Exporter v0.7.3.1

[CTZn]

Update !

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/* CTZn (introduction to subsurface scattering)

Any blinn will create both a specular and a medium with the corresponding name.

Medium:

	<precedence> Refraction Limit

	<ior> Refractive Index

	<cauchy_b_coeff> Surface Thickness

	<absorption_coefficient_spectrum> Transparency

	<scattering_coefficient_spectrum> (enables SSS) Light Absorbance
		You will need to edit the xml file by hand if Light Absorbance
		doesn't exist for blinn in your version of Maya.
		No error should occur but sss will be disabled.

	<phase_function> (Henyey-Greenstein uniform) Translucence Focus
	
 CTZn outro */

Exporter v0.7.3.1

Actually that's just mtiGen.mel, overwrite after backup !
You will still need to include <normal_smoothing> manually using IME, until yourdaftpunk launches his last build (likely very soon).

[CTZn]

Hey, and nothing official, just playing around

In fact I was needing these changes, I was messing too much with xml code, with alot of errors resulting and so on.

I think this is quite robust, as I have only copied/pasted/reinterpreted some logic already within.

The improvement is to have a xml scene with subsurface scattering (Henyey-Greenstein uniform) implemented if activated within Maya. If SSS is desactivated, the blinn material will output as a specular pointing to a medium previously created by the very same mean. Medium defining then only <precedence>, <ior> and <absorption_coefficient_spectrum>.

SSS is activated via Light Absorbance, in the raytracing tab of the blinn. This is arbitrary, surely not the best choice; I just used the first suitable attribute

Thus an idea I want to share, it's about updating the object editor ! Check that:

When one call the Object Editor, extra attributes are added to every Maya shader in correspondance with his equivalent into Indigo. So the user would just fill the values in and export, without having to figure out wich attribute correspond to what xml tag...

The attributes have to be added at a certain point, launching the Object Editor seems relevant to me. Either the values appear in the Object Editor, or we can tweak them in the extra attributes tab. Last seems easier.

So so so...

[CTZn]

Bwah, site is down (who cares anyway ?)

Current state, rounding corners:

mtiMain.mel

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- Sun is now a point light (and changed item name to "Sun and Sky" :P )
	Press 5 then 7 in the numpad and place the light far away from your scene to get a relevant effect.
	You can not accidentally create 2 suns by using the menu item.
 
 - added save_igi in interface, it's not linked tho. Or rather it works with inifile.txt.

mtiGen.mel

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 - Geometry is triangulated on export
 - History is removed on export

However this should be undone after export, on his way.


These are just my first steps into scripting so take it easy and join in !

I hope it's ok to expose the code

Some files in few days when I have my host up, cheers

[ThatDude33]

hey! great to see other people working on this too!!!!!

I've been away for a really long time (computer problems and no time) but its great to check back in and see other people pitching in

I can't test it, but keep it up anywayy!!

[CTZn]

Hello ThatDude33, glad to see you !

Well this project is a good start for me to learn a bit of mel, nothing really ambitious. Actually the most wanted update is the new version of IME yourdaftpunk announced to me on another site, so we would know what to do or not in mel

[bkircher]

Hi, and first of all recommendations for the great team-work on MtI/IME.

I've dabbled around with the .obj-referencing feature, and have glued it into a mti 0.7.2. (doh! that I didn't integrate it into 0.7.3, and doh! that I didn't spend the day on my sunny balkony...)

It seems to work, though I haven't checked it in depth yet.
Nice thing is obviously that one gets a small, manageable .xml file with swappable -obj-files.

I'd like to share the modified files with the mti-Crew if there is interest...

[CTZn]

There is always some interest. Actually the crew is anyone who wants to participate, may it be unofficial. The point is to make mti work, and any new feature is welcome !

And you definitely don't have to ask to share, if you don't mind... yes merging both versions would be cool, there is no point to have different versions if one works and if they share all the same basis (ThatDude33 and arneoog's work). For now please post your version

Cheers !

[bkircher]

Great!

I understood that the Crew is not fixed, but playing well together...

Here are the files (for the developers, as this is only "proof of concept").
regards

In my first post, I didn't see the attachment field (if it was there?),
so I prepared a rapidshare posting, which apparently can now rest for eternity on rapidshare.
http://rapidshare.com/files/20457547/mti_OBJ_based.zip

[arneoog]

Go ahead, make what ever changes you want
I am just glad that I don't have to do everything

Maybe we should make a Development Thread
Where everyone can make their changes and post it.
And then ofcourse all have to download the lates mti version in this thread and add things to that.
Hmm... Then maybe someone sometimes have to just integrate two or more to gether,
if more than one is making changes at once, that is

Is this a good solution?

[CTZn]

I like it, sounds simple.

yourdaftpunk where are you !?

[arneoog]

Okay
So.. what version should I add to the topic?
(the first post)

[CTZn]

maybe we should define some strategy before posting scripts, like what bkircher says in the comment.txt (doing so and so, divide scripts etc), so perhaps it's best to post the 2/3 lasts versions and see how they merge, and discuss that... At least I'm not as skilled as you both are, decyphering bkircher's script may take a while for me... but I wanna do my part

Maybe we need a list of what is implemented yet, what is missing and discuss on best approach to implement the missing stuff...

bkircher sorry I haven't tested your exporter yet, I'm a bit off 3d these times... got an overdosis I think... I'm still around, time will come

[arneoog]

yeah
I am to tired and.. well, lazy to do anything now,
But here is the features I know are in the 0.7.3 version...

- User friendly installation and Interface
- All the general Indigo render Settings
- XML output Window
- Tone Map Settings
- Camera Settings
- SkyLight Settings
- Background Light Settings
- HDR Image Settings
- An object and material editor
- Fast XML exporter plugin (thanks to Shawn L)
- Save Output Directly to a XML scene
- Render Scene Directly after it generated in Maya
- Render Scene From Maya
- System Settings
- Indigo Mesh Exporter

May be some more... heh..
I'm actually alittle tired of working on this


..hmm.. that was all...
...how do I turn this thing off?....
..ehm.. ..oh!.... *click* ..
- - - - - - - -

[Kram1032]

I know, that it's not really actual, what you wrote, but:
Good Night, Arne

[CTZn]

- Render Scene Directly after it generated in Maya
- Render Scene From Maya

Really Anyway that list is huge, you guys did a nice work already !

Ok, maybe we should start to streamline and fine-tune the actuall working workflows (remove/reduce limitations, make all work together including sss I implemented and bkircher's obj exporter, some settings are not tweakable in Maya like Henvey-Greenstein value) before adding new stuff.

Again we need to discuss about eventually splitting the main scripts into some modular structure, that will make things easier to update I think: every module will have a specific version number relative to the features implemented, and maybe we can have (in a later state) a unified script. I support the idea of modularity at least