Wetmap as 3d mesh option

[cb LLC]

New particle based wetmap is great but only if you use vray. So people with other renderers cannot use wetmaps anymore. 2.20 version had actual 3d mesh that stuck to the wall and slowly was moving down (thick paint).

With our renderer we can only render mesh but then wetmap particles are non renderable. Can we have an option wetmap as 3d mesh like it used to be. Plus 3d wet dripping paint looks better than 2d map anyway on the wall. Thank you!

[joconnell]

Not that it's what you're asking for but I've found the prt export for fluids to be really useful when used with thinkbox frost - The options on culling low density particles, and being able to shrink, expand, smooth and relax your geometry is really useful.

[Svetlin.Nikolov]

Yes, these are the two options currently - meshing the wetmap particles with Frost or mixing materials via the Phoenix Particle Tex. We'll be thinking about a way for the Phoenix mesher to mesh the wetmap, but won't happen in the immediate future - can be there after a couple of months.

[Ivaylo Katev]

Phoenix has many tools and combining them properly you can "build" a general purpose particle mesher, but is a bit tricky (it's just not the main purpose of the product)
- you have to convert the particles into a 3d map using the particle texture .
- you have to create empty fire/smoke simulator , simulate few empty frames, and set in the surface section a texture as target. Selecting the above mentioned particel texture in the texture slot, you can mesh it with the regular grid based mesh. You can also use the particle based smoothing, to make the wet layer thinner or thicker, or just to smooth it.
However, i still recommend to use the standart way, i.e. to prepare a blend material and to mix wet/dry materials. A can assure you, the meshed particles will always look worse than mixing materials, at least you can't achieve the fade effect where the material is almost dry, but not fully dry.

[cb LLC]

When we get this option to turn those wetmap particles to mesh can we have an option where once they stick to a moving object they do not move like they stick and solidify like dry mud for example. Like old Phoenix when it had mesh wetmaps when wetmap would get stuck to a moving object it was still jittering and vibrating making it look unnatural. Thanks

[cb LLC]

I never used frost. Once I installed frost do I choose phonix fd wetmap particles from viewport or I have to export them out first especially it is an animated wetmap Thank you

[Svetlin.Nikolov]

You should be able to choose the wetmap directly from the Phoenix sim.

Also, the jittering effect while moving is indeed one of the issues you would get both with the old wetmap and with the workaround Ivaylo described - Frost should work fine though.

[Ivaylo Katev]

Also, the jittering effect while moving is indeed one of the issues you would get both with the old wetmap and with the workaround Ivaylo described - Frost should work fine though.

the workaround can be reworked to avoid this issue, just bind the dummy grid to the moving object, this makes the particles static in the grid space and should resolve the jittering

[cb LLC]

Thanks But what if I have a dirty car that is loosing mud behind it. Unfortunately if grid moves with a car then mud that fell on the ground will disappear since grid is moving with the car and mud is no longer in the grid. Would be nice to have a button lock/static wetmap to moving objects when grid is not moving.

[Ivaylo Katev]

make the grid not moving with the car, as i understand you need to render the mud on the ground

[cb LLC]

So I can have two grids? We want one grid to be stationary that way mud that falls off will not disappear. And one grid around the car that way mud nicely coats car and does not jitter and vibrate is it possible?

Thank you

[Ivaylo Katev]

yes you can, but for me is still not clear how you are planing to simulate the mud.
you can transfer liquid between grids, perhaps this option should be used

[cb LLC]

We still dont know. Our goal is car drives through a mud hole. Mud gets on a car and then we need car to leave chunks of mud on the ground. Unfortunately if we make one giant grid then this will cause mud on a car vibrating and jittering since you said grid must be linked to the moving object to be stationary. But then if we link grid to a moving car then mud will disappear that fell on the ground since grid is moving. I wish there was a lock button that makes particles 100% stationary that get stuck on moving objects.

[Ivaylo Katev]

i think you are worrying about problems that are still not appeared and are minor, very probably you will not see any flickering on the mesh, because the car itself is moving.
i suspect when you try to make it, you will meet different, and perhaps harder problems, because the scene you are trying to simulate is not an easy one.