Messages

16

[Max] Daily Builds / Re: Chaos Corona 10 for 3ds Max - Daily Builds Discussion

« on: 2022-12-13, 23:14:22 »

This maximizing of the VFB is an intermittent issue that's been there since forever and it happens both when you middle-click the VFB when it's not in focus (might be zoomed-in or not) or when it's left-clicked (and not zoomed in) after it has been out of focus. In my case, it's usually the middle click, to pan the zoomed-in image.

fTPM is hardly the culprit (even though it causes occasional stutters, but they're pretty far in-between each others.

It's all in wxWidgets and is the same thing, or connected, to the exceptions wxWidgets sometimes throws when Max has not been in focus for a while and an element of the VFB (because VFB's the most common thing to click to focus) is clicked (any button or slider but NOT the window title bar. That doesn't cause it to randomly resize).

A workaround for the wxWidgets exceptions that pop up an error in the Corona error dialog is to just click on an empty area of the taskbar before clicking on anything in Max. Clicks won't be registered anywhere in the Max window until then. You may need to click a few times between the taskbar and Max though before it starts working again. I usually just set it to ignore the wxWidgets errors the first time they happen because they keep popping up at least once per session.

The rewritten VFB can't come soon enough...



It will likely get fixed when 1) the VFB is rewritten and 2) there is an option to actually just turn off the "double-click to enlarge/resize the VFB" functionality (which definitely should and should have been a toggle option).

17

[Max] Daily Builds / Re: Chaos Corona 10 for 3ds Max - Daily Builds Discussion

« on: 2022-12-08, 10:08:50 »

Then you're lucky. Happens a lot here.

"The VFB maximizes on a single click" happens because of the wxWidgets library that's used for the VFB itself and which is, apparently, pretty crappy.
It happens when you've been doing something for a little while outside of Max (so a browser, messenger, whatnot) and then click in the vfb directly (without focusing Max or at least the VFB itself first) to try and add a region or just activate it. This is because wxWidgets apparently have trouble catching the clicks that are coming "from" a window outside Max and it's annoying as hell (as well as the VFB generally not being too snappy and the whole wxWidgets thing sometimes throwing errors about not catching mouse clicks.

The only way to fix this is a VFB rewrite (most likely using Qt, like the new error messages dialog) and the VFB rewrite is a thing that's been "coming" for some years now.

Hopefully the implementation of Qt into other parts of the interface is indicative of the VFB woes ending some time soon although rewriting the VFB not being likely in 10 is worrying as it looks like it's another few versions before anything's done about it.

Try disabling the mouse from affecting unfocused windows ("background window scrolling" I think. Google it) and see if and how much it helps (or makes it worse, results may vary).

18

[Max] Daily Builds / Re: Chaos Corona 10 for 3ds Max - Daily Builds Discussion

« on: 2022-11-30, 22:27:59 »

That behaviour didn't change, right now the volume effect is only compatible with the CoronaSky

 Yeah, but any plans to change that? It really would be good. (just picture me saying it's something we need, in your next daily, Rowan ;) )

19

[Max] I need help! / Re: Clouds in the Corona Renderer 6 New Sky Model

« on: 2020-09-01, 19:27:14 »

I used CoronaVolumeGrid with VDB clouds loaded. There's something like 3 of them in there.

20

[Max] Feature Requests / Re: Corona Camera - Object Visibility

« on: 2020-05-28, 17:15:42 »

How is the example with the ceiling and a top camera not covered by excluding the ceiling object from the camera via camera's include/exclude list?

21

[Max] Resolved Feature Requests / Re: Stochastic texturing to avoid texture tiling

« on: 2020-05-28, 16:56:11 »

This has been implemented and will be in Corona 6.

22

[Max] Daily Builds / Re: Improved Sun & Sky model playground!

« on: 2020-04-30, 14:38:08 »

Some more playing around with the sun and sky (and also CoronaVolumeMtl for fog). The water is PhoenixFD in "pure ocean" mode.

23

[Max] Daily Builds / Re: Improved Sun & Sky model playground!

« on: 2020-04-29, 15:52:06 »

Here's two animation tests I did with the new sky and sun model:

24

[Max] Tutorials & Guides / Re: 3ds max + Corona + Windows = Finally good performance

« on: 2020-03-10, 14:44:25 »

You never know :)
Autodesk hasn't been known much for miracles but they DO happen :)

25

[Max] I need help! / Re: rendered objects are different from different distance?

« on: 2020-03-09, 16:53:58 »

@kema Why are you changing the bitmap's gamma to 1.0 exactly? Corona is not so good with linear workflow (1.0) so it should generally be avoided whenever possible. The idea behind Corona is to give you an image you may not even need to edit in post, right out of the VFB and it all works in gamma 2.2 by default.

26

[Max] Tutorials & Guides / Re: 3ds max + Corona + Windows = Finally good performance

« on: 2020-03-09, 16:06:56 »

Current versions of Max contain code from Max 1.0 on top of which, due to frequent changing of hands/teams working on it, new stuff was just piled on and piled on. In the end, today, we have a hack on a hack working through a hack in order to hack in functionality of another hack that was needed to hack the code from version 1.0 to work with code inherited from 3d studio for DOS so that the hack that actually works can be hacked in and work. That's kinda putting it in very simplified terms.
Nothing but a total rewrite or a miracle can fix this.

27

Gallery / Hostel Visualization

« on: 2020-03-06, 18:36:06 »

This project was done for a friend who was an architecture student at the time and needed some renders for her diploma.All done in 3ds Max 2018 and Corona 1.7, lighting is HDRI with augmentation (additional hidden light for the exterior). It was fun.
There's actually a whole town outside the garden wall but it was not shown (needed it for the entrance and the aerial shot which was not needed in the end).

28

[Max] Tutorials & Guides / Re: 3ds max + Corona + Windows = Finally good performance

« on: 2020-03-06, 12:10:36 »

The compact editor is slow for simply exactly the same reasons the whole interface is slow - single threadedness and Max's tendency to slow down over time, even if you're not doing anything with it. This problem has been there since forever, unfortunately, and it increasingly looks like it will not be resolved unless the whole thing is rewritten from the ground up (which will probably never happen as Autodesk needs to keep the releases on a yearly schedule to appease investors and one year is by far not enough to fully rewrite such a complex thing as Max from the ground up).
What might help are the environment variables for the interface drawing and restarting the computer often (because restarting the whole machine is the only true and proven way of making Max run fast again, at least for some while).

29

[Max] Tutorials & Guides / Re: 3ds max + Corona + Windows = Finally good performance

« on: 2020-03-04, 12:20:22 »

The material editor being sluggish is the bane of Max. Using only one single thread for the entire interface also doesn't help it much.
I often face the same issue (with the slate material editor) and have found that more often than not, switching it to "Compatibility display mode" helps:
1) Open the slate material editor
2) Select "Options" in the menu and go to "Preferences"
3) Make sure the checkbox for "Use compatibility mode" at the bottom is set.
Unfortunately, this setting doesn't persist between Max sessions so you'll have to enable it every time (I do it if the material editor becomes sluggish).I haven't noticed any visible change in the way things are displayed with it on so I don't really know what it does, only that it can help and does help, sometimes.
For general Max responsiveness, you may also want to try some environment variables as we have described here (this also has some more tips that may be useful):https://coronarenderer.freshdesk.com/support/solutions/articles/12000011479-my-3ds-max-is-very-slow-it-is-hard-to-navigate-in-the-viewport-or-use-the-material-editor-
The environment variables can sometimes help (helped me) but not always. Won't hurt to try them, though :)

30

[Max] Tutorials & Guides / Re: 3ds max + Corona + Windows = Finally good performance

« on: 2020-03-02, 14:56:57 »

To set exceptions for Max and Corona executables (most likely just needed for Max):

1) Open Windows Security
2) select App & Browser control
3) switch to "Program Settings"
4) Click on the "Add program to customize" button, select "Add by program name" and type in "3dsmax.exe" then click "Add"
5) find and select "3dsmax.exe" in the list
6) click "Edit"
7) mark every "Override system setttings" box in the list and make sure everything is set to "Off".
8) click apply
9) Done.

You can try the same thing for Corona executables but I doubt that will actually make a lot of difference as Corona is mainly a Max plugin so should inherit these settings from Max.

To add exceptions in real-time protection:

1) Open Windows security
2) Select "Virus & threat protection"
3) Click on "Manage settings" under "Virus & threat protection settings"
4) Scroll down to "Exclusions"
5) Click on "Add or remove exclusions
6) Click on "Add an exclusion" at the top.
7) Select "Folder"
8) Browse to your 3ds max folder, enter it, and click "Select folder". Confirm the UAC prompt.
9) Repeat number 8 for the Autodesk and Corona folders in Program Files and "c:\users\[username]\appdata\Local" and "C:\users\[username]\appdata\Roaming" folders.
10) Done.


WARNING!: This is inherently (albeit slightly) reducing your overall security and malicious software, if placed in and run from any of those folders, could still execute successfully and without your knowledge, bypassing security! Make these modifications at your own risk!
Chaos Czech a.s. will NOT be held accountable for any damage(s), loss of data and any other mishaps this may cause you!