[Plugin] V-Ray Tools

thomthom

1.2 of this plugin works with VfSU 1.48.xx. Disable VfSU under extensions and you can use this plugin to load it. That is how I got my environment set up.

(I need to update the description.)

retep37

Yes, it absolutely works. Thanks for creating it and keeping it up to date.

Semi-related to V-Ray Toys, does anyone know of a way to disable V-Ray for SU prior to first launch of the software? Manually disabling VfSU in extensions must obviously change something that I may be able to replicate on another machine...prefs file, registry, etc. Thanks if anyone knows.

retep37

Found it, if anyone else is ever interested. This information is stored on a per user basis in the current user key of the registry:

[HKEY_USERS..........................\Software\Google\SketchUp8\Extensions]
"Dynamic Components"=dword:00000001
"Sandbox Tools2.0"=dword:00000001
"Solar North Toolbar1.0.0"=dword:00000001
"Photo Textures1.0.0"=dword:00000001
"Ruby Script Examples"=dword:00000000
"Ocean Modeling"=dword:00000000
"Utilities Tools"=dword:00000000
"V-Ray For SketchUp1.48.89"=dword:00000000

In a quick test, pre-populating the registry with a zero value for the V-Ray extension does stop it from loading upon first open of SU. This has the same effect as going to Windows > Preferences > Extensions and turning it off. A little thing, but could be useful, especially if someone is trying to prevent V-Ray for SU from loading on many computers.

halroach

@thomthom said:

1.2 of this plugin works with VfSU 1.48.xx. Disable VfSU under extensions and you can use this plugin to load it. That is how I got my environment set up.

(I need to update the description.)

The way you have it set up - the plugin works well. (with vfsi disabled under preferences)

If you leave the vfsu extension checked to load under preferences - it loads the toolbar, and only some parts of vray work. I have to kind of re-load it again by using the vray toys to get everything to work fine.

I also can't uncheck the "Load V-Ray on demand" in any scenario.

Thanks for the plugin!

thomthom

@unknownuser said:

If you leave the vfsu extension checked to load under preferences - it loads the toolbar, and only some parts of vray work.

I'm not seeing that. If the VfSU extension is set to load it loads VfSU normally - as it should.

@unknownuser said:

I also can't uncheck the "Load V-Ray on demand" in any scenario.

Yea, that is a wee bug due to they way it used to work. Shouldn't matter.

retep37

thomthom,

I have been testing V-Ray Toys 1.2.0 with V-Ray 1.48.89 and Sketchup 8.0.4811 (the latest.) V-Ray and Sketchup are working; however we are seeing some delays with V-Ray loading that seem to be worse with more complex SKP files. Earlier in the thread, “sadyo” mentioned seeing delays of 15 - 20 minutes and while I am not seeing anything that severe, perhaps their experience is related to mine. I am not sure how much the delays are specifically related to V-Ray Toys, but either way I think you may be able to help (or at least explain what is occurring.)

With just a blank SKP loaded from the template it takes V-Ray about 6 - 10 seconds to finish loading. (I should say that the V-Ray toolbar appears immediately, but that Sketchup cannot be used until after the 6 - 10 second time period. These seems normal to me.)

With complex SKP files I have seen V-Ray take anywhere from 30 seconds to 2 minutes to load. I am thinking that perhaps this is unrelated to V-Ray Toys and simply that V-Ray needs to analyze materials or other apsects of the SKP file before being "ready" for use. (I am not sure that this experience is normal. One of my co-workers mentioned it took V-Ray 3 - 4 minutes to load for a SKP file, but I have not been able to duplicate a time such as that.)

Any thoughts on what is "normal" in this regard?

thomthom

VfSU is slow to load. I disable the extension from Window > Preferences > Extensions - that way it doesn't load when SU loads. I then use V-Ray Toys to load it on demand.

retep37

Agreed, it is slow to load and loading on demand is useful. Do you find that the time it takes V-Ray to load (either by demand or not) can vary based on the complexity of the SKP file being opened? Just wondering if seeing one minute or longer on some files for V-Ray to load is normal. (Also, I do not remember as much as a delay on earlier versions...)

thomthom

Yes, bigger/more complex files load slower. And I get the feeling that if you open a model from an older VfSU version it adds even more load time. (Though this is a one time thing because it'd updating the project.)

milkshark

Awesome Plugin!!

focpt

ThomThom,

First of all, thank you for all your hard work on plugins. Really great stuff.

I'm having trouble with V-Ray Toys. I have SU8, with the latest VfSU 1.48xxx. I did the following:

Unchecked Vray from preferences.
Closed SU
Copied Vray toys into plugin folder.
Opened SU
Used Vray drop down to start VRay.

However there is no Vray Toys tool bar anywhere. Also, when I close SU I get a bugsplat. Any ideas?

I'm really just interested in the camer sync option right now. Is there a way to use that ruby only? Or some way to manually sync the cameras.

Cheers,
Nathan

thomthom

@focpt said:

However there is no Vray Toys tool bar anywhere.

The V-Ray Toys toolbar should be available before loading V-Ray. From the View > Toolbar menu.
Did you mean the V-Ray for SketchUp toolbar? (if so - do you get errors when you try to start V-Ray?)

@focpt said:

Also, when I close SU I get a bugsplat. Any ideas?

Never experienced this. You don't get this without V-Ray Toys?

thomthom

There has been some issues reported when users don't have admin rights. Or full access rights to SU's folder. Could very well be it.
Do you see a Compatibility Files button when you browse the Plugins folder?

focpt

@thomthom said:

@focpt said:

However there is no Vray Toys tool bar anywhere.

The V-Ray Toys toolbar should be available before loading V-Ray. From the View > Toolbar menu.

Did you mean the V-Ray for SketchUp toolbar? (if so - do you get errors when you try to start V-Ray?)

@focpt said:

Also, when I close SU I get a bugsplat. Any ideas?

Never experienced this. You don't get this without V-Ray Toys?

Ahhh, don't know why I didn't check the view>toolbar menu... it was late. I'll try again tonight.

No I don't. Do I need to change permissions on my programs>google>su folder? When I copy paste plugins it asks for permissions (windows vista).

Thanks

bagatelo

I was wondering if it would be possible to change this plugin to control the automatic start of any other plugins such as the 1001 bit tools, or some other little tools that we don't use often. That would make the start Sketchup faster. So by default, would start with the Sketchup few essential plugins.

halroach

If I wanted to remove V-Ray Toys...
how do I get about doing that in a way that vray will load automatically? After removing the vray toys files, vray still won't load on sketchup startup. I remember you once wrote that vray toys changes one of the file names in order to prevent vray from loading... which file was it?

thomthom

@unknownuser said:

If I wanted to remove V-Ray Toys...
how do I get about doing that in a way that vray will load automatically? After removing the vray toys files, vray still won't load on sketchup startup. I remember you once wrote that vray toys changes one of the file names in order to prevent vray from loading... which file was it?

What version of V-Ray do you use? (Exact version number please)

halroach

@thomthom said:

What version of V-Ray do you use? (Exact version number please)

I believe it is 1.49.01

thomthom

This plugin doesn't rename any files for that version. You re-enable V-Ray from the Window > Preferences > Extension list.

salah

Hi Guys,

I have tried the Camera Sync. Toy on Vray for SKP 6 & 8 and didn't work? Could you please let me know how to install it? I took the 2 .rb files and copied them in the plugins file in SKP! Am i doing some thing wrong? Please let me know.
Txs