Onyx tree with wind animation to vray proxy

[Flint]

Could someone please explain the work flow for converting an onyx tree to vray animated proxy please. My guess would be:

 

1. Import tree with tree storm.

2. Map it.

3. Add onyx wind and test.

this is the part I'm not sure about:-

4. Convert to editable poly and attach different parts.

5. Export as vray proxy animation.

 

My concern is though that when I convert it to a poly will I lose the wind effect on the tree?

 

Ok I worked it out and was reading to much into it. Just go to step 3 and export as animation. Doh!

Edited September 11, 2010 by Flint
Got it

[denic]

I was wondering what is happening with global illumination if you want to bake GI for walkthrough animation with animated trees ? Is it possible to bake GI and not to have artefacts on trees?

[Flint]

Well I hit a few problems with Onyx Tree Storm and Vray as it kept crashing at render time (other posters here have mentioned the same). Usually I export Onyx tree as a .3ds but wanted to use the wind in tree storm. Finally worked out a solution so thought I'd post the work flow if anyone else hits the same problem. Kind of long winded (no pun intended) and if anyone else has a better solution please post it.

 

1. Create tree in Onyx, when happy save parameters.

2. Open Max and import tree via Tree Storm. Adjust tree settings as needed i.e UVW, plate number, poly lines etc...

3. Convert to mesh, then poly and re-set x-form. Not sure if reset X-form is needed but turning it to a poly is as even as the mesh crashed v-ray on render time. Maybe re-setting X-form after converting to mesh might have worked but after a wasted day decided to throw everything at it!

4. Map the tree but for some reason the materials wouldn't show properly in view port which was a pain. I also ran clean multi-sub object to get rid of all the blank ones that Onyx produces.

5. Save file for material X-ref later.

6. Re-set Max.

7. Do step 2 again and use same settings.

8. Add wind to desired effect and test. As this isn't mapped it didn't crash Vray!!

9 Convert to Animated Vray proxy.

10. Apply X-ref material to your proxy from your saved tree.

11. Done.

As to baking in GI well I’ve not tried it but sure you could at step 4. I don’t think it will reduce much flicker on the leaves though mainly to them being flat and no depth. The flicker in my test animation is mainly due to them turning over in the wind but also I had the settings turned down low for GI calc.

 

 

[video=youtube;-nSA7LAxCpA]

[denic]

Tnx. I will try soon everything you wrote, step by step and also baking of GI.

If baking doesn't work for me I will experiment with compositing of trees.

btw. Nice test but it looks like there is no shadows at all ?!

Edited September 22, 2010 by denic

[Flint]

Your right about the shadows as it was only a test render and I didn't pay much attention to the lighting of the tree just the work flow really. The blur in the posted ani is due to the compression from you tube though. Let us know how the baking goes.

[rafa rubio]

Could someone please explain the work flow for converting an onyx tree to vray animated proxy please. My guess would be:

 

1. Import tree with tree storm.

2. Map it.

3. Add onyx wind and test.

this is the part I'm not sure about:-

4. Convert to editable poly and attach different parts.

5. Export as vray proxy animation.

 

My concern is though that when I convert it to a poly will I lose the wind effect on the tree?

 

Ok I worked it out and was reading to much into it. Just go to step 3 and export as animation. Doh!

 

1. Import tree with tree storm.

2. Map it.

3. Add onyx wind and test.

4. apply POINT CACHE modifier

5. Set file location

6. record

7. cut modifier from tree

8. convert to mesh

9. apply modifier back (instanced)

10. export to vray proxy

 

[YorK]

Hi

 

I am looking for a convenient way to create animated VRayproxies from OnyxTree models too.

I tried your method with the PointCache modifier but it gives me huge VRayProxy files.

The strange thing is: instead of decreasing the proxy file weight, dealing with the pointcache increases it twice ! So, to me, it seems better to directly export the animated onyxtree to an animated VRayProxy ... even though the resulting file can be quite huge depending on the complexity of the initial mesh.

[rafa rubio]

Hi

 

I am looking for a convenient way to create animated VRayproxies from OnyxTree models too.

I tried your method with the PointCache modifier but it gives me huge VRayProxy files.

The strange thing is: instead of decreasing the proxy file weight, dealing with the pointcache increases it twice ! So, to me, it seems better to directly export the animated onyxtree to an animated VRayProxy ... even though the resulting file can be quite huge depending on the complexity of the initial mesh.

 

i do it that way because it was crashing while exporting...

 

try it... and let me know if you can...

 

cheers!

 

rafa

[YorK]

I don't have any crash while exporting with 3dsmax Design 2011 x64, VRay 2.

I have another problem now: the animation created by Treestorm is 100 frames long but it does not loop correctly because vertices position on frame 100 and frame 0 aren't the same ... How do you fix that ?

 

thanks,

 

Phil

[rafa rubio]

I don't have any crash while exporting with 3dsmax Design 2011 x64, VRay 2.

I have another problem now: the animation created by Treestorm is 100 frames long but it does not loop correctly because vertices position on frame 100 and frame 0 aren't the same ... How do you fix that ?

 

thanks,

 

Phil

 

I didnt...

 

just apply ping pong option... instead loop... in the proxy options...

 

or... do a longer animation....

 

rafa

[abhaysingh]

Why do you guys convert onyx animation to vray animated proxy?? any benefits?? If it is for viewport then onyx has different display systems.The vray proxy file size would be huge for even 100 frames.Moreover, you can give different seed to animation on onyx or change wind settings anytime.