Messages

1

[Max] I need help! / Re: missing plugin

« on: 2023-01-24, 20:11:56 »

Although you uninstalled the previous version, the folder structure might be still on your C>Program Files>Autodesk

If it's there, just have a look in the Plugins folder to see if anything is different

2

General CG Discussion / Client Review/Collaboration Tools

« on: 2023-01-16, 20:19:48 »

Does anybody use any client review/collaboration tools that have improved your workflow when it comes to client feedback on drafts etc?

We currently just issue drafts via email to the relevant parties and request feedback is provided by a given date, or we arrange a zoom meeting and everyone loads the images and we run through comments and changes that way.

Ideally I want this process to be much more centralized and collaborative and cloud based, so feedback is consolidated and not coming in waves from the different parties involved.

I've seen things like Ftrack and Filestage and Drawboard, but just wondered if anyone had any experience with any of these or anything similar that they would recommend.

3

[Max] Feature Requests / Re: Global lighting saturation toggle

« on: 2023-01-16, 15:22:25 »

+1

4

[Max] Bug Reporting / Re: Rendering a new region makes the rest of the VFB going black

« on: 2023-01-14, 01:13:36 »

What if you disable "Clear VFB between renders" in Render Setup > System? :)

Ohh, didn't know we had that option. That's great! Gonna try it. Thank you

Be careful of using DR, the method Maru mentioned sometimes messes up, the rest of the image remains but you might find it becomes noisy

5

[Max] Feature Requests / Re: Viewport interactive rendering + GPU + Denoise at first sample

« on: 2023-01-13, 11:34:41 »

Not really sure whether what I'm about to say helps here, but that video posted by Dalton looks far more 'interactive' than what I get with Corona IR.  It gives a much better representation of the final render in a much shorter space of time?

6

[Max] I need help! / Re: Megascans Plants

« on: 2023-01-09, 14:49:44 »

No it looked rubbish.  It was the only one that wasn't right.  Either way, the plant models geometry on Megascans look a bit low quality anyway to me, not great for closeups that's for sure.

7

[Max] I need help! / Re: Megascans Plants

« on: 2023-01-07, 19:33:02 »

Oddly the translucency map is automatically loaded (Export via Bridge) with the gamma overridden as 1.  Most of the others are fine.  I'm assuming it's just one that doesn't translate well.  The darker areas on the translucency colour map are jet black, sampled at 0,0,0 so somethings off

8

[Max] I need help! / Megascans Plants

« on: 2023-01-07, 14:46:37 »

So I've just downloaded some plants from Megascans, nice to see them setup with the Physical Material - but I've spotted something that goes against everything I thought I knew so far.

I was always under the impression, from multiple sources, that leaves generally had quite a dark albedo, and then a much brighter translucency colour.  However, the first asset I've checked is the opposite.  The translucency is much darker than the albedo ...

Does anyone know why this would be?  Could it just be that this asset just so happens to be like that in reality?  Could it be wrong (I don't know how realiable megascans is with regards accuracy)?  Does anyone have better knowledge than me on how plants work in reality that can shed some light (clue: I have zero knowledge)?

9

[Max] I need help! / Re: Is it possible to render objects out and layer them without black edges?

« on: 2023-01-06, 17:44:59 »

Yes, it will mess up any PSD's you created prior to activating that setting.  It was more a warning for anyone else who might not fully understand what they're changing and the effect it will have on the work they've already done.

That setting is off by default right?  So are you saying that it should be on by default otherwise everything is wrong?  I'm not exclusively talking about alpha channels here, but anything that gets blended?

10

[Max] I need help! / Re: Is it possible to render objects out and layer them without black edges?

« on: 2023-01-06, 16:37:48 »

No need for 32bit colour in PS:

This is how Fusion solves issues with alphas - slider (in Merge node).

Piotrus

In that video you change a setting in the Colour Preferences of Photoshop (Blend RGB Colours Using Gamma 1).  It's worth pointing out, this will screw up your older PSD's, especially where you've used blending modes such as Multiply for people shadows etc etc.

I just discovered this the hard way.  Opened an old PSD and all my people shadows had practically disappeared.  Took me ages to figure out why.  It's because I'd changed that setting the other day to experiment with.

11

[Max] Resolved Feature Requests / Re: VFB Right Click - More Info

« on: 2023-01-05, 17:41:46 »

Ahh good shout, thanks Maru - to be honest I had no idea those options were in the Color Picker :)

12

[Max] Resolved Feature Requests / Re: VFB Right Click - More Info

« on: 2023-01-05, 17:23:01 »

I literally have no idea - maybe.  Probably why I said it was more for my own experiments :)

With regards the colour picker - that looks like it could work to be honest.  Without sounding stupid, I'm guessing to use it for what I want, I just need to go via the mad editor while using IR and just keep dragging the black handled picker across to the IR window to sample it right?

13

[Max] Resolved Feature Requests / Re: VFB Right Click - More Info

« on: 2023-01-05, 17:05:54 »

Because an individual pixel can be a bit too specific when looking at a wider image? 

I often sanity check my shaders/materials/white balance etc in IR using the right click and looking at sRGB values.

But the individual pixels can vary wildly across the same shader depending on the light setup, resolution and how long it's been rendering for, which can give you a false reading or at least skew the reality of the final render, see attached screenshot of a white wall shader after a few IR passes.  Depending on where I right click on that screenshot, I'll get readings of neutral grey, warm grey or cool grey. 

Let's say I'm trying to achieve a warm grey, but unwittingly sample a cool grey (it's rare I'm that zoomed in when sanity checking), it might result in me overcompensating elsewhere - either in shader or in white balance or in lights, when in reality, those pixels might average out to the warm grey I'm looking for if I just leave the render running.

As I say it's very non-urgent but would be a nice to have.  I also appreciate it's quite an anal request in terms of precision when I could just sample a few areas and eyeball it/mentally decide if it's close enough or needs work :)

14

General CG Discussion / Re: Soft furnishings, cushions etc.

« on: 2023-01-05, 14:21:37 »

People will either model them from scratch and then add details in the likes of Zbrush.

Or they'll use Marvelous Designer - https://www.marvelousdesigner.com/

Or they'll possibly use a combination of all 3. 

15

[Max] Resolved Feature Requests / VFB Right Click - More Info

« on: 2023-01-05, 02:15:59 »

Random one, and it's more for my own experiments than anything else.  But it could be useful for others.

I'd love the ability to marquee some pixels in the VFB and then get an average sRGB (or RGB) value for that selection.  Very similar to Photoshops Filter>Blur>Average and then colour sampling the resulting swatch.

So draw a marquee in IR, then right click inside the marquee and the VFB gives you all of the usual info, but also an average for the pixels inside the marquee.  It's be even better if we had the option for ellipitical marquee selections too