Random choice of objects in list in the Instanced Geometry Mesh Builder

[lkedesign]

Hi,

 

First of all let me thank you for one of the greatest plugIns I have on my MAX. It has made modelling of plants a pure pleasure.

 

I was thinking if there was any possibility to make a modification of the Instanced Geometry mesh builder, so that it could make a random pick of several versions of a mesh, say a leave or a flowerhead.

 

I haven't found this option anywhere in GrowFX and it strikes me that this would be a very handy thing, especially in terms of optimizing a plant model. The closest I get is if I set up a leaves mesh and makes some chaos on the various paths'. That however can give a very large model.

 

There should probably be some setting of probability and probably also some affect rules.

 

Is it worth thinking of?

 

Cheers, Lars

LKE design

[Eduard]

Hi Lars,

 

Thanks for your kind words!

 

This feature is already exists in the GrowFX. In the Instanced Geometry settings add (Pick) 2 your custom objects (leaves and flowerheads). Then, for each item you can set the "Count rate %" values. This will specify the probability of occurring your leaves and flowerheads.

 

Hope this helps...

 

Cheers

[lkedesign]

Hi Eduard,

Has just checked out the instance function! Hey, this is awsome!!! Thanks a lot for the tip - maybe you should mention more about this in the helpfile/manual? Have you considered making the helpfile as a website - like iToo do, might be easier to manage with fast updates. )

 

I love GrowFX!!

[Eduard]

Hi Lars,

 

Ok, thanks!

Yes, I think need to make a help on the website.

 

Cheers

[lkedesign]

Hi Eduard,

 

Taking the subject a bit further. How exactly does growfx handle the instanced geometry? Is it just incorporated as part of the rest of the generated mesh, or will the instances geometry stay as instanced ( which I suppose and hope due to the naming of the function).

I am asking this because I want to find the most optimal way to generate advanced plant models. I mean, is it worse the effort to make separate models of advanced objects, such as flower heads -and have the hassle remembering to transport them with the plant hierachy - or is just the same making the head as part of the entire plant, and let all the variations handling being managed by setting up suitable parameters in the growfx hierarchy.

 

Another related matter, - I tried to use MR proxies as instanced mesh objects - and that didn't work. And that was actually this that made me wonder if growfx from the renders point of view is considered as on big mesh - or if it look at the various parts separately?

 

Thanks a lot

 

[Eduard]

Hi Lars,

 

If the Combine meshes is on, the entire GrowFX object will be created as a single mesh. When the Combine meshes turned off, then all the instances geometry will remain as instances, and will not create any objects. These instances will be stored in memory as a single mesh, and GrowFX only displays them in different points in space.

Also when rendering (for Default Scanline render and MentalRay only), GrowFX gives only the positions of objects and one instance of the mesh.

For other renderers, (when rendering) GrowFX create a single mesh, and it's independent of the Combine meshes.

 

So try turning off the Combine meshes, it will save memory and time of mesh calculation. Of course, it will be noticeable if you use a very heavy objects as an instances.

 

Yes, at the moment the Instanced Geometry doesn't support a MentalRay or VRay proxies.

 

Cheers

[gavind]

That's unfortunate, nevertheless, current options that we have is already helpful. Any plans of getting this implemented yet in the future?

[adanmq]

It´s there a way to get just the instances?. I mean, build a tree, and transform the branches into mesh but keep leaves as separated instances?. I´m having problems whit very heavy trees and will be amazing if i can instance some parts. If this is not possible right now, i think this implementation can take GrowFX to the next level.

[Eduard]

It´s there a way to get just the instances?. I mean, build a tree, and transform the branches into mesh but keep leaves as separated instances?. I´m having problems whit very heavy trees and will be amazing if i can instance some parts. If this is not possible right now, i think this implementation can take GrowFX to the next level.

 

If you create leaves using Instanced Geometry, then turn off the "Combine meshes" option, in this case the leaves will be drawn as separate instances, but it's within the same GrowFX object. During rendering VRay, tree completely converted into a single mesh, but if you use the Default Scanline renderer or MentalRay, the leaves also rendered as a separate instances. But I understand that you want to be able to generate a separate instances? We'll try to implement it, and we'll add a button in the Instanced Geometry settings.

 

Cheers

[adanmq]

wow. It will be amazing if you implement this. Using this you can generate massive detailed trees using proxys. 

[3DMK]

+1 vote from me...the detail you could add in the tree would be amazing.
 

[3DMK]

Another idea I had for a little while that relates to this-

 

Would it be possible to have some control over which IG mesh is used over the length of the path, rather than just random percentages???

 

An example would be when you make some custom mesh flowers that are at different stages of opening. Rather than make 4 different paths with the 4 different meshes, you could just have one path and the IG mesh window/parameters would control the use which mesh to use over the length of the path. It would be much less work if it's possible to implement this, especially if you had 8 custom meshes.

Here is an example

IG Mesh 1 = Start at 0% & finish at 20%

IG Mesh 2= Start at 21% & finish at 40%

IG Mesh 3 = Start at 41% & finish at 70%

IG Mesh 4 = Start at 71% & finish at 100%

 

Cheers

Jamie

[Eduard]

Another idea I had for a little while that relates to this-

 

Would it be possible to have some control over which IG mesh is used over the length of the path, rather than just random percentages???

 

An example would be when you make some custom mesh flowers that are at different stages of opening. Rather than make 4 different paths with the 4 different meshes, you could just have one path and the IG mesh window/parameters would control the use which mesh to use over the length of the path. It would be much less work if it's possible to implement this, especially if you had 8 custom meshes.

Here is an example

IG Mesh 1 = Start at 0% & finish at 20%

IG Mesh 2= Start at 21% & finish at 40%

IG Mesh 3 = Start at 41% & finish at 70%

IG Mesh 4 = Start at 71% & finish at 100%

 

Cheers

Jamie

 

Hi Jamie,

 

Yes of course, I'll think how to implement it.

Thanks!

[3DMK]

Thanks Eduard

[Bzuco]

On 9/30/2014 at 8:13 AM, Eduard said:

 

If you create leaves using Instanced Geometry, then turn off the "Combine meshes" option, in this case the leaves will be drawn as separate instances, but it's within the same GrowFX object. During rendering VRay, tree completely converted into a single mesh, but if you use the Default Scanline renderer or MentalRay, the leaves also rendered as a separate instances. But I understand that you want to be able to generate a separate instances? We'll try to implement it, and we'll add a button in the Instanced Geometry settings.

 

Cheers

 

It is somehow possible to render leaves as separate instances in corona same way like in scanline/mental ray? Or it is exactly same as in vray, that all tree is converted into a single mesh and all benefits from instance are gone?

Turn combine meshess off gives me a little less memory consumption, but it is still far away from proper instances.

 

I can generate instances and then use maxscript to convert all instances into forestpack object ...to increase viewport performance, but when I need to change tree shape, then I need to repeat this procedure again which is not practical and also generating takes some time.