Rendering Phoenix fluid with VrayRT CUDA

[Steamheads]

Hi,
I cant seem to get Vray RT (CUDA) to render phoenix FD fluids/mesh correctly (3Ds Max 2015). Its set as a production render so that I can render frames, and the results look very good if I render a single frame. BUT as soon as I try to render a sequence of frames the phoenix mesh just expands and expands (looks like the fluid just expands exponentially in a linear direction).
Im also getting some other weird behaviors. When I use the cache setting to retime the fluids, VrayRT doesnt move the mesh at all. Its the same mesh on every frame.
Im wondering if there is actually something corrupt with my max or if there is something im doing wrong when rendering with VrayRT and phoenix.
Hope someone can help me get the Vray RT (cuda) to work with phoenix. I wanted to try it out on max 2016(to see if it is my max 2015 thats the problem), but cant seem to find any phoenix plugin for that version.

Thanks
Nils A Brekke
Steamheads Studios

[Svetlin.Nikolov]

Hello,

Which V-Ray and Phoenix versions do you use? Can you tell us more on how you retime the fluids? Do you use the play speed from the Input panel or something else?

[Steamheads]

Im using Vray 3.20.02 and phoenix 2.2. (is there a place i can actually see where the version of phoenix is, in max?). My install file just says phoenixFD_adv_22000_max2015_vray_30_x64.
I retime the fluids in the dynamics scale time section by putting it from 1.0 to 0.1. When I tried to retime it from the input section by setting it to 0.1 playspeed it rendered the same frame on each frame.

[Ivaylo Katev]

the about box gives detailed info about the build version, but apparently you are using the official build, released one year ago. i think the mesh must be renderable in RT/cuda , it's just a standard max mesh, have no idea why it fails. all the other geometry is renderable right?

[Steamheads]

well, everything else renders fine. Just the phoenix fluids that doesnt update every time it is in production render mode AND ONLY when i set it to render a sequence. If I render single frames anywhere on the timeline it renders correctly. So im suspecting that it is a corruption in Max. But just so I know, It should be no problem rendering phoenix with vray RT (cuda)?

[Steamheads]

Is the nightly build working with max 2016? Is this something I could be apart of so that I can try to render my scene in 2016 and see if it works there?

[Svetlin.Nikolov]

We'll check it then - if you are using an official build, I think this was fixed a while ago. The nightlies work for max 2016, but do you have access and are you using a nightly? What does your About box say?

[Steamheads]

My about box says revision 24510. I am not using a nightly. Is this available for customers or do I need to apply for it? Our studio has a vray 3.2 Max license and a phoenix 2.2 Max license.
My other option would be to re-install 3ds max 2015, which I really dont want to do until im done with this project.

[flipbook]

Get the nightly.. so much better than official build! Request access through support email... normally requires the dongle serial number for Phoenix but they will advise you

[Ivaylo Katev]

it's available for customers, you have to ask the support and they will explain you how to get the nightly build.
beside the fixed gpu i think the latest mesher smoothing improvements will be really helpful for your goal to simulate cream.