Topics

1

Hardware / PC Diagnostic software recommendations?

« on: 2024-04-15, 20:23:27 »

My PC is causing me trouble. It's almost always had problems but I've just dealt with it. I'm on the verge of buying a new one (it's time anyway) but right now I just don't want that worry.

I'm wondering if anyone has good software recommendations to help pinpoint what the issue might be? I'm often getting the blue-screen crash, a memory load dump, if I recall correctly.

It's generally gotten pretty bad over the course of approx. 2 months to the point of being unusable at which point I replace the windows SSD and things seem to work all fine again. But this time it hasn't helped. I'm now thinking it might be my graphics card. I've replaced the RAM. I thought the RAM was a real problem as the PC could never handle 128gb of RAM, so I've always only had 64gb installed with another 64gb sitting on my bookshelf collecting dust.

It generally happens under moderate-high load, but sometimes not.

My full system:
CPU: AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX
GP: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER 8 GB
MB: Asus Prime x399-a
RAM: 4 x 16gb DDR4
SSD: Samsung 850 Evo 500gb

Any tips in pinpointing the problem appreciated!

2

[Max] I need help! / Node to rotate a texture?

« on: 2024-04-11, 10:07:47 »

I'm wondering if anyone has a tip for me.

I often work with HDRI direct visibility override, but the HDRI image/file is the same as the environment texture, just rotated somewhat. See the attached image below.

The problem is that I need to have a duplicate of the HDRI. If I change the hdri or edit its settings I have to do it twice. Once for the environment and again for the direct override.

Is there some sort of node I can plug in a texture into as an intermediate so it takes the texture and rotates it more? Does this make sense?

Again, see the attached image for how I expect it could work.

Thanks for any help!

3

General CG Discussion / Max to Unity

« on: 2024-03-29, 12:16:47 »

Hi all,

I'm about to embark on a project where I'm working with webgl.

Just wondering if anyone has any experience using Unity for publishing to web?

Any tips much appreciated!

4

Off-Topic / Any experience with EnvisionVR

« on: 2024-03-13, 00:15:58 »

Hi all,

I'm looking at working with the team over at https://envisionvr.net/ for some new jobs.

They basically provide 3dsmax -> web conversion of fully VR property sales tools. Walk-arounds, dollhouse models, table models etc. It all seems pretty good and definitely has piqued the interest of some of my clients.

I'm just wondering if anyone has used their services before? In a recent meeting with someone from their sales teams they showed off some private work from some of the very biggest and best ArchViz companies we all know. So I was pretty sold on their service by then, if I wasn't already. The quality isn't as photorealistic as I'd like (but that's a limit on RAM and download speeds I guess).

I'd also be interested to know if anyone has any experience with any other similar providers? I understand they use Unity to convert and publish the models to the web. I don't have the knowledge to do this myself, but I'm sure there must be more tools/services out there that can help?

Thanks for any tips!

5

[Max] Bug Reporting / Reflection of light with direction > .45

« on: 2024-02-05, 23:54:19 »

I know, I know, I know... this is a known limitation

But come on, this has been bugging us users for 3+ years now and we still have to deal with it.

CoronaLights with a directionality of over (approx. 0.45) means it is no longer visible in reflections/refractions.

Any plans to fix this very annoying, very often reported, pest of an issue?

Would appreciate it a lot. Thanks!

6

[Max] I need help! / Stop light bounce?

« on: 2024-02-01, 03:04:45 »

I have a colorful light 'projecting' light onto a white floor from a LightMaterial (applied to a simple plane) with a 'inclusion' turned on to project only onto the floor

It works well, expect the light is bouncing up off the floor and illuminating objects around it. Not desirable in this particular situation.

I've never come across this hurdle before, so not sure how I can eliminate the light 'bouncing'?

Is it perhaps some sort of combination of ray-switch and inclusion?

Any tips? Thanks!

7

[Max] Bug Reporting / No License after different user logs in

« on: 2024-01-29, 02:53:26 »

Hi,

I have recently started sharing my PC with another user.

I'm now getting licensing issues.

If the other user turns on the PC, logs in on their account and then I later come and log in, my Corona license won't work. It says no valid license is available.

The other user isn't using Corona or Max. So I don't know what's going on...

I must restart the PC and log-in as my user for Corona license to work.

What also happens is that if I press the "open license manager" button when the error pops up, I try to sign-in but it wont - it just refreshes back to the same page every time... so I can't even log in.

Any tips here?

8

General CG Discussion / Corona Camera settings for matching real-world DJI camera

« on: 2023-12-11, 01:16:10 »

Hi all,

I often have to camera match drone footage.

I have the metadata embedded in the picture files. I know the drone/camera is a Mavic 3 pro with a certain camera https://www.dji.com/au/mavic-3-pro/specs

The focal length is listed at 15mm, but I'm not sure how this correlates to Corona Camera settings (seeing as we have the ability to control both film width (mm) and focal length/field of view).

Is there anyone out there smarter than me that can tell me a good rule of thumb or accurate calculation I can use to ensure my Corona Camera settings properly match that of the dji drone images?

Until now I've been eye-balling it, but I'm sure there is a better way. I have uploaded a screenshot of some of the metadata.

Many, many thanks!

9

General CG Discussion / Pixamoon/Resize bitmaps alternative?

« on: 2023-12-04, 04:44:05 »

Hi all,

I've been using "Bitmap tracking/resizing" from 'Pixamoon'  (I wont link it for obvious reasons) a lot the past 1-2 years. I love it.

I'm looking for an alternative plug-in that provides a similar service?

Due to very very poor customer service form Pixamoon they have lost my patronage and recommendation. (It's become apparent that I cannot use a previously deactivated license on my PC. No other option but to buy another license! Any help I've sought from them has been almost completely ignored)

Before a Corona team member chimes in and tells me to use the out-of-core thing for Corona; I'm not interested :)

Does anyone have any good suggestions on how I can quickly and easily resize my large bitmaps?

Many thanks!

10

[Max] General Discussion / Better control with Corona Clipper enabled

« on: 2023-10-17, 09:39:42 »

Hi all,

This is more a query than anything else...

I have a camera with clipper turned on. The camera is behind a wall, but the wall is clipped so I can see into the room behind the clipped wall. Basic, standard stuff.

If I have my viewport set to the camera view and I want to do a function, such as create a box with auto-grid, or use the 'select and place' tool, it's basically impossible as the viewport sees the wall that is being clipped, rather than the walls/objects I want to interact with beyond the clipping place.

Does this make sense?

Is this somehow fixable? Can I overcome this little quirk?

Thanks!

11

General CG Discussion / Help with Max scripting

« on: 2023-10-12, 15:03:26 »

Man, I suck at maxscript...

I want to make a simple "Save and then Exit" script (via toolbar button).

This is what I have, but I can't quite get it to work as intended. Any helpers out there? Many thanks!

Code: [Select]

--Original script by: aaouviz
------

macroscript SaveAndExit
category: "AAScripts"
buttonText: "Save and Exit"
tooltip: "Save and Exit"
Icon:#("AAGen_01",1)


(
saveMaxFile
)
quitmax #noprompt

12

[Max] Bug Reporting / Latest scatter slow when doing 'Unhide' command

« on: 2023-10-12, 13:03:24 »

As detailed here: https://forum.corona-renderer.com/index.php?topic=41134.0

Rolling back to an earlier version of Scatter solved my problem.

The issue happened with Corona (10 and 11) and Scatter (4? - whichever is currently included in the dailies). Max 2024. Windows 10.

13

General CG Discussion / Max hangs for 2-3 minutes upon every "Unhide all"

« on: 2023-10-12, 10:09:11 »

Off topic I know!

And I'm fairly certain this isn't related to Corona, but you guys are smart so I'm asking here.

I installed Max2024 yesterday.

Now I have a scene which hangs (freezes) for 2 minutes or so every damn time I use the Unhide function. Even if every object is on a layer turned off and I unhide, it still hangs. I've deleted all the proxies, scatters, cameras, lights, from the scene... still happening.

Edit: I Emptied the SML... this seemed to help, but only once I had deleted all the proxies, lights etc. If I empty the SME when all these are still in the scene, it's no help.

Anyone come across this before? Incredibly frustrating, I can't pin point a cause.

Any tips appreciated!

14

[Max] I need help! / [solved] Corona suddenly gone?

« on: 2023-10-11, 10:19:04 »

Super strange issue here for me today...

My PC has been acting up a bit, and it suddenly reset today.

Upon loading Windows back up, Corona has disappeared from Max 2023. (The only version of max installed)

I've re-installed Corona. No luck. Uninstalled, then re-installed, but I still cannot see Corona listed in Max as a render engine.

Any ideas how I can get it back? I'm stumped... (hopefully without a full max re-install, please!)

Thanks!

15

General CG Discussion / Align/spacing tool?

« on: 2023-09-05, 07:15:39 »

Not Corona related, I know, but y'all are smart so...

Does anyone know of a good plug-in that works to align objects?

Not array, and not align like the default max tool, but more like how in-design align tool works. See attached.

Might also be known as spacing? Again, not the max spacing tool.

Does this exist? Thanks!