Messages

16

[Max] I need help! / Re: Arranging Lights in Lightmix

« on: 2025-05-12, 11:17:35 »

I don't know what it means, but it tends to indicate an error when parsing the macroscript.

Oh yes. I see "Max 2023"... Now I remember that it has bugs in comment/backslash parsing in macro definitions. It does not like maxscript line breaking ("\") in the definition and block comments between the definition itself and the first bracket...great.

Anyway - after using it a bit, I decided to add a class info line, added auto refresh (based on #renderParamsChanged), added tooltips, and now fixed that by moving the history section above the macro definition. Max 2023 should parse it happily now at startup.


Good Luck

17

[Max] I need help! / Re: Arranging Lights in Lightmix

« on: 2025-05-10, 11:50:33 »

So the issue looks like the .mcr is not evaluated at the start of 3ds Max for some reason, although it is present in the usermacros directory.

You may be right here, look at this:

https://cganimator.com/missing-scripts-plugins-after-windows-11-24h2-update/

Removing the system attribute should do it it seems. And you should be able to see the issue in your max log file.


Good Luck

18

[Max] I need help! / Re: Arranging Lights in Lightmix

« on: 2025-05-09, 11:41:25 »

Yes this is what I did.

There should be no need to d&d it, if you already have the file in your "usermacros" directory. If you have that directory configured in "Customize -> Configure User and System paths -> Additional Macros", it will be evaluated at 3ds max startup. So just delete the old button, close max (by default, UI is saved when closing max), start it up and go to "Customize User Interface" -> "Toolbars" to add the icon to some toolbar.


Good Luck

19

[Max] I need help! / Re: Arranging Lights in Lightmix

« on: 2025-05-09, 11:33:14 »

Thank u so much Frood this is what I was looking out for!!!!!
Its working beautifully in Corona, but....
I have tested on Vray and its giving me an error.

Can you please try this one?


Good Luck

Edit: removed obsolete script

20

[Max] I need help! / Re: Arranging Lights in Lightmix

« on: 2025-05-08, 18:33:02 »

Sorry, that's up to some vray user to fix. Looks like (some?) vray render elements have no "name" property. I have no license any more and cannot solve this right now. Possible solution would be a fallback to the class name as it is done in the collect section above and to test for the name property every time.


Good Luck

21

[Max] I need help! / Re: Arranging Lights in Lightmix

« on: 2025-05-08, 18:04:29 »

what i meant is to be able to group (organize) the elements of the Lightmix. It would be very useful in complex projects.

I think that's clear. But you can already do a lot by naming with a prefix and sorting. So let's continue our little sprint here: I have a snippet I call to sort render elements by name and added it to the script (button "Sort"). Additionally added buttons for refresh (re-reading the elements from the scene) and a rename option. Changed layout, added versioning, added some macro event handlers, added icon definition, added dockable option. Did not change category, so it's still to be found at category "RTstudio" as "Render Elements Organizer".

Everyone feel free to further improve/extend it :)


Good Luck

Edit: removed obsolete script

22

[Max] I need help! / Re: EXR Output with Network Rendering

« on: 2025-04-16, 10:50:14 »

Hi,

I was pretty sure that no one will answer to this, so I will do. It's a 3ds Max design flaw when it comes to network rendering because the EXR settings are stored locally, they do not get part of the scene (same applies to other output formats btw.). The relevant file is 'fOpenEXR.cfg' in the plugcfg directory in this case.

My personal solution is to always use "Automatically Add/Remove Render Elements [...]" when setting up the output and having a script as (one of the) prerender scripts that sets AutoAddRenderelements to 'true' on every node when the render job starts. It would not help you if adding the elements manually (and defining different output formats (16/32bit accuracy) though, but you get the point. Also see

https://forum.corona-renderer.com/index.php?topic=25686.0

This and other issues can either be solved by Autodesk (well...unlikely) by storing the output file settings in the scene, or by Chaos if implementing their own output system for Corona. Currently it uses the output system of 3ds Max.


Good Luck

23

[Max] General Discussion / Re: ForestPack Masking

« on: 2025-04-16, 10:15:15 »

What is missing:
- a one-click solution to render the whole Forest as a single mask

It is a two-click-drag-click solution now, you just have to select all source objects in the list that's popping up. I'm personally perfectly fine with this. It would still be a nice addition if the ForstestObject itself could be selected (and respected in masks) just because it would be dynamically: if changing some forest source objects you would still get the entire distribution (without having to add new source objects to a mask array).

- a way to render the Forest source objects with different colors, without rendering all the other scene objects

Could be done easily if CMasking_ID would get an object array (like CMasking_Mask) with "exclude" as default setting imho, maybe useful generally.

OK well you learn something every day :)

Then (just a hint) also be aware of the object pick option in VFB as well: If clicking on some scatter element (with that ugly green you maybe want to adjust later), you actually pick the source object of the FP scatter. And: VFB picking supports pressing SHIFT to expand your selection. It's quick and easy to create a mask for specific source objects this way.


Good Luck

24

[Max] I need help! / Re: Problem with corona select map

« on: 2025-04-11, 10:56:19 »

Hi,

I already tried to repro it, but I can't.

Repro steps:

1. New scene with a teapot of your choice
2. Create Corona Sun with "shadowing from clouds" activated
3. Create Corona sky map with cloud amount=1
4. Create Corona sky map with cloud amount=0
5. Create Corona select map
6. Plug sky from (3) in slot 0 of the select map
7. Plug sky from (4) in slot 1 of the select map
8. Plug the select map into (any used) environment slot
9. Render and switch skies using the select map

-> when slot 1 is selected in the switch map (the sky using no clouds), you get cloud shadows from slot 0.

Good Luck

25

[Max] I need help! / Re: Problem with corona select map

« on: 2025-04-09, 14:21:34 »

hello everyone, i probably use corona select maps incorrectly..

You are only encountering bugs I guess. It's (almost) impossible to use them wrongly.

For my convenience and being able to easily change the Environment seems quick as a method

Generally yes. Exception is: you have cloud shadows activated in the sun. I reported that issue while testing V9 dailies, now in V13 dailies it's still there.


Good Luck

26

[Max] I need help! / Re: Chaos corona livense not found

« on: 2025-03-10, 13:32:57 »

If everyone could open their own individual ticket that would be helpful, thank you

Instead of wasting time with useless tickets we should prepare some class-action lawsuit, honestly.

27

[Max] Bug Reporting / Re: Forrest Pack and Lightmix/Select not working in Corona 12 update 1, as before

« on: 2024-12-18, 11:38:47 »

which brought the changes, so nothing intentional. But when hierarchy selection/inclusion will be fixed, it will be intentional, as it is reported as a bug/feature request (as an option).

So all fine, kind of accident while trying to push in as much features as possible. Good to read about having sort of hierarchy handling option in mind. I know quite a few people struggling with the current behavior as well as others using it happily as it works currently.

Edge mode with IR is known and afaik already fixed internally.

That's good news, thanks!


Good Luck

28

[Max] Bug Reporting / Re: Forrest Pack and Lightmix/Select not working in Corona 12 update 1, as before

« on: 2024-12-17, 16:07:38 »

There are infinitely many test scenarios, and that is why we highly encourage to try or test a few scenes/scenarios, as close as possible to production (with a backup of course), so such things are found and tackled.

No one would expect such fundamental changes when reading "Added support for ForestPack Ivy Generator". In fact, many would not even have the newest FPP installed, so they won't care. It's entirely ok to change things/try out something but it happened in major version 12 as an "update"? (for whatever reason this was chosen - first time in Corona history). In a major versions "update" I do not expect such changes at all.

Basically it's very cool that the feature got support, otherwise the yelling would have started later anyway. But it is definitely a very basic change. It does not only affect lightMix and masks, it also affects VFB raycast picking. Now it is not possible any more to quickly pick that nasty, wrong looking FPP custom object to fix it. Instead, you get the FPP object itself.

By the way, that discussion is there for a long time and as mentioned previously, users adopted the way Corona handled FPP and took opportunity from it because there has been no movement or commitment. So scenes use the "old" behavior, also v12 ones. Now that update in the same major versioning. I'm still not sure if it was an accident and some unknown side effect because of the last minute changes or a known implication. Basically there should be more time to test for users and developers anyway. Usually you are swamped with work and occasions to test are rather rare. But I'm repeating myself again.

In my honest opinion, this is not a harsh change, and even the desired behavior (selecting a single object and having all its instances inside other objects) is weird for me.

You can say the same about how hierarchies are handled. Isn't it weird that you get multiple objects in mask when including a single one? Yes it seems. But here the same: users adopted that behavior and link objects to another to have them semi automatically included in a mask. You would break again many scenes when changing this. As said: all ok in another major Corona version where users can expect fundamental changes - and if it gets announced.

I hope you get my point - I got yours. Meanwhile, as of FPP 9, edge mode in IR seems to be broken which is worse :)


Good Luck

29

[Max] Bug Reporting / Re: Forrest Pack and Lightmix/Select not working in Corona 12 update 1, as before

« on: 2024-12-13, 12:17:49 »

Word by word my point of view.


Good Luck

30

[Max] Bug Reporting / Re: Tonemapping Order/Behaviour

« on: 2024-12-11, 15:15:06 »

Corona has the worst saturation adjustment operator on this planet

I'm sick of repeating myself but you did that one for me, thanks :)


Good Luck