Vray Displacement Mod + Distance Tex smoothing uv issue

[Kevinb]

Hi

The concept is to push marshmallows in to chocolate.

I'm looking to use Vray Displacement Mod with Vray Distance Tex in the map slot to pick out the edges of the marshmallows intersecting the surface of the chocolate.

The chocolate has vray displacement on it and the DistanceTex is looking at the marshmallow poly. I have swapped the black and white colours for near and far for displacement to read the white as displacement.

This is working great but when I zoom in on my render I'm seeing the mesh poly as if the uvs are not being smoothed for some reason.

I can make the visible poly in the chocolate coming from the DistanceTex map smaller by adding poly into the marshmallows (in the DistanceTex reference) but I don't want to do that as it makes things too heavy. It also doesn't really sort the issue out.

I have tried to smooth the marshmallows using smooth mod, smooth and smooth30 in the ribbon, to no effect.

I have tried adding turbosmooth to the chocolate mesh and this does nothing. So narrowed down to the object being referenced in the DistanceTex.

Does anyone know what's going on here? I'm trying to avoid any baking as I want to make it streamlined to the scale this process to other models.

Attached are screenshot of the issue and my model.

Thank you in advance.
Kevin.

[hermit.crab]

I reproduced the issue, I'll write back with more information after some additional testing.

[Kevinb]

Hi Aleksandar.

That's great thanks for taking the time to take a look. I have been scratching my head for a while.

Thanks

[hermit.crab]

Sorry to say, there may not be a way to make a smooth Displacement (without additional subdivision of the object's mesh) with the distance tex, since it works by measuring the distance between the geometric edges of the object, not the smoothed ones and draws a black and white map onto the object based on that. Your best bet would be to bake the VRayDistanceTex map.

[Kevinb]

Hi Aleksandar. I did think this could be the case. I appreciate you looking in to it for me. I have started baking them in currently. Its a shame the DistanceTex+Vray Displacement doesn't smooth in the way we want it to here as this adds another step to the process BUT I understand. Fingers crossed new versions and updates allow this.

Thanks again

[Kevinb]

Alexsandar, I have a development. I have baked all the displacement maps coming from the Distance Texture and applied them back in to the Vray Displacement. Still getting some smoothing issues, without and without turbosmooth added, and with editing Displacement edge lengths. I have also got a blur on the map to help smooth things off, which normally works nicely, but doesn't seem to do much here. Will upload a collect of the project.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/dcb6yrseux...upper.zip?dl=0

Hopefully the link works for you to download the project. If not let me know an email and I can wetransfer.

If you have time to check it out that would be handy. (attached)

[Kevinb]

Close up of the the section with no denoiser on. Turbosmooth on here but makes no difference.

[piotrus3333]

any chance doing it by just pushing geometry in/out?
chocolate >> volume select verts with mesh from marshmallows (particles? mesher?) >> push modifier

[Kevinb]

Hi Piotrus3333.
I have thought about this option but punted for the displacement route as I can keep the work flow quick and scalable across all characters /numbers, but also need to keep poly down so a map gives me that option.

The push option is great but not sure it will tick all the boxes for me here.

[hermit.crab]

Kevinb I actually mislead you with the baking suggestion, since the map will act exactly as the DistanceTex's internal b&w map drawing, excuse me for that. Turbosmooth won't work in this scenario, since the map is already baked.
Thanks for the provided scene, by the way. Setting the displacement map as the VRayDistanceTex and tessellating the marshmallow objects (with turbosmooth) does result in a smoother displacement, despite being heavy.

[Kevinb]

Hi Aleksandar. No problem, was good to check that workflow out anyway.

If I compare the outcome of the DistanceTex vs the baked map the detail and result is much better with the baked map instead of the Distance Texture. The Distance Texture doesn't give me the same results as the baked, which isn't a problem but just thought I would drop that here. Unless you get the same, then its me.

To double check then, there is no way to smooth the surfaces being driven by then Vray Displacement with a baked map(jpeg) or the on render map of the DistanceTex, unless i put more poly in to the marshmallow? Is that a bug or is just how Vray works?

Secondly, so I understand. Now I have baked the map from the DistanceTex, does that now overwrite the issue from the marshmallow having no turbosmooth on it. Increase the poly to then would directly help or relate now? Surely the new baked map is different? Again open to discussion and learning.

Thanks again for taking the time to check.

[Kevinb]

Im also testing just 3Ds Max displacement with turbosmooth on as an option. Below... Seems to handle things using the same map and smooths it out but can still see poly edges. So guess its working in the same way?


I plan to release these alphabets for the graphic industry so the models making up words could do with being light in poly (as much as possible)

All fun.

[hermit.crab]

It is how V-Ray works - the distance tex measures distance from the "true" geometry.
Turbosmooth won't affect the baked map, since it affects the Distance tex map drawing, not the already rendered maps. Baking with the higher poly marshmallows would certainly produce a better result and would not require tessellated objects post-baking.

[Kevinb]

Ok will give that a go. Thanks Aleksandar.

[Kevinb]

Hi ok...

This is the render with a Turbosmoothed (x1), baked map from the DistanceTex which references the Marshmallows (turbosmoothed). LEFT is not denoised too but you can still see the results in both.

It doesn't seem to do much or anything with more poly in the marshmallow then baked.

LEFT NEW - RIGHT OLD pre Turbosmoothed Marshmallow bake. (this is making me hungry)



Next up. Direct placement of the DistanceTex map in the VrayDisplacement map slot referencing the newly Turbosmoothed (x1) Marshmallows. Denoiser off to see whats going on.
Only adjustment was to place -1 in the displacement map texmap min to get the same result.


This gives a completely different feel to the map but also the smoother result seems to elude me.

ALSO
.
Tessellated marshmallow Baked DistanceTex as TGA to displacement map version here




What results did you get Alexsandar?