noob PXD question PXD 4 for Maya: attaching mist particle system to liquid simulation

[Project_68]

following the help topics found here: https://docs.chaosgroup.com/display/...m+and+Splashes
step #9 reads
"With the Simulator selected, go to Windows -> Node Editor. Graph the Input/Output connections for the simulator and find the PG_ ... _Mist node. Middle mouse button drag it into the phx_mist_set so the mist shader is aware of it.

Then, rename it to pg_mist to keep things consistent."
I find the directions to be unclear.
mmd the liquid sim onto the mist particle system??
maybe??
but what is the intended connection?
anyone with a vague understanding of the node editor will know that there are a myriad of possible connections that Could be made.
and so far the ones I've tried have led to a total Maya dropout at render.
any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
also...maybe the docs could be a bit more explicit.
Thx

[georgi.zhekov]

Hey,

The tutorial is a bit outdated and needs a bit of refreshing and some better explanations. Thanks for the heads up!

Here is a video on how rendering of the Mist works - https://youtu.be/tEHhLFij-XQ

As for the render mode of the Particle Shader feel free to use Fog instead of Points, depending on the look you're after. You can find more about the different modes here - https://docs.chaosgroup.com/display/...+PhoenixFDFoam

Hope this helps!

[Svetlin.Nikolov]

Hey,

I've updated both the simple liquids and the mist tutorials as well:
https://docs.chaosgroup.com/display/...uid+Simulation
https://docs.chaosgroup.com/display/...m+and+Splashes

Thanks for letting us know these pages were outdated, cheers!

[Project_68]

ok great, thx for the update!
I was able to make the connection in the outliner between the particle set and the mist particle system:
// Connected Particles_Mist_of_0_PhoenixFDSimulator1.message to phxParticle_set3.dnSetMembers. //
however, when I render the test scene now...although I don't get any warning message about a particle system in the scene not having a set, it begins rendering for about a second, and then Maya totally drops out. hard crash to the desktop.
I've restarted the computer and Maya and the problem persists.
Any suggestions??
Tha again!
P68

[Svetlin.Nikolov]

Are you 100% sure your Phoenix installer matches your V-Ray version? There is one installer for vray4 and another one for vray5.

[Project_68]

Honestly no.
Vray V5.00.22
Phoenix V 4.30.00
Maya 2020
Vray engine/progressive
dual 2080ti
Nvidia Driver 445.87

[Project_68]

Renders in GPU engine/RTX perfectly though

[Project_68]

actually not true....GPU render does not render the foam at all....probably a gpu engine limitation...I should read the docs I suppose

[Svetlin.Nikolov]

If it renders with GPU, then it should be the correct installer.

Can you attach the crashing scene so I can have a look?

Thanks!

[Project_68]

here is the Maya file.
Its et up with the mist/set connection which produces the crash for me.
Thanks much!

[Svetlin.Nikolov]

Sweet, thank you so much! Blew it up here and it will be fixed in tomorrow's nightlies - you will be able to find the nightly here: https://nightlies.chaosgroup.com/#/phoenix4maya/nightly

The mist connection is perfectly fine. The problem was in the Particle Shader for the Mist - under the Render Elements section the Particle Age option was set to Phoenix Element. This crashed when some Particle Shaders has this specific option set to Phoenix Element and others had it set to 'Disable'.

As a workaround, you can either set this option in all 3 Particle Shaders to 'Phoenix Element', or all 3 to 'Disable'.

Thanks again for reporting this!

[Project_68]

Awesome...never would have found that myself.
you guys are the best!

[Svetlin.Nikolov]

Hey, just a heads up though! Kept looking at this render elements and it's going to work in Points, Bubbles, Splashes and Cellular Modes of the Particle Shader, but it's gonna be black for Particle Shaders in Fog mode.

There the rendering is quite different than the other modes, so I gotta figure out how to make it show up in the Ages render elements as well...

Cheers!