wrong? Hence it is a plugin problem, er I think...

Perhaps someone at NL could clarify?

TIA

Adri

[dyarza]

From:

http://www.maxwellrender.com/index.php? ... ll161.html

"BUGS FIXED LIST
Maxwell Render


# Fixed: a crash in 64 bits with Tiff and EXR image formats.
# Fixed: instances of objects in hierarchies are now properly rendered.
# Fixed: issue resuming MXI files with instances.
# Fixed: issue resuming MXI files.
# Added command line option "-stdout" to print the render messages in the standard output."


But I downloaded 1.6.1 and still no luck. Did I miss something?

D

[adri]

well I'm having a look at instances in C4D / MXST and can't get it to work at all as soon as any grouping is created.

If you create a simple scene with a cube and a sphere, group them in C4D, write the MXS and then open it, the sphere and cube lose their grouping when opened in MXS. Further, if you then group them in MXST you cannot create instances of a group created in MXST itself!!!

So, can anyone from NL suggest an instancing workaround so that eg trees that will inevitably have several materials and geometry types grouped?

Let's hope that this is sorted soon as it makes instancing totally useless in the current plug!!!

TIA

Adri

[adri]

Could someone from NL or the moderator please give a response?

It's a genuine problem and a genuine question as to when it will be fixed in Cinemaxwell.

Many thanks

Adri

[nachob]

Hi adri,

We are working on this limitation. Handling it is not easy since instances in Cinema can be used in very different things, for example in boolean operations to create new geometry and those are not instances anymore when rendering. So it's not as easy as taking all the instances and exporting them. That's why the actual version has a limited instance support (we thought it was better having a limited support that no support at all). But of course we are working hard on it. I cannot give you a time frame, but it is the first thing on the cinema plug-in priority list.

nachob

[adri]

nachob,

thank you for replying!

I hope that this limitation can be sorted out as soon as possible as it really renders instancing more or less useless at the moment.

¡feliz año nuevo!

Adri

[Mihai]

Why useless?

[adri]

er...because if you can only instance top level items then you can't do instancing with any of your typical entourage items like trees, plants, cars etc etc.

just the sort of thing that you would want to instance!

that, for me, renders cinemaxwell instancing useless...

TIA

Adri

[dyarza]

Adri,

I am experimenting with the instancing for the same type of things you mention. Specifically trees. I would not go as far as call it useless. Sure it needs improvement, but I am finding some ways to work around it.

I am using MoGraph to populate a landscape with lots of trees, which I have separated into two objects, bark and leaves. I have two identical cloners each one with one of the pieces of the tree. Then I make the cloner object editable and pull the instances out of the null. I am using layers to control visibility in the editor and the object manager which helps.

I am also exporting a number of trees at a time and them merging the MXS files in Studio but having some issues with that.

Sure, I would rather not have to go through the extra work and it is cumbersome, but it can be done.

Sure wish that MoGraph clones could be exported as instances.

Cheers,

D

[dynaraton]

With complex trees I just connect to one single object. I keep all uv's.
It takes more work but maxwell is still very usable. I'm glad we have instancing than non at all.
Overall the new plug-in was the best in the two years that I've been here.
Lets hope NL keeps up with what they are doing.

[dyarza]

Trees are one connected object. Instanced and placed with MoGraph then exported to Maxwell as described above. There are almost 600 instances.

The tiling of the water and ground material is terrible, but it serves my purpose right now, figuring out how to use the instances.






D

[adri]

ok, that's great...thanks for all the help.

adri