Anyone out there use Max with Vue 8 xStream?

[danb4026]

I broke down and bought Vue 8 xStream last week and have been playing around with it.

 

I am not sure what the proper workflow should be when integrating Vue with Max. Should I start with a blank scene, create the vue environment then start with max stuff? Should I start with Max and then bring in the vue stuff?

 

Is there anyone out there that uses both and has come up with a useful workflow or any tips that might get me started?

[pixelperfectg]

Probably depends on what you're planning on creating. If you just want to add some xStream basics like a vue atmosphere, terrain, or plants to your 3ds Max scene then I'd create the scene as normal in 3ds Max and then enable xStream inside 3ds Max, create/configure the Vue content and render it from inside 3ds Max.

 

If you want to render some 3ds Max objects from inside Vue or want to manually composite vue content with 3ds Max renders, then you may want to use the stand alone xStream application.

[danb4026]

Thanks for the response. I just want to add Vue elements like you mentioned above to my max scene. I would like to take advantage of the atmosphere, terrain and vegetation assets of Vue.

 

One thing that confuses me is whether to use a Vue atmosphere and it's lighting, use my typical Vray sun and environment, or to combine both in some way.

 

The other issue is that I am finding Vue to crash Max 2010 every so often. Not sure if there is a fix for this or whether it is something I am doing wrong.

[pixelperfectg]

Is there anything in particular that you're doing when it crashes or is it just random? I've found the latest releases of xStream to be pretty stable, but I realize we all have different hardware configurations, OS's, etc..

 

Question: You mention using it with VRay, have you noticed any odd looking illumination on the interiors of your buildings (when viewed from outside)? I'm trying to track down some illumination issues I'm encountering when using xStream with Vray to see if it's a defect or user (me) error.

[danb4026]

Jeff, so you know my configuration......I am using Max 2010 and Vray 1.5 SP4a on a 64 bit Windows 7 machine with 12GB memory.

 

The crashes happen under a couple of different circumstances.

 

1) Opening and existing scene that has Vue elements inside. First Vue will come up with a crash message within max, and then max freezes and has to be shut down.

 

2) Open a new max scene and then hit the Vue 8 xStream button. Try to load an atmosphere, and bang, boom, crash.

 

Seems to be random when it decides to happen. But it happens way too often to be acceptable.

 

As far as weird lighting artifacts, I have not noticed anything. But I am just getting started using Vue, so I will let you know if I see anything.

[pixelperfectg]

Jeff, so you know my configuration......I am using Max 2010 and Vray 1.5 SP4a on a 64 bit Windows 7 machine with 12GB memory.

FWIW I'm using the exact same setup although I primarily use mental ray with xStream.

[adom23]

Hey

 

Just a quick question, sorry it doesnt help you. I got hold of the Vue 8 PLE version and cant see the option to use it within Max 2010. I installed the xStreme version and it is usually in the create panel on the drop down box on previous versions. Any idea where its gone!?

 

Cheers

[adom23]

Sorry for wasting your time.. got it working now. A quick re-install did the job!

[danb4026]

I'm having a lot of trouble with xStream and Max. I think I may have wasted my money.

[EarthMover]

You guys mentioned using Vue 8 xStream with Vray inside of Max. Is there something special that needs to be done in order to enable Vray? I tried with both Max 2009 Design with Vray SP2 and Max 2010 with SP3, both linked to Vue 8 xStream, but neither will render out Vue atmosphere's or plants, while Mental Ray will render them perfectly. I'm having a hard time getting any advice from e-on on the subject. Any advice would be awesome.

[danb4026]

e-on's support sucks. I bought it about a month ago and they give 30 days free support. But I have had a lot of trouble getting support. Now I am getting emails to upgrade to their paid support plan which costs hundreds of $$. No way am I paying for support of this quality.

 

As to Vray, I have no problem rendering with vray. Not sure what the issue is. Maybe if you give e-on a few hundred bucks they will help you out.

[pixelperfectg]

Did you add the xStreamVray atmospheric effect?

 

NOTE: FWIW I encounter very few problems with xStream although I mainly use it to add vegetation, distant terrain, and nice skies/atmospheres to my 3ds Max scenes.

Edited January 9, 2010 by pixelperfectg

[danb4026]

Never heard of the xStreamVray atmospheric effect. What's that?

[pixelperfectg]

It's what makes xStream work with Vray.

 

Open your environment and effects options shortcut 8 and then hit the Add... button in the atmosphere rollout to add the xStreamVray atmospheric effect to the scene so that Vue content will render with VRay.

[danb4026]

I just pick any atmosphere and vray renders it fine. Don't have to find anything specific to vray.

[pixelperfectg]

Ahh, it adds it automagically in ver.8 now. You should see it listed in your atmosphere effect list when you enable xStream with VRay now. In previous versions of xStream it had to be added manually.

[pixelperfectg]

Just for reference, I'm attaching an example render that shows the interior illumination problem that I encounter when using xStream + VRay. I haven't encountered this problem when using mental ray + xStream, but I'm not a daily VRay user so it could very well be something with my VRay settings...although they are pretty much basic & obviously work with fine with the VRay sun/sky.

 

At any rate I'm trying to figure out if anyone else has run into this problem with xStream + VRay or if it's just me.

[vedolino]

I am using Max 2009 64bit, Vray SP2 and Vue 8 xStream. My machine has 16 GBs ram. I have a problem using Vray with it. I set a box with vray white material or standard material (plain white, no bump, no reflections) and look how it looks..

 

Could please somebody help?

Edited January 11, 2010 by vedolino

[danb4026]

When using Vue with Vray, is there no longer a need to use a map in either the Max environment or Vray environment and/or reflection slots? (assuming you are going to use the vue atmosphere for reflections).

 

The VUE atmosphere seems to take care of that.

[kippu]

Hello, unfortunately I am not Xstream legal user so I can not access the forum to find out if E-on to come to some fix/update that Vray shaders are rendered well in Vue. Any legal user can inform those interested we buy it if there is any solution? These French are very closed and not taking anything for information please!

 

hahahaha i cannot believe you are blaming them for not helping you since you are a illegal user

[pablo scapi]

So, do you Vue users recomend the aquisition of this software.

I´m a Max - Vray user, and what i would like is an easy way to make natural environments and vagetation in my scenes, than can be easily manegable in the viewports and rendered as fast as posible.

It´s vue inteface easy to learn? How about adding llots of trees and grass to your scene for instance, is it manegable, fluid in the viewports, or would it ads millions of polys so the GPU will need to strugle to manage it?

 

The demo videos in the web looks like it´s fast and easy, but i learned never to trust the vendor self publicity.

 

Thank you

[esanti]

hahahaha i cannot believe you are blaming them for not helping you since you are a illegal user

 

I'm using the PLE version, E-on does not give access to your forum unless you buy the full product, so I can not ask directly to them by the error in the shaders. Anyway and discovered the reason why no scenes Sp2 are rendered well. That said Vlado, creator of the forum Chaosgroup Vray in regard to supporting version 7.5 with Vray:

 

 

05-07-2009 06:56 pm

 

There is patch for the Vue prerelease that you need to download for the V-Ray connection; the Vue prerelease used a beta SDK for V-Ray SP3, which is slighly different than the final SP3/SP3a builds. Also, note that the V-Ray connection needs SP3/SP3a.

Best regards,

Vlado

 

The answer is simple: use only with Xstream SP3/SP4 Vray for satisfactory results. This is my test using the latest version sp4 + PLE Xstream8:

 

no image for forum restrigcion

 

Pd. Excuse my English, i use Google Traslator, I speak Spanish. Apologize for the misunderstanding.