V-Ray distance texture still affecting viewport/transform performance.

[psanitra]

in Update 2 , i`m still getting this issue where i cannot smoothly transform any objects that are included in V-Ray distance texture map. If it transform such an object, whole max will hang for 10 seconds, then transform, and then hangs again. If i undo, then i have to wait again 10s. The map is still calculating something each time object transform is changed.
I remember this was happening before, i tought it was solved., but it`s still in Next update 1 and now still in Update 2.

V-Ray distance texture is not present in material editor, ME is clear. Map only contains 20 objects(rocks saved to proxy).

[vlado]

Ok; this is a tricky issue to solve as sometimes the distance texture is needed for the viewport (f.e. if you use it in a modifier, or as a density map to scatter objects etc). Maybe a checkbox would need to be added...

Best regards,
Vlado

[psanitra]

vlado
Correct me if i`m wrong - The map does not return correct/valid data prior to rendertime, right? It tiers to, but only works partially - if target object have zero transforms. You can easily test it on plane with sphere and distance map in max displace modifier. If you move the plane off origin it will stop working correctly.

Map also does not scatter properly with Forest pack(Prior to rendertime), because of the above zeroed transform requirement.

From my experience distant map is almost always being used it materials. If it ends up in modifiers it probably by accident, as part of bigger mixmap structures that were pasted there quickly without knowing. These outliner cases should probably be deal with separately. By default the map should not be updating prior to render time.

Anyways, checkbox could do it. But i`m sure there must be a better solution.

[^Lele^]

vlado
Correct me if i`m wrong - The map does not return correct/valid data prior to rendertime, right? It tiers to, but only works partially - if target object have zero transforms. You can easily test it on plane with sphere and distance map in max displace modifier. If you move the plane off origin it will stop working correctly.

Well that's one matrix multiplication away from working though, is it not?
+1 to the "evaluate at rendertime only" checkbox!

[psanitra]

Well that's one matrix multiplication away from working though, is it not?
+1 to the "evaluate at rendertime only" checkbox!

yeah, might be just a bug of missing the transform matrix. But still +1 to the "evaluate at rendertime only" checkbox!

[vlado]

Well that's one matrix multiplication away from working though, is it not?

Sadly, no. It depends on how the map is used. If it is used in a local object-space modifier like the Displace modifier, then the point that the map receives is not in world space, but in object space. We attempted to fix this at some point, but broke another situation with world space modifiers... In general, 3ds Max assumes that object-space modifiers would modify an object in same way regardless of where exactly it is in the scene, which is not true if the texture map in the Displace modifier is intended to work in world space like the distance texture. Resetting the object transform to (0,0,0) fixes it though.

Best regards,
Vlado

[^Lele^]

Resetting the object transform to (0,0,0) fixes it though.

Ouch.
Well, then one could print a warning: an xFrom modifier is an easy enough way out.
EDIT: i ofc assume the map knows it's in a modifier, and used in that way. Which is simplistic, as it could be instanced somewhere else. oh boy.

[vlado]

No, the map doesn't know if it's in a modifier, sadly.

Best regards,
Vlado