Vray Proxy + Max Slice Modifier

[chapmandu]

Does anyone have any experience with using the Max Slice modifier with Vray proxies?

I have an Onyx tree that has been turned into a Vray proxy. As soon as I add a Slice modifier, it doesn't render. If I delete the Slice modifier, it renders fine.

I tried the same thing on the source Onyx tree itself (brought in through TreeStorm) and it works as expected. Unfortunately, I have way to many trees in the scene to render without using proxies so this is not an option.

I have not yet installed SP2 - maybe that fixes the problem.

I suppose I could animate a mask in After Effects to pull off a similar effect, I was just hoping to be able to do this in Max a little easier and less time consuming.

What I'm after is a way to essentially animate a bunch of geometry (my Onyx trees included) so that they appear to grow (in a way) out of the ground. Is there a better / different way to acheive this effect?

[^Lele^]

I would just use the normal trees (un-proxied), and let the BSP deal with them @rendertime (ie. it will "auto-proxy" whatever is too heavy, or there's too many of).
Just make sure the BSP settings are on "Auto", so that it will be able to choose what to keep static in memory and what to use as dynamic on its own.

[Shimakaze]

Have you installed the new Treestorm plugin that was released a week or two ago? It is improved on pretty much all points and I find its so much more efficient now that there's no need for VRay proxies except for forests and such. Other then that you could update to SP2 and save trees already animated to grow as animated proxies...

[chapmandu]

I would just use the normal trees (un-proxied), and let the BSP deal with them @rendertime (ie. it will "auto-proxy" whatever is too heavy, or there's too many of).
Just make sure the BSP settings are on "Auto", so that it will be able to choose what to keep static in memory and what to use as dynamic on its own.

I'm not exactly sure what the "BSP" is that you refer to above. Based on the context, I'm going to guess it's the Default Geometry variable in the V-Ray System rollout. Is that what you are referring to?