VRayProxy with per frame alembic files not updating in viewport with V-RAY NEXT

[gramx]

Hi,

We have found that when using the VRayProxy with per frame alembic files that we no longer get an update in the viewport and also the Animation offset controls our now greyed out. This is causing major issues with our FX pipeline, as we currently export all particle and geo alembic caches from Houdini in the following file format name.####.abc

We then use the VRayProxy to read these caches using the Expand # to frame number option. Previously we had the option to offset these caches and preview them in the viewport, V-Ray Next only displays the first frame you load and then does not update when you change frames, and the frame offset control is also now greyed out. This makes it really difficult to adjust timings and align FX in the viewport.

Anyone else having this issue, or know any workarounds?

Thanks

Graham

[gramx]

Just in case anyone can check this I have made a 100 frame alembic sequence, containing geometry numbers witch match the sequence frame number. https://www.dropbox.com/s/dyomuda3n5...uence.zip?dl=0

[Miro]

We have the issue already logged in the bug tracker and will post here when it's fixed.

[baumgore]

Anything new with this issue?
When will it be fixed? it's quite of a project-breaker issue here.

[matanov]

It should be fixed in the upcoming Update 2.

[baumgore]

Just tested update 2 and Alembic sequences are still not refreshing automatically in the viewport (in show whole mesh mode), at least it's rendering the right cache frame.
So why not use preview modes? Our problem is this: Id you put a max modifier or use the mesh for boolean operations on top of the cache, you need whole mesh mode. Then VrayProxy is not forcing a cache refresh every frame, so the mesh gets stuck on one frame AND renders only the same frame over and over. We need modifier on top of caches for different reasons.
I am fully aware that modifier pulls the mesh from the cache into 3dsmax-mesh-"space" for being able to change it, so it consumes more memory, probably loose Alembic multi resolution and gets processed by 3ds max geometry pipeline prior to rendering, BUT the flexibility you get with caches + modifiers or booleans is HUGE.

VrayProxy with Alembics in VRay 3.6 was able to do this flawlessly.

[Margarita.Stoeva]

Hello!

Proxy sequence sometimes fails to update in the viewport with show whole mesh display mode in ceratin situations. We're already working on fixing this.
As a tempoary workaround you can copy the mesh file string in the preview override field - this should work with V-Ray Next Update 2.

Best regards,
Margarita

[kagemaru]

Sorry for bringing this up again, but we are finding again problems with vrayproxy/alembic as show whole mesh not refreshing.
When i open the max file, it is stuck on the first frame and not updating anymore: it renders fine at rendertime but as soon as we have modifiers on top, it is back being frozen. The preview path trick isn't working, it's the "animation" tab that is completely greyed out. Looks like a UI problem, if i manually switch preview type, and back again to whole mesh, it's fine.
As baumgore wrote, we know it's not ideal, but sometimes using vrayproxy in this way is very convenient and it used to work perfectly until vray 3.6: just as an example, i opened today a scene that needed to be re-rendered and it's now failing.
We are on vray 5 at the moment, so it isn't fixed even after next.
I really hope this can be fixed, thanks in advance.

[tdugard]

Sorry for bringing this up again, but we are finding again problems with vrayproxy/alembic as show whole mesh not refreshing.
When i open the max file, it is stuck on the first frame and not updating anymore: it renders fine at rendertime but as soon as we have modifiers on top, it is back being frozen. The preview path trick isn't working, it's the "animation" tab that is completely greyed out. Looks like a UI problem, if i manually switch preview type, and back again to whole mesh, it's fine.
As baumgore wrote, we know it's not ideal, but sometimes using vrayproxy in this way is very convenient and it used to work perfectly until vray 3.6: just as an example, i opened today a scene that needed to be re-rendered and it's now failing.
We are on vray 5 at the moment, so it isn't fixed even after next.
I really hope this can be fixed, thanks in advance.

Hello i'm facing the same problem, vray 5 here and the issue is still here. Any progress on this ?

We use vrayproxies as alembic reader but with this annoying bug is ruinning everything. We are using abc in one file not one file by frame and same issue