Ozone 5 now released, works with VRay - Jipeeee!!!

[duke2]

If you were to do an animation with this, where the time of day didn't change, you'd definitely render out an HDR probe to use for lighting, and only use Ozone for reflections (if you can do that).

[48design]

I also bought this plugin. Beside some crashes and the small amount of time I have to try it out in deep, it is really promising!
What I found out so far is, that Ozone doesn't seem to recognize the VRaySun! One has to change the workflow a bit and use the Daylight System instead. That's how you get the right lighting conditions. Another big thing is you have to activate a checkbox under "Ozone->file->options->render options": MentalRay & VRay->use physical lighting.
I think the workflow for VRay users could be a lot simplified! But Ozone seems cool! ;o)

Annoying is the fact that Ozone's gamma settings are reset every time I start with a new Ozone system. It would we simple to read out the gamma settings of 3D Studio Max. I don't know why they make the same mistakes they made with the early Vue developments...

[SteveC]

Hi 48design

I noticed the gamma issue yesterday evening, I opened a file that I had been using to test the
pluggin and the ozone gamma had re-set, but then this morning I opened the same same file and
went in to to ozone gamma settings and it was fine, don't know what's going on there.

I don't seem to have the problem your having with ozone recognising the Vray sun, it seems to
render it fine in my test scene. I do agree that there are some thing that need to be improved.

One annoying issue is when I go into the atmosphere editor to adjust the ozone sun, the sun is
not updated in real time in the view port, so you have to take a guess at the ozone suns direction
and azimuth, close down the editor, then the viewport updates the ozone suns settings, then you
have to go in to the atmosphere editor again and fine tune the ozone sun settings again. I really
think the workflow for setting up the ozone sun needs some work.

I also wish that ozone would use the Vray sun to illuminate the clouds rather than using its own
sun, this would make thing so much easier.

I'll just have to keep playing with it and hopefully soon get access to their forum for a few more
insights.

steve

[48design]

What I said: If you are using the regular/native DaylightSystem to set the sun position, the clouds get their light/shadows from the DaylightSystem-Sun. No need for a VRaySun.

[SteveC]

Hi 48design,

You are correct, you don't need to use the Vray sun if you are using the daylight system,
it was your comment "What I found out so far is, that Ozone doesn't seem to recognize the VRaySun!"
which it obvoiusly does as I use it with the Vray sun, unless I missunderstood your statement.

[48design]

Hi steve,

okay. Now I understood! ^^
What I tried to explain was that you don't need to hazzle around with the ozone sun settings to position your sun if you use the DaylightSystem. By the way I noticed you have to check ACTIVE in this system for the Sun in order to work.
I do also have to test a lot to get nice results. What I also recognized was that my renderings (the objects) get really bright with some atmospheric settings. There are not as much shadows as the regular VRay setup produces, I think... I must have a look at this, too.

Best regards
Fabian

[SteveC]

Hi 48design,

Ah ok, I never really use the daylight system, I tended to just use the Vray sun. But if the ozone sun
sets itself up automatically to match the daylight system I think it's time I give it a try.

I recon the reduction in shadows could be to do with cloud cover and the fog and haze in the atmosphere,
if these atmospheric elements do interact with the sunlight being used then I think it would affect shadowing.

It would be worth doing some test renders with no clouds, fog and haze to see if there is a noticable
difference with the shadows cast by your objects, I recon.

At present my test scene seems to have little contrast, it looks flat and I'm wondering if this is also to
do with the fog and haze, just have to keep on testing and tweakng.

Steve

[48design]

Hello again,

today is chat time, I think! ^^
I exactly meant that: everything looks flat. I did render without clouds and that's it. Problem is, without clouds I wouldn't need Ozone... so I have to test and test and test and... but I do not have that much time. Not these days.

Fabian

[48design]

There is an update available for Ozone 5 that should fix the VRaySun bug. But it really sucks that e-on does not automatically grant access to all areas regarding products you have bought. They seem to have to make that manually...

[olly]

This plugin does look promising, but why do software developers keep making the same mistake of charging extra for render node licenses?!

[SteveC]

Hi Fabian,

How did you manage to download the update? I've gone on to their website and in to my
account, Ozone 5 is in there as a registered product but when I click on download the
update it says I need to register my product first, strange

Steve

[48design]

Hey Steve,
Hi Olly,

I didn't get this managed. I tried to get support, but my FireFox is not able to send a message with their support form. InternetExplorer did it. They send me a direct link but after installing this patch my Ozone doesn't work anymore. I had to reinstall the first release. E-on knows this bug now, too, and I am waiting to get access! Silly mistakes in my opinion. We don't have that much trouble with zwischendrin.com ;oP

The render node license is really an ugly solution! It's okay from developer side but they should include some for free in the main software. Solution would be to render to HDRI and use that image on all render nodes. Maybe that's also a lot less render intense!

Cya
Fabian

[48design]

Okay, they now fixed the download link! Like I thought before (same filename!) they put the 32bit installer online even for the 64bit version of Ozone. Now I hope everything works like expected. )

[SteveC]

Hi Fabian,

Cheers for the update, I'll have another stab at downloading the update.

Bye
Steve

[rajdarge]

I bought Vue XStream a while ago when it first promised to be "compatible with v-ray" it never worked as expected, the support was non-existant and I had the same upgrade downloading problems that you guys seem to be having.
try rendering this: get a large box, flip the normal put a camera inside the box and render. You should get a black scene. But when I was using xstream I never did. Its stuffing up the render big time and from a beautiful Vray Physically accurate Render you get a muddy, shallow vue render.

Do what I did and assume its money down the toilet. I never got anything useful from the product.
$1000 wasted.
Raj