MtI 3.0.x

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CTZn
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Re: MtI 3.x

Post by CTZn » Sat Aug 13, 2011 10:13 pm

Update next week, with the following changes so far:

- Global performance restoration.
  • Exported 29166 particles instances in 42s (~690 p/s). Viewport updates are desactivated during export, the scene size doesn't affect overall performances anymore.
- fixed pt/bi-pt menu
- removed silent desactivation (warning only) of background emission if the material's base emission (incandescence) is black.
  • That was a mistake since background emission is otherwise forced to an uniform value of 1.0, allowing the render to start.
- changed Reinhard's default to 2-2-10.
  • Nice tip
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Lemo
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Re: MtI 3.x

Post by Lemo » Sat Aug 20, 2011 12:23 am

Hey there how's summer goin CT?

Just installed last version on Maya 2010
I had a small error (or was it a warning) at install, I think it was actually after the install, when you initialize it.
Apparently the error text lost its way to my clipboard, but it was about indigo's folder and a procedure it couldn't call...
Anyway, I restarted Maya and it seems to be fine :]

I'm trying to make a huge pile of objects right now.
Do you know any good solution or plugin for "huge pile" dynamics in Maya?
I tried with the built-in solver and bullet physics, but it just freezes when you got more than two objects...

Also, for once I'm using a ShadingSwitch for all those copies
But I'm getting no material at export and I would really love to see that node working with Mti :)

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Re: MtI 3.x

Post by Lemo » Sat Aug 20, 2011 12:43 am

Oh I noticed the extra options there!
I tried the three checkboxes, but the result is the same
There's a "tripleShadingSwitch" file that gets baked apparently, but it renders out grey (the default switch color)

(those are multi-materials objects)

I just tried with 3 base spheres, but in that case they all get the same texture (and single baked file) at render :?

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CTZn
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Re: MtI 3.x

Post by CTZn » Sat Aug 20, 2011 2:25 am

About the vanishing error message, let me know if you can catch it next time, I'm sorry I didn't experience it.
Lemo wrote:I just tried with 3 base spheres, but in that case they all get the same texture (and single baked file) at render :?
Send me that scene please, I'm not sure to wich extent the support for theses nodes is practicable yet. There will be more chances if they are used as shading parameters (connected to a material directly, "multi-materials" should be possible also if the switch is connecting to a shading group).

My days ignore seasons, and I'm fine with rain waves in place of heat waves as we've been getting short of water ressources here and there :)

Update is delayed while I'm finishing the implementation for regular tabulated data... the ISL shader node is working for some parameters already, presets will be allowed and shipping on request.
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CTZn
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Re: MtI 3.x

Post by CTZn » Sat Aug 20, 2011 3:16 am

Lemo wrote:I'm trying to make a huge pile of objects right now.
Do you know any good solution or plugin for "huge pile" dynamics in Maya?
I tried with the built-in solver and bullet physics, but it just freezes when you got more than two objects...
Well I don't use such plugins but you can give Pulldownit! a try, the free version does rigid simulations and it exists for Maya 2012.

I don't know if Dynamica from Disney studios has an evaluation version.
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Lemo
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Re: MtI 3.x

Post by Lemo » Sat Aug 20, 2011 3:55 am

Okay here is the file with the spheres, I applied some procedural stuff here, but I'll be using file textures.
If you manage to get it working "connected to a material directly" (not sure what you're talking about?) please send me the scene too ;)

So here is what I get in Maya
[attachment=1]switchMaya.jpg[/attachment]

And Indigo
[attachment=0]switchIndigo.jpg[/attachment]

The baked file gives me a checker

Yes Dynamica and Bullet are the same thing
And I'll give a look at Pulldownit thx!
Attachments
switchIndigo.jpg
switchMaya.jpg
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spheres.rar
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CTZn
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Re: MtI 3.x

Post by CTZn » Sat Aug 20, 2011 7:42 am

Switch nodes do not have a method for rendering, they do only store data. Therefore I am surprised that MtI can get the checker through since it uses the same procedure than "Test Texture" does, wich returns the flat default color. The only difference is that I am specifying one mesh when baking materials, so they may have a baking method after all.

short version: in order to implement switch nodes I need to reform the whole export pipeline.

Just as with particle instances using unique material assignements, and baked textures with mismatching UVs when the same textured material is applied on objects using different UVs.

All 3 cases require the same named material to be exported multiple times at the right positions into the IGS, between meshes definitions and with different textures. That won't happen very soon but those are important options, granted.
"connected to a material directly" (not sure what you're talking about?)
If I'm correct switch nodes can be burried deep into a shading network, but what matters for MtI is the final texture/utility connected to the material slot. The scene clarified your usage, wich is by chance conform to this common case.
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Lemo
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Re: MtI 3.x

Post by Lemo » Mon Aug 22, 2011 5:37 am

Switch nodes work out of the box with Vray...

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CTZn
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Re: MtI 3.x

Post by CTZn » Mon Aug 22, 2011 6:50 am

I'm glad they did it and I will look into that reforming very soon.

Substances on their way.
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Re: MtI 3.x

Post by CTZn » Tue Aug 30, 2011 12:32 am

This is a beta release.

- restored export performance (forced refresh suspension)

- added regular tabulated spectrum to the spectrumNode
  • You can input a string of values, valid separators are: blank space, new lines, colons and/or semi-colons.
  • Fractional separators can be period or comma.
  • You can also:
    • connect an indigoText node(text -> values, see below)
    • drag the indigoText node or type it's name into the spectrumNode's values field, it will be found even though it's not connected
- support of substanceOutput nodes
  • Currently they use MtI textures settings. Ideally the substance output should be of an higher resolution than the MtI settings.
  • Reminder: PhongE is not supported (has no Phong exponent exposed). You must change the generated Substance shader type manually and adapt connections.
- added indigoText node
  • connects to (currently some) material attributes for ISL input
  • like for notes, you need to press the numpad enter key to save changes (!) or create and use presets

- fixed pt/bi-pt menu
- fixed: bump depth ignored sometimes
- changed Reinhard's default to 2-2-10.
- a bit of optimization going on with exporting material parameters (wip)
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ior
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Re: MtI 3.x

Post by ior » Sat Oct 15, 2011 8:27 am

Hi CTZn.

I was ready to make an animation test with some materials changing properties, but when I tried to set key on material properties it didn't do anything, so I found out that we cannot animate any of Indigo properties. :(

Maya has the ability to animate almost if not all parameters that appear on the interface and that is a good thing and that is why maya is a very good animation software.

Is it possible to animate (set keys on) indigo properties in MtI?
If not I would like to make a request in order to this functionality be implemented as soon as possible in order to be possible to animate every parameter on MtI interface.


Now I cannot do what I had in mind with Maya. Is C4D plugin able to do this?
I might need to discard maya and learn C4D to overcome this limitation. I know maya since version 1 and I didn't want to change, but maybe C4D can be better and Ill give it a try.

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Re: MtI 3.x

Post by CTZn » Sat Oct 15, 2011 10:56 am

Hi ior, no doubts that Cindigo is better than MtI :)

All relevant attributes from Indigo nodes will be keyable for the next update, thanks for reporting.
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ior
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Re: MtI 3.x

Post by ior » Sat Oct 15, 2011 12:21 pm

Found a bug:
When indigo editor is opened and you render a scene, the indigo editor get stuck on the material properties of the mesh you select and the indigo mesh properties do not appear anymore and you have to restart maya to see the mesh properties in the indigo editor again.

Another thing:
Why the names or options of the material properties in MtI are different to the indigo shading language options?
This can lead to confusion.
And for instance if one parameter can have certain values in indigo renderer these values should be possible to assign to that specific parameter in maya without going outside the boundaries indigo can handle . That do not happen with scattering_coefficient_spectrum (scattering coefficient in maya) or at least I had some problems increasing this value, nor the precision that indigo render can handle is respected in the material parameters in MtI (for instance if indigo render can handle 0.000001 precision, maya should be able to increase the same value with the same precision).

There are a lot of issues to be solved in MtI. I have seen things happening (like black render screens) that are not explainable easily, maybe there are options that are not in conformity with this specific indigo version, or the previous version scene has to be made from scratch in order to work properly.

I did not tested Cindigo but I will try it and post what I think about it and MtI. Maybe I will like C4D better than maya (I have heard that it is very powerful).

Keep up with the work, there are lots of things missing here. Hope this post can help.

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CTZn
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Re: MtI 3.x

Post by CTZn » Sat Oct 15, 2011 6:34 pm

Found a bug:
When indigo editor is opened and you render a scene, the indigo editor get stuck on the material properties of the mesh you select and the indigo mesh properties do not appear anymore and you have to restart maya to see the mesh properties in the indigo editor again.
This behaviour has been changed for the next update. Currently, you must use the marking menu from the navigation bar. The navigation bar is the one telling to wich shape (or how many of them) have the material applied, below the displayed selection name.

For instance, create a new scene, initialize MtI then create a cube. The navigation bar should tell "lambert1 applied". Click and hold onto the navigation bar: a marking menu showing the item "lambert1" pops out, switching to the material properties when selected. Then in the material properties, the navigation bar is telling "applied to pCubeShape1". Click-drag to toggle mesh properties back.

This system also applies between textures and materials, and displays a list if there are multiple nodes connected so you should be able to navigate through all aspects of an indigo object without changing the current selection, nor restarting Maya for the matter :)

What has changed for the next update is that the properties will be relative to the current selection and not to the navigation system (wich will still be present). It once behaved like so then got broken... so it's a fix. Likewise, the Indigo Editor will now disappear if the selection is not relevant to Indigo.
Another thing:
Why the names or options of the material properties in MtI are different to the indigo shading language options?
This can lead to confusion.
I agree. I took some freedom over time but I'll improve consistency from now on.
There are a lot of issues to be solved in MtI. I have seen things happening (like black render screens) that are not explainable easily, maybe there are options that are not in conformity with this specific indigo version, or the previous version scene has to be made from scratch in order to work properly.
You are welcome to submit these cases to the forum, that may prove helpfull to many users.
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CTZn
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Re: MtI 3.x

Post by CTZn » Sun Oct 16, 2011 1:25 pm

I fixed MtI initialization on new or opened scene and added a manual override in the menu, just in case.

It never failed after an export for me, ior, if it has happened it should not be recurrent I hope.
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