I have a list of features as long as my arm I'd love to see in SU7! Though I cut that arm off for a simple "reselect" function seriously!

Oh and multiple scenes (pages) to be displayed in split screens!

Thanks alan

I've played ith Xfrog but don't find it as easy as onxy though still a gteat app! Does the leaves from xfrog come in as components???

The beauty of getting either of these apps and using them even in a primitive process is that SU MUST (yes I said MUST) at some stage soon be re-engined to handle this type of poly count or slowly I fear loose it's flavour! New apps appear nearly every day and it I'd suggest modelling in an almost real time rendered (at least ray trace and good GI) will surely be available sooner than later. Particularly now Nvidia have purchased Mental Ray - one wonders where that will go!

All said depending on the render app you use I know that pavol (maxwell plugin developer) is expecting to xref high poly components and maybe even actual MXS (maxwell studio) files. This would mean OBJ files exported from Onyx imported to MXS where mapping is maintained then material edited and used to replace the low poly SU component upon export!

I'm sure other apps will follow this lead!

@plot-paris said:

@richard said:

Mate firstly we aren't strangers! Like you we are SU users - that makes us mates even brothers (**in some cases almost lovers!!)**hehe!

yeah, especially those without programing skills love the gods of ruby
(who hopefully will master the challenge of a "transform group to component (and find similar)" function. the other way arround already exists... )

Mate in the case of imported geometry and in this case from Onyx it probably goes a little deeper! The leaves are just mash - no groups (well the whole lot is but not individual leaves( so the script would need to firstly create a component from one leaf then search for any geometry (mindful they could be rotated flipped etc) similar to that selected for the first instance and destroy / replace this geometry with a new instance of the new component.

BTW trees are the only opportunity for this script, cars, chair . table legs etc etc all come to mind as solved by this action!

@whaat said:

@unknownuser said:

I second that. He's good at what he does, obviously, and he seems to have a real knack for implementing new features in a "SU user friendly" kind of way. In other words: he has a KISS approach, which I - not being 3D modeling's answer to Albert Einstein - highly appreciate.

I am so glad to hear this! Honestly, one of the most time-consuming tasks that I do when I am working on a script is to just brainstorm...."What is the most intuitive and user-friendly approach to implement this feature??"

I usually come up with an idea that I like and then as I start to code it, I think of a more intuitive approach and then have to re-write the script. However, I think the extra time spent making a script intuitive is completely worth it.

The problem is, what is intuitive to me may not be intuitive to Stinkie and Richard.. So...it's great to hear this positive feedback! Thanks!

Mate everything you've done so far works bloody well on the side of intuitiveness (is that a word?)! Though as you know I still can't get my head around the blending bit in the Indigo plug but then I'm also a bit slow (to much of that naughty stuff when I was younger I think - well up till june anyway!).

@limey said:

This is a very interesting discussion as I am contemplating purchasing Onyx trees which my research leads me to believe are of excellent quality. Unfortunately I do not thoroughly understand some of the descriptions of techniques that I am reading in this post.

Solo, you mention that you create bitmaps from your trees and you extract the alpha to make a billboard.I have been trying to do the same thing in Photoshop for export to SU for a while and I just cannot get it to work the way it should.I seem to be missing some important piece of information.If you could describe the procedure in a bit more detail I would very much appreciate it.For example, how exactly do you "extract the alpha"...? Is this done after you have imported the tree into SU and what type of file is used to make this procedure possible?

Also, Richard mentions that he "can do a good job job straight out of Onyx...where the image map is exported with alpha and dxf panel sized correctly as well"...
Please excuse my ignorance but does this mean that I once I purchase Onyx trees I will not have to bother with Photoshop to produce these types of trees...I get confused by the terminology too.Could someone please explain the difference between "image map", "clipmaps",and "clipping paths" (as in Photoshop).It would seem that they could all be the same thing but I don't want to assume that, I'd like to know for sure.There may be clear or subtle distinctions between them for all I know.

I am new to these types of techniques but as always my enjoyment is derived from learning and developing my skills to produce better quality renditions.

Thanks to everyone participating in this type of discussion, you make this process even more entertaining and I am intrigued by the wealth of in-depth information that is so generously shared between strangers on a site such as this....
Limey

Limey

Mate firstly we aren't strangers! Like you we are SU users - that makes us mates even brothers (in some cases almost lovers!!) hehe!

Mate to get clipped images in SU you need to import the image as a PNG file with the areas not tree the be deleted in PShop. These PNG images will then need to be placed on a rectangular panel, made a component and normally set to face camera function in component dialogue.

However many render apps need two maps a colour map JPG, BMP, TGA or PNG and another map in B & W where the white area represents where the app will cut this area from the panel (the non tree area.)!

Onyx gives you the option to export your model as 3d (full geometry in a variety of 3D formats) or a 2D image with the option to include the alpha map. Now this is where it can be confusing first time! When the map image is exported as say JPG imported into PShop you wont see anything different. So in Pshop find the channels panel and you will note channels for the colour ranges and one named ALPHA. The simple process is then to CTRL+click on the alpha channel and the alpha area of the image will be selected. then in the layers pallet duplicate your background layer (PShop cant delete the alpha area from the background) select the new layer and hit delete and the background will be gone! Turn off the background and save the file as PNG as there you have it!!!!!!

If you aim to use the maps in a render app that requires a clip map create another layer and use the selection to paint B&W to the opposing inverted areas as needed. There are other options here which include just duplicating your background again, desaturate and adjust contrast. Use which ever suits you!

regarding Onyx, currently I'm finding the 3D import of models to SU just too large (that to make the tree effective in rendering) for them to work efficiently in SU as all geometry is bought in without the desired use of components to reproduce the leaves. I have requested the ruby guys might kick the can in creating a script that finds any similar geometry and replaces it with a repetative component though no one has taken up the challange yet!

For me it is a shame the Onyz developers don't see value in the option to just have aa library of trees available for purcahse instead of just flogging the application as I think so many users would be happy with just content. Though that said Onyx is very useful for the creation of maps for trees of any type and once you have created one it is just the case of sliding the random seed slider a few notches and bang you have another version of the same tree so the scene doesn't show as one tree duplicated. Plus you can adjust camera angle, sun and shadow effects in Onyx to suit any weird aspect you are aiming to achieve in your output! The big shame is that you have to buy Onyx as there is no trial version!

i hope this all helped mate! Richard

@unknownuser said:

I've should've mentioned this before: I got an 8 core computer. Vray likes that.

Still, people are getting reasonable times with Vray and a dual core.

Just a small detail. I'd like that just as much as Vray! Makes a bit more sense of the render times now!

@plot-paris said:

well, then my request will be the Tumbler!

oh dear, I simply love the mixture between hummer and lamborghini...
(and I cant wait for the next batman movie to come out at the end of july)

What the hell is that man = maybe I need to get to the movies more!

Nice images mate but dam they are bright, seems the excess light is flashing some of the white srfaces.

Yeah the speed is really impressive. I'll have to try the same scene with maxwell, even though I've done bugger all interiors for some reason I don't get the long times that others do and I don't have a cranking machine.

@unknownuser said:

Some Fiat 500 exist at 3Dwarehouse

Frenchy that looks like a toy one mate!

I know, I know its edgy!!!

they always remind me of the movie the BIG BLUE! One of my fav's!!!

Actually a mate of mine has one and it is actually the only fiat I've driven - what a bucket!!! Though would like one myself to match my vespa!

@kwistenbiebel said:

If you would take wishlists: the old Fiat 500 model would be cool.
That car has an edge to it which is nice to have in arch scenes...

FIAT???? Mate we haven't seen a Fiat in australia since the 124!!!!

@kwistenbiebel said:

Soo much text to read in this thread....
I just drop in to say: Nice work Richard !
Are you making a 'Cars 2008 bundle' out of it?

I'm certainly thinking about this mate! Though maybe a mix of 2006 - 2008 we certainly need non current model cars for scenes.

@jackson said:

Yep, transparency mapping works in VRay, but not sure how it would be possible to make materials "overlap" to blend them, VRay's material editor is a bit limited in that respect.

Personally I like having glass as a separate material- for external renders I usually only have 2 or 3 different glasses for buildings, 1 with no refraction for most windows (to keep renders fast and allow single face glass), 1 with a little refraction for glass balustrades and then a random one, maybe tinted, or very reflective. I usually have all car glass as a separate material as the curved forms sometimes require different fresnel settings.

@richard said:

BTW yep all mapping in SU!!!

I might think of doing the glass as a separate material, certainly would help the process this end. Though there does have to be a way to do it????

Darn shame Vray doesn't support weight maps as during development of this idea I came up with a way to export any number of high poly cars in a scene as just the one material.

Mateo Mate I'm very impressed!!!!!!!!!!!!

I must say I'm sincerely happy to see you experiment with some new techniques, having looked at the images on your website some time ago I felt a little that many of your images were a bit too "dennis technique" if this makes sense. I think this technique is just way too common amongst SU users now so I'm happy to see you break the mould on that one.

That said I'd probably like to see a little less brush out in this current style and maybe a little subtle line work maintained. and maybe a few more people but still urge on subtle there. BTW the way you have pulled the water in looks great!! Oh and sun rays would work well across the worked part of your composition - subtle again!

Looking forward to seeing you develop this technique more and make it your signature!!

@jackson said:

I've become a little obsessed with streamlining the workflow from SU to render progs, finding the balance between components that look good and work well in SU, but which also render well and IMO you have achieved that balance almost perfectly with this car!

BTW big thanks and mate we share the same obsession!!!

Thanks Jackson.

Mate given Vray will support spec maps that would be my likely way of achieving the various materials. I might change my workflow to better suit that and avoid the weight mapping though that would mean the glass might need to be a separate material (any ideas?). Transparency mapping work? I'd really like these to stay as one material from end to end.

BTW yep all mapping in SU!!!

Mate I'm impressed! How are you finding Vray - easy / hard????

@utiler said:

cool richard. I have seen a number of models on this website in both 3DS and MAX....
http://archidom.net/ddd/mod_drive.htm
the problem is they are awfully large!!!

Any idea on how to reduce the size, mate? I have a number of models that need a good clean up.
Cheers,

By the way mate look for OBJ files as these can be dragged in via the import obj ruby and retain smoothing!

@unknownuser said:

Wow Richard, beautiful results- would never have guessed the geometry was so low-poly.

Fancy doing some for VRay?

That is the beauty of them they are really light in SU yet will render really well. Well as long as you don't use them for close up!

Not sure the same clip and weight mapping would work in Vray. I don't know my way around Vray so can't say! by the way these don't use any displacement just colour, weight and clip mapping.

@unknownuser said:

Great work Richard, thanks.

Cheers mate!

@unknownuser said:

Small is beautiful!

Good on ya frenchy!!!!!!

@unknownuser said:

Looks really good for such few Faces!

Thank Coen, I could probably pull the poly count down more though worried about it getting more bumpy! I fixed the bumpy wheel arches which normally stand out like dogs balls in low poly models by clipping to a smooth curve.

@unknownuser said:

did you make the car? or downloaded?

Ray I have made a range of massively low poly cars in the past though for this exercise I just reduced an existing model.

Any idea on how to reduce the size, mate? I have a number of models that need a good clean up.
Cheers,
cool richard. I have seen a number of models on this website in both 3DS and MAX....
http://archidom.net/ddd/mod_drive.htm
the problem is they are awfully large!!!

@unknownuser said:

Any idea on how to reduce the size, mate? I have a number of models that need a good clean up.
Cheers,

Mate I imagine you could use a poly reducer, I tried whaats though it worked in reducing count you couldn't control enough where you want the reduction. The only way have done it was to do so long hand - pulling and joining verticies, really time consuming!

I'll keep posting the ongoing results!

Cheers, Richard