vray proxy doesn't show materials

[rm]

i must be missing something here for which i might sound very stupid. i've created a vray proxy and checked automatically create proxy, when the same thing turns on to proxy on the same file i've created it, it works fine showing all the materials assigned but the problem is when i import that proxy in other file or even if i delete that same proxy and again import it, then it shows no materials. i've tried it again and again but can't find the solution:confused:

 

hope i'll get some suggestions, thanks in advance

[-MerlyN-]

VRay Proxies dont store materials in them, for compatibility reasons I think. Only the material id's are stored.

I usually save the materials to a seperate material library I keep with the proxy so I can load that library and assign the correct material when I use the proxy.

[Fernando Lino]

you have to merge the MAX file where you proxy is....it'll take it, so far i know Proxies don't carry the information of the materials only geometry and the name of the assigned materials.

 

Fernando

[rm]

Thanks Merlyn & Fernando, Hope I'll get it right this time doing as u people said..

@ fernando - I don't get it what you mean by merging the max file where your proxy is, so could you please elaborate it a little bit:o

[archigem]

i must be missing something here for which i might sound very stupid. i've created a vray proxy and checked automatically create proxy, when the same thing turns on to proxy on the same file i've created it, it works fine showing all the materials assigned but the problem is when i import that proxy in other file or even if i delete that same proxy and again import it, then it shows no materials. i've tried it again and again but can't find the solution:confused:

 

hope i'll get some suggestions, thanks in advance

 

 

Just pick the material from the main file and save it in ur library.. (may be u could make a special one for proxy tree or whatever..), and name it as u can remember for that particular proxy file. Now whenever import a proxy file, just apply this material from ur material library and the things will be solved.

 

(although personally some times i confused... where to save my maps and all other things. ;-)

[rm]

Thanks everybody, got it to work now..

[will1113]

Hi Everyone,

 

Just came across this thread, as it was something i was having problems with. It all works for me now by saving the material in a folder with the proxy. great.

 

But the thing which i am having problems with is i have a couple of Evermotion Trees i want to create into proxies.

 

I open up the original tree and the materials are already in a multi/sub object, and material ID's Set at 1, 2 ,3....

 

and this applys to all the trees they all have the materials ID set at default 1,2,3...

 

What i want to know how to do, how do i change the material ID for the material and geometry (e.g, 1,23 changed to 5, 6, 7....), so that they are all different so that when i import two trees they do not have conflicting material ID's??

 

Thank You

[Simon Moir]

I think you'll confuse yourself if you start changing material IDs. Just leave them be, if the trees have their own material per species it won’t matter anyway. Save each model in its own Max file. Then copy that tree in the scene. Right click, export that model to V-Ray mesh, ensuring that Automatically create Proxies is ticked. Save the file. Now you have the original model and the Vray Proxy in the same file, both with the correct material applied. File merge the proxy into the scene you are working with, it comes in without having to mess around with material libraries. You also have the original model saved (in case you need to edit later on) in the file, which you can save in your tree library folder for the future.

[will1113]

Thank you for your quick response, proxys are fairly new to me so just to clarify.

So if i bring in a tree from (e.g. evermotion) and the original tree has a multisub object material which has ID's of 1, 2 ,3...

and i bring a different tree which also has a multi sub object material which has ID's of 1, 2, 3.

As long as i merge them into the scene when i apply the saved mulitsubobject materail it should be ok???

 

So the multisub object materials with material ID's of 1,2,3 only apply to that multi sub object, so you can have a number of multisub object materials with materail ID's of 1, 2, 3??

 

because when i brought in the first tree the proxy an materials worked perfectly, but when i brought in the 2nd tree with same materail ID's it said there were duplicate ID's, and the materials to the first tree were applied to the 2nd??

 

Sorry if i am confusing the matter? how do you merge the proxy into the scene also?

[Simon Moir]

If you want to apply the same sub object materials, i.e. by applying the same material, to two different trees, then you should alter the Material IDs of the model if they appear incorrect. Without ever using them, I would be suprised if the all the Evermotion trees weren't sharing the same material ID assigning convention though.

 

For example, I don't bother creating lots of different tree materials, I often apply a generic Multi Material called "Tree" to proxies. I make sure all the leaves on all of my library models are ID 1, the branches are all ID 2 and so on. They are always correct, and if I need to tweak them its easy to do, I just copy the material, tweak, rename and apply.

 

You can merge objects via the File, Import, Merge dialogue and navigating to the file containing the Proxy.. I hope you get the hang of this stuff Will! CGarchitect is great for learning workflows, tips and tricks etc, but the help file is a really useful resource for these sort of questions. Twenty minutes and you'll have Material IDs and Multi Materials down to fine art!

[will1113]

Thank you very much for your patience and time. You answered lots of important questions. Think I will spend a while testing it out to master it. This is a top forum. Cheers

[archigem]

Thank you very much for your patience and time. You answered lots of important questions. Think I will spend a while testing it out to master it. This is a top forum. Cheers

 

 

Hi Will1113,

U don't need to worry about the material ids itself. Do as follows..

1. open the tree file, and then convert it in to a single mesh. (by attaching the poly or mesh).

2. Pick up the material from the tree (by the dropper icon in the mat editor).

3. It will be a multi/sub material. (do not bother about the ids, as the different objects in a scene can have the same id with different materials. I mean in a single object, if u r using the same ids then it will conflict. otherwise if a Object have different ids and a sub/multi material suppose "A", then it will not conflict with the another material say.. "B"... which also having the same ids used in the other object.)

4. save the material with reference to the tree file. ( like save "apple_tree01.mat" for ur "apple_tree01.max" file... and create the proxy as "apple_tree01.vrmesh"

5. Now whenever u put a proxy in a scene, just load the appropriate material and just assign to that object.

6. its done..

 

Enjoy

[will1113]

Thank you very much for the step by step thats perfect, I understand now that material ID's are Object Related, so you can have a number of sub/multi materials with the same materails IDs but they only matter when you apply them to a particular object. Didnt get chance yesterday so i will give it a go tonight. I am Converting from Sketchup & Vray to 3DS Max & Vray and i wish i did it ages ago, putting in 100's of proxy trees etc. Blows sketchup out of the water, just a shame 3DS Max is not as easy and user friendly to quickly model as sketchup. Thanks a Everyone!!!! Yet again Top Forum!!