Method for rendering/displacing large metal mesh?

[AlexP]

So, I need to render a large number of these metal mesh tiles.
Opacity map doesnt cut it as at the mesh disappears as it goes away from the camera, and I need to show thickness.

Ive modelled it, but Railclone wont render it. I have to put the face limit up to 100million in order to get the render to start, but then max inevitably crashes.

Im thinking displacement must be the only option then?
But again, have tried this but its really jaggy even with a high poly mesh base.
Surely Im doing something wrong here.

Ive attached the max file and map.

really appreciate if anyone has any ideas for this.

mesh.zip

[peterguthrie]

i did this tutorial back in 2010.. might give you some ideas? helps to look a real examples and see if what you need to do is a cut-out mesh or an expanded mesh

http://www.peterguthrie.net/blog/201...expanded-metal

[Vizioen]

If Peter's tutorial can't help you. I would still try and do it with Railclone. There might be something wrong with your Railclone setup, because either this fence is extremely large or your mesh is extremely detailed. Try posting the maxfile in the Itoosoft forums, you'll be helped quite fast. In other case maybe VrayPattern can help you. http://rendering.ru/ru_en/vraypattern.html Although support and updates of Rendering.ru is quite bad.

[AlexP]

Its like this, roughly, I beleive, http://www.metal-mesh.co.uk/images/r...mesh/50-88.jpg

Will give the tutorial a go and see where it gets me. Are you putting the displacement on a simple plane or...?

[AlexP]

If Peter's tutorial can't help you. I would still try and do it with Railclone. There might be something wrong with your Railclone setup, because either this fence is extremely large or your mesh is extremely detailed. Try posting the maxfile in the Itoosoft forums, you'll be helped quite fast. In other case maybe VrayPattern can help you. http://rendering.ru/ru_en/vraypattern.html Although support and updates of Rendering.ru is quite bad.

Its a pretty simple setup, basically ceiling tiles. Covers quite a large area.

[Vizioen]

How many times is it cloned? I think there's a button to see that. Also how many polys does the base mesh have?

[AlexP]

How many times is it cloned? I think there's a button to see that. Also how many polys does the base mesh have?

154,331 polys x 379 segments

[Vizioen]

So that one tile has multiple wiremeshes and is aprox. 150K polygons and that is repeated 379 times? Isn't 150K Polygons for one tile a bit much? In any case, it should render fine, maybe a bit slow. There might be something wrong with your Railclone setup though.

[AlexP]

As far as I know theres no other lighter way to model it, if I go that route.
Railclone setup is just a segment plugged into default slot of an array. Very very simple.

[voltron7]

maybe this can help? seems like should be no problem for RC pro.
http://forum.itoosoft.com/index.php?topic=2960.0


maybe you can make one railclone tile, and use that in another railclone object for the whole array of tiles?

[AlexP]

maybe this can help? seems like should be no problem for RC pro.
http://forum.itoosoft.com/index.php?topic=2960.0


maybe you can make one railclone tile, and use that in another railclone object for the whole array of tiles?

Cool facade.

I did try that, but too many faces again. Im going to give the displacement a go, and if not then ask iToo!

[voltron7]

Cool facade.

I did try that, but too many faces again. Im going to give the displacement a go, and if not then ask iToo!

Sorry it didn't help, and I hope you are able to find a decent solution with displacement soon.
And their support is truly incredible.

[AlexP]

And their support is truly incredible.

Yes big fan of iToo

[voltron7]

just read back in the thread some more, and will give a second nod to vraypattern. sometimes, it's the best, sometimes better off with RC or Forestpro.
but something that is truly a repeated tile would probably be great for vraypattern.

Also, maybe you tried, but try making one high poly mesh and turn to vray proxy. use vray proxy as your railclone segment.
Although, maybe you still would have same problem...

[AlexP]

Also, maybe you tried, but try making one high poly mesh and turn to vray proxy. use vray proxy as your railclone segment.
Although, maybe you still would have same problem...

Did try this yes, and it worked other than cutting the edges, so only whole tiles would appear. Ive not looked into it again properly, but assume RC cant slice proxies?