[Prowler]

Many thanks to JDHill for the fast bugfixes in the new plugin!

The triangulation bug seems to be gone now...

But I also found a new (small) bug:

If I have the following structure:

- Boole Object (deactivated but both render dots grey or green)
---- Polygon-Object 1
---- Polygon-Object 2

As the Boole Object is deactivated the Polygon-Object 1 should still be rendered, but in the new plugin the whole object will be not exported to Maxwell. In the 1.8 CTP version this is working.

Another question/suggestion I have:

I'm currently working with units as 1/10th millimetre. So 10000 units are 1m in Maxwell. If I put 0.0001 in the custom export units the displayed value changes to "0" but it's still exporting with the correct multiplier. Any chance that the correct multiplier could be displayed?


Kind regards,

Prowler

[JDHill]

Thanks, I can confirm the disabled object issue; the plugin is reading too far up the cache. On the display precision, as far as I know, this is just a limitation of the Cinema UI.

[macray]

how about sending notification mails? I didn't receive any for the 1.8.1.1 but get mails for all the other plugin updates like Form-Z &Co....

As I only use cinema and Cinemaxwell - it would be helpful if I receive the notification AT LEAST for Cinema as well.

Thanks for the new plugin. I'll test it later today.

[JDHill]

I've gotten emails for each release, so check your spam filter, I guess.

[zoppo]

i got the mail, too.

thanks for the bugfix.

[Becco_UK]

JDHill: Thank you for the fixes made. I will try the updated plugin later.

[MS]

JDHill, thank you for your great work. The instancing, xRefs, materials in scene, implementation of "Ground rotation" etc. all those features are great.

I have found two small issues anyway...

One is related to instancing - I will post details later.
Second one - there is something like "automatic texture replacement feature" - in my workflow it is producing a mess:

Example: I set up a scene to use Image Based Environment - I point a texture to "D:\lib\HDRI\CARB_04.hdr" (which is a 6248*3124 file) - plugin itself change this path automatically to "C:\Program Files\Next Limit\Maxwell\hdri\dosch\CARB_04.hdr" (which is a 1024x512 sample installed with Maxwell).

My point is - can I switch if off? Does it work also for materials? I usually do use textures with same filename with different resolution depending on required detail - but now I have to check all materials in scene, if textures link are pointing to correct texture files...

[Becco_UK]

The triangulation problem is now ok, thank you.

However, again I have had to go back to the older plugin because the new plugin does not like having a Maxwell Material and a Cinema material on the same object at the same time - I use Bodypaint a lot and for developing UV's and textures I do so using .psd texture files. I also make a Maxwell material that uses a jpeg, etc texture. The old plugin gives priority to the Maxwell material, disregards the Cinema one and renders fine.

The new plugin just doesn't 'like' being confronted with two types of materials.

[JDHill]

@MS: on your paths issue, see the checkbox, 'Don't search standard Maxwell directories', in Maxwell page of Cinema preferences. Even so, it should only be correcting paths for you if the ones specified in your materials/scenes aren't found on the machine, so check that those paths are actually valid.

@Bekko_UK: it sounds like things are working correctly. The plugin means to follow the standard material-precedence rules of Cinema, so whichever material, Maxwell or Cinema, is furthest down the stack will be the one used for rendering. This behavior may differ from that of the old plugin, but it is correct. If it is a problem for you, I could try adding a switch to the Maxwell material which you could use to tell the plugin to render that material regardless of Cinema's precedence rules. If I'm reading you correctly, that would allow you to work the way you want to, correct?

[Becco_UK]

JDHill: You may have identified the solution! At present I have the Maxwell mat before the Cinema one which renders ok. I will reinstall the new plugin and change the order of the mats and try that.

[Becco_UK]

JDHill: Swapping the order of objects materials worked and the rendering looks to be ok. Probably the 'old' plugin was incorrect because as you indicated Cinema should read materials left to right. Anyway, thank you for sorting the earlier problems out and the revised plugin seems to be very useable now.

[MS]

@MS: on your paths issue, see the checkbox, 'Don't search standard Maxwell directories', in Maxwell page of Cinema preferences. Even so, it should only be correcting paths for you if the ones specified in your materials/scenes aren't found on the machine, so check that those paths are actually valid.

I have missed that setting, anyway it does not fix the problem (*). The desired file exists, it is selected via "Windows Open dialog", after confirming the dialog for aprox one second there is correct path/file in a field, then it swaps automatically to incorrect lowres file in "C:\...." - I do use WinXP 64bit, Cinema R11 64 bit.

This is not so bit problem for me - I just have to check after selecting a texture if the selected one is the correct one.

(*) Edit: I have restarted Cinema and the issue is gone! Thank you JDHill! There is a meter of beers waiting for you in Pilsen! (translation)

[macray]

I've gotten emails for each release, so check your spam filter, I guess.

as it is the company spam filter that doesn't work for me. The funny thing is that I got the announcements for Form-Z &Co.

Are the newsletter concerning the cinema plugin sent from another adress?

[JDHill]

As far as I can see, announcements are always coming from salesdesk@nextlimit.com.

[Prowler]

I just tried to render a old scene (1.8 CTP) with the new plugin: All materials with textures (flat and cubic mapping) were placed slightly different (moved around on the object). I had to go back to the 1.8 CTP version and everything works fine again.

Can someone confirm this behavior?