Chaos Corona Forum

General Category => Porting and API => Chaos Corona for Blender => Topic started by: thiagodesul on 2016-12-09, 00:09:20

Title: IPR and Corona scatter
Post by: thiagodesul on 2016-12-09, 00:09:20
Hey guys! Great work with corona for Blender. I've been waiting for it like ages.

So, I have some questions. Any chance of getting IPR or viewport preview and Corona scatter in blender?
Title: Re: IPR and Corona scatter
Post by: blanchg on 2016-12-09, 00:13:21
Viewport preview is impossible as it currently stands.  There is no way to get interim renders out of the standalone.  (Which is also why you don't see the material previews progressively render)

I haven't looked at Corona Scatter at all, is there any doco on it or a sample of it running standalone anywhere?
Title: Re: IPR and Corona scatter
Post by: thiagodesul on 2016-12-09, 12:05:16
I know the limitations due Blender GPL issuses, but it even possible to have some kind of real time VFB. For example, the same feature we have in rendered viewport from max, but in the VFB
Title: Re: IPR and Corona scatter
Post by: Ondra on 2016-12-09, 12:56:01
Viewport preview is impossible as it currently stands.
well, this is a limitation we can work around ;)
Title: Re: IPR and Corona scatter
Post by: thiagodesul on 2016-12-09, 18:29:27
Ondra you're the best!! Looking forward to make Corona my main renderer instead of octane and this would be great!
Title: Re: IPR and Corona scatter
Post by: jKLman on 2016-12-10, 15:01:51
Lookin' forward to that too!
Title: Re: IPR and Corona scatter
Post by: elnino on 2017-01-14, 01:07:20
Viewport preview would be awesome...it should convince a lot of user to go with corona instead of cycles. Thanks blanchg for the fork!
Title: Re: IPR and Corona scatter
Post by: Rp2 on 2017-01-28, 19:06:10
wow Cant wait for Corona Viewport preview :) Everything will be easy after that
Title: Re: IPR and Corona scatter
Post by: lasse1309 on 2017-03-28, 12:52:38
Hey Glen!

thanks for the great work on the integration :) I am testing it right now very intensively.
Found out that the particle export "acts" like corona scatter in the standalone. the only thing that would be great to add would be the way maps (like voronoi) are able to influence the
particle system like it does with cycles.

funilly when you set up the distribution in cycles with maps and then switch engine to corona it works and the maps are used; it is just that you cannot modify in the texture panel when corona is enabled as render engine...
(see screenshot. shows corona render from blender with two particle systems on a plane).

if this would work, i'd be very happy guy.

:D
unfortunately i am not good in phyton (zero knowledge) - so me contributing other than complaining is out of sight, but if you'd like contact me on skype we could have a chat on this ;)


kind regards from berlin
Lasse
Title: Re: IPR and Corona scatter
Post by: lasse1309 on 2017-03-28, 17:51:25
addition:

if the exporter would export the particle in this syntax like in the screenshot attached it would load and render a lot faster => this is how corona scatter exports into the *.scn

the blender exporter right now creates a geometry group for every scattered object, which takes very long to load the geo when rendering and fills up the ram extremely.
I edited a scene by hand to this syntax and it gets VERY quick :D

if that would be implemented as well - writing like corona scene export syntax there I would be even more happy!

best wishes!
L
Title: Re: IPR and Corona scatter
Post by: blanchg on 2017-03-28, 21:58:34
Hi Lasse,

I will have a look at the Veroni maps. If it is just a UI panle then it should be easy enough to add.  I haven't seen this before in blender.  Could you attach your example?

As for the output it is a good idea.  This will need some work to make sure that hair particles still get all their geometry.  Maybe a post process to collect all the same geometry together would be best.

Thanks for trying it out.

Glen

Title: Re: IPR and Corona scatter
Post by: blanchg on 2017-03-29, 02:28:36
I found what you are using, it is just a panel, I will add it as part of the next release.  Thanks for pointing it out.
Title: Re: IPR and Corona scatter
Post by: lasse1309 on 2017-03-29, 09:31:06
hey Glen!
thanks a lot for reply :) (and for your efforts)

If I can contribute in any way, please let me know!
I am getting deep into the corona/blender thing at the moment being a long time max-user, but this combo really felt a bit like a revelation.
I feel - if these two things I just mentioned work - at least for my use (arch-viz) - It would be just perfect.
mass-instancing all the past was always the biggest concern that made me stick to max - but really: if your exporter would export like that shown in my screenshot it would
practically be your corona-scatter implementation.

it is crazy - the way it works right now writing the scn file and compiling the geometry takes long time, whilst using the corona-scatter syntax-method the rendering starts virtually immediately.
I can send you my scn files to compare if you like :D

kind regards!

lasse
Title: Re: IPR and Corona scatter
Post by: blanchg on 2017-03-29, 09:46:43
Give 4.1.0 a go and let me know if it works like you want
Title: Re: IPR and Corona scatter
Post by: lasse1309 on 2017-03-29, 10:51:40
Hey Glen!
thanks a million times :D
It works perfectly!

The maps thing is like it should and the sport also works like it should - the scene loads up super fast and ram-usage also is good:)

I cannot express my level of excitement enough - all I can say is whenever we might meet in person i owe you a lot of beers :D (at least)

best regards
L
Title: Re: IPR and Corona scatter
Post by: lasse1309 on 2017-03-29, 12:12:05
works great! thanks again!
Title: Re: IPR and Corona scatter
Post by: johan belmans on 2017-03-29, 16:24:19
Hi Lasse

It sounds great what you are experiencing with Corona and Blender.
I investigated Blender a little bit as an alternative for Max. One of the main drawbacks for me is the fact I have to export the whole scene to the Corona standalone for rendering. So if I have to make adjustments I can imagine I will loose a lot of time with exporting before seeing any results as my scenes can be quite heavy.
What is your experience on this matter?


Title: Re: IPR and Corona scatter
Post by: lasse1309 on 2017-03-29, 16:43:31
well, it depends: yes- the scene is "exported" to the standalone. but you can be very flexible with this. you export the geometry once and then only "overwrite" e.g. the things you are changing. if you only change material, the geo does not need to be exported - so it becomes very quick to start (there is an "overwrite geometry" checker. you can also pick which one you want to overwrite "selected only" for example makes sense when you changed UV mapping on a certain object)
of course you are getting rid of the interactive mode - so it is a bit of a time travel back 2 years. but test renders worked out back then as well, no? :)
it does take a bit longer than in max to open the VFB, but for my feeling it is acceptable.

well - my journey right now also led me here for an alternative of the max. actually to be more flexible on the dcc and renderer side.

exporting the scene for me opens a lot more flexibility. you are not dependent on the max anymore, can change quickly rendersettings in the texteditor, etc.
it is different approach but it makes things also a bit easier.

Title: Re: IPR and Corona scatter
Post by: blanchg on 2017-03-30, 07:35:38
Nice test!

Glad it works like you want.

I am working on a way to detect changes so less manual options hopefully won't be needed.
Title: Re: IPR and Corona scatter
Post by: lasse1309 on 2017-03-30, 11:17:14
Hey Glen!
just noticed now the export of instances does not work anymore - the exporter adds a number to the asigned obj file.
like box.obj
and then box.001.obj
..
send a bug report to the bitbucket with screenshot comparing 4.05 and 4.1 :D
best regards
Lasse
Title: Re: IPR and Corona scatter
Post by: novena on 2017-03-30, 16:00:54
Hey Glen!
just noticed now the export of instances does not work anymore - the exporter adds a number to the asigned obj file.
like box.obj
and then box.001.obj
..
send a bug report to the bitbucket with screenshot comparing 4.05 and 4.1 :D
best regards
Lasse

hey Lasse, are you Lasse Rode from XOIO? if so, it is great that you are on board the combo blender/corona... may I ask you how did you make the particles system to work? I have been trying to scatter trees with particle systems but the trees just dont render
best
Victor
Title: Re: IPR and Corona scatter
Post by: lasse1309 on 2017-03-30, 16:08:03
Hey Victor,

yes it's me ;)

well - try the latest version of the exporter 4.10 - Glen did make a great update so it really exports and renders fast.

How to do it: there is a tutorial by BlenderGuru which shows best way how to scatter stuff:

it and then you have to check the "export hair" checker i think in order to make it render the trees.
keep me in the loop how that worked out :)

yes, I am very excited to get into the blender/corona combo deeper. it is very cool how powerful blender became, not to mention the mighty C :D

wrote an article on our xoio-air.de on that topic today, if interested ;)

best regards
L
Title: Re: IPR and Corona scatter
Post by: blanchg on 2017-03-30, 23:15:16
Instancing issue fixed 4.1.1 and some other items in 4.1.2
Title: Re: IPR and Corona scatter
Post by: novena on 2017-03-31, 00:38:25
Hey Victor,

yes it's me ;)

well - try the latest version of the exporter 4.10 - Glen did make a great update so it really exports and renders fast.

How to do it: there is a tutorial by BlenderGuru which shows best way how to scatter stuff:

it and then you have to check the "export hair" checker i think in order to make it render the trees.
keep me in the loop how that worked out :)

yes, I am very excited to get into the blender/corona combo deeper. it is very cool how powerful blender became, not to mention the mighty C :D

wrote an article on our xoio-air.de on that topic today, if interested ;)

best regards
L

hey Lasse!
thanks for your reply... how could I miss to check the 'export hair' checker? aaaagh
I normally follow Andrew Prices tutorials and it seems I missed this one, thanks for the heads up, and yes I will read your article, I'm interested...

I tested with the version 4.1.0 of the exporter, and it does not even render the single tree, and just now tested with v 4.1.2 and I get an error when trying to render the particle system...
I hope this issue will be solved soon

best regards
Victor

Title: Re: IPR and Corona scatter
Post by: novena on 2017-03-31, 00:44:01
Instancing issue fixed 4.1.1 and some other items in 4.1.2

Hey Glen!
thanks again for your hard work! I just updated to version 4.1.2 and tried to render a tree scattered using a particles system but it does not render, I got the following message see attached image
best regards
Victor
Title: Re: IPR and Corona scatter
Post by: blanchg on 2017-03-31, 00:57:42
Hi Victor,

Can you try 4.1.3 please?
Title: Re: IPR and Corona scatter
Post by: novena on 2017-03-31, 01:20:01
Hi Victor,

Can you try 4.1.3 please?

Hey Glen! thanks for your reply, I tried 4.1.3, but it fails to render simple geometry, see attached image
best regards
Victor
Title: Re: IPR and Corona scatter
Post by: blanchg on 2017-03-31, 01:32:55
I need the full log and make sure the render directory is set
Title: Re: IPR and Corona scatter
Post by: novena on 2017-03-31, 01:38:10
I need the full log and make sure the render directory is set

Hey Glen, how can I make sure the render directory is set?
best
Victor
Title: Re: IPR and Corona scatter
Post by: blanchg on 2017-03-31, 02:04:46
Same place you set export hair
Title: Re: IPR and Corona scatter
Post by: burnin on 2017-03-31, 02:10:59
same errors here
- everything is set accordingly
- noticed that windows changes permission on the specified folder, even if i create another one or on another disk, anywhere for that matter...
- using an external mesh/proxy(.obj), objects are flipped on Z (negative)
Code: [Select]
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "C:\Users\py\AppData\Roaming\Blender Foundation\Blender\2.78\scripts\addons\render_corona\engine.py", line 353, in render
    render_start( self, scene)
  File "C:\Users\py\AppData\Roaming\Blender Foundation\Blender\2.78\scripts\addons\render_corona\engine.py", line 38, in render_start
    render_scene( engine, scene)
  File "C:\Users\py\AppData\Roaming\Blender Foundation\Blender\2.78\scripts\addons\render_corona\engine.py", line 188, in render_scene
    bpy.ops.corona.export_scene()
  File "C:\programi\b278c\2.78\scripts\modules\bpy\ops.py", line 189, in __call__
    ret = op_call(self.idname_py(), None, kw)
RuntimeError: Error: Something went wrong, unable to write .scn file. Check directory permissions of export directory.


location: <unknown location>:-1

Title: Re: IPR and Corona scatter
Post by: blanchg on 2017-03-31, 02:19:26
Can you please tell me your export directory?

Victor I see yours is in c:\Program Files,  this is typically bad and Windows 8+ will cause issues with that.
Title: Re: IPR and Corona scatter
Post by: burnin on 2017-03-31, 02:40:52
tried a few
1. c:\Users\py\Desktop\ProxyCoronaTester\
2. d:\_Studies\Corona\BlenderSA\ProxyCoronaTester\
3. z:\ProxyCoronaTester\

all cause the same error
Code: [Select]
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "C:\Users\py\AppData\Roaming\Blender Foundation\Blender\2.78\scripts\addons\render_corona\engine.py", line 353, in render
    render_start( self, scene)
  File "C:\Users\py\AppData\Roaming\Blender Foundation\Blender\2.78\scripts\addons\render_corona\engine.py", line 38, in render_start
    render_scene( engine, scene)
  File "C:\Users\py\AppData\Roaming\Blender Foundation\Blender\2.78\scripts\addons\render_corona\engine.py", line 188, in render_scene
    bpy.ops.corona.export_scene()
  File "C:\programi\b278c\2.78\scripts\modules\bpy\ops.py", line 189, in __call__
    ret = op_call(self.idname_py(), None, kw)
RuntimeError: Error: Something went wrong, unable to write .scn file. Check directory permissions of export directory.


location: <unknown location>:-1


have attached the whole folder that i move around

PS
- proxyObject.blend is standard proxy scene (integrated within)
- proxyTesting.blend  is using External Object - which gets flipped on Z (*note: forgot to change the 'Instance' path ;))
Title: Re: IPR and Corona scatter
Post by: blanchg on 2017-03-31, 02:46:23
So this only happens with recent releases?
Title: Re: IPR and Corona scatter
Post by: burnin on 2017-03-31, 02:54:41
Been away for a while, latest release (4.1.3) tested only

ps
Oh, it goes all the way back to v 3.0.0, in 3.x versions i get error even with External Object  :(

Ufuf... found it :) it breaks with 2.4.4 (19aed63),
+ just a note: in 2.10 (8ef7b62) first glitch appears, one of proxies (trunk) isn't respected, renders as a cube - objects get mixed?
Title: Re: IPR and Corona scatter
Post by: blanchg on 2017-03-31, 04:03:22
Ok thanks, I will see what broke it and get a fix. Might take me a few hours though.
Title: Re: IPR and Corona scatter
Post by: burnin on 2017-03-31, 04:11:54
No problem... as long as it's been found, i hope :)
Title: Re: IPR and Corona scatter
Post by: blanchg on 2017-03-31, 05:29:44
Victor and burnin

4.1.4 fixes the failing to export, burnin thanks for providing the .blend files that reproduce the problem it helps immensely!
Title: Re: IPR and Corona scatter
Post by: lasse1309 on 2017-03-31, 09:40:46
Victor and burnin

4.1.4 fixes the failing to export, burnin thanks for providing the .blend files that reproduce the problem it helps immensely!

you are awesome!

thanks a lot :D
Title: Re: IPR and Corona scatter
Post by: Pixelatedvertex on 2017-03-31, 09:41:48
Hi guys,

sorry for barging in again with what's probably a stupid question, well... more like 2 questions regarding duplication. (I'm currently on exporter v. 4.1.3)
The first one I already have an answer to...
I am trying to render a parking lot with just a single car duplicated a few times, since it consists of multiple objects, rather than merging them, I parented them to a Null Object, added both the Null and it's children to a group and added instances of that group (SHIFT+A > Add Group Instance). When I tried to render, i got this in the system console:

Code: [Select]
debug:   Material debug BASE <bpy_struct, Object("Audi_Q7_PART3.011")> None MESH <bpy_struct, Mesh("Audi_Q7_PART3.011")>
debug:   Dupli obs [bpy.data.objects['bmw.011'], [Matrix(((0.14644736051559448, -0.9892184734344482, 0.0, 127181.59375),
        (0.9892184734344482, 0.14644736051559448, 0.0, 72025.203125),
        (0.0, 0.0, 1.0, -0.0003668330900836736),
        (0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 1.0)))], bpy.data.objects['BMWGRP']]
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "C:\Program Files\Blender Foundation\Blender\2.78\scripts\addons\Corona_exporter_v3\outputs.py", line 1040, in write_scn
    name = name_compat(group.name) + '_' + name_compat(dupli.data.name)
AttributeError: 'NoneType' object has no attribute 'name'
Corona: Failed :(
Error: Something went wrong, unable to write .scn file. Check directory permissions of export directory.
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "C:\Program Files\Blender Foundation\Blender\2.78\scripts\addons\Corona_exporter_v3\engine.py", line 353, in render
    render_start( self, scene)
  File "C:\Program Files\Blender Foundation\Blender\2.78\scripts\addons\Corona_exporter_v3\engine.py", line 38, in render_start
    render_scene( engine, scene)
  File "C:\Program Files\Blender Foundation\Blender\2.78\scripts\addons\Corona_exporter_v3\engine.py", line 188, in render_scene
    bpy.ops.corona.export_scene()
  File "C:\Program Files\Blender Foundation\Blender\2.78\scripts\modules\bpy\ops.py", line 189, in __call__
    ret = op_call(self.idname_py(), None, kw)
RuntimeError: Error: Something went wrong, unable to write .scn file. Check directory permissions of export directory.


location: <unknown location>:-1

location: <unknown location>:-1
<!> event has invalid window

Now removing the Null object from the group, therefore not duplicating it helped, and the render finally started, but now the dupligroup objects don't appear in the final image. Is this a bug, should I wait for 4.1.4. to become available, or should this work and is this just another case of the error being located somewhere between the keyboard and chair of my workspace?

Thanks very much in advance!
Title: Re: IPR and Corona scatter
Post by: novena on 2017-03-31, 10:19:21
Can you please tell me your export directory?

Victor I see yours is in c:\Program Files,  this is typically bad and Windows 8+ will cause issues with that.

Victor and burnin

4.1.4 fixes the failing to export, burnin thanks for providing the .blend files that reproduce the problem it helps immensely!

Hey Glen,

im in win 7, would it help to locate my export directory in an external hard drive, or just relocate to somewhere else in c:\  ?

I downloaded the exporter latest version, but I got the 4.1.3, have you released 4.1.4 yet?

would it help to provide you the .blend files to solve problems?

thanks again
Victor
Title: Re: IPR and Corona scatter
Post by: blanchg on 2017-03-31, 23:21:49
Ah sorry I had a small issue pushing 4.1.4 there is a 4.1.5 release that fixes it.

If that doesn't help then providing a small .Blend is the fastest way for me to get a fix.

Thanks
Title: Re: IPR and Corona scatter
Post by: novena on 2017-04-01, 00:01:14
Ah sorry I had a small issue pushing 4.1.4 there is a 4.1.5 release that fixes it.

If that doesn't help then providing a small .Blend is the fastest way for me to get a fix.

Thanks

you are awesome Glen! 4.1.5 works like a charm! thanks a lot

best regards
Victor
Title: Re: IPR and Corona scatter
Post by: novena on 2017-04-03, 11:17:38
hello guys here comes a couple of test images using particles systems to scatter the vegetation... some textures sucks but hey it is just a test ;)

best
Victor
Title: Re: IPR and Corona scatter
Post by: lasse1309 on 2017-04-03, 11:25:55
looks like the scattering issue is solved :D
awesome, guys!
L
Title: Re: IPR and Corona scatter
Post by: warlock on 2017-04-20, 10:51:31
Great!