3dsmax Vray To USD

[patrick_vanloon]

Hello,

i'm trying to export a 3dsmax scene to an usdz file with vray materials. Every time I do that my vray materials disappear in the USDviewer. I use 3dsmax 2023 Vray 6 update 2.1 and USD 0.7.0. In the export menu i've checked the vray materials option so i dont understand why it wont work. The only way that I found to export a material this way is with a USD Preview Surface and an Uber bitmap. But it should work with Vray materials as well right? Any help is Appreciated

[hermit.crab]

For the materials to show, the USD viewer has to support V-Ray, which it probably doesn't. Try importing the USD scene in 3ds Max and see if that works.

[patrick_vanloon]

Well, in the export menu it says it does, I've attached some images. They show up in the viewer, but not in the viewport of the viewer.

[hermit.crab]

Well, in the export menu it says it does, I've attached some images. They show up in the viewer, but not in the viewport of the viewer.

Well, yes it does export them. However, in the Hydra viewport check the available renderers in the Renderer rollout (top left corner) - V-Ray is not there.

There's another way for previewing, but it would require to export the .usd through Omniverse Connect so that VRayMtls are converted to .MDLs. Note, however, that the support list is quite limited.

[rasmus]

hermit.crab

I've installed the latest USD (v0.7.0.101) from Autodesk and Vray 6.2 in max2024, but I only see Arnold in the "Plugin Configuration" panel. Default Render is set to Vray?... What might I be missing? =). Which USD Exporter is preferrable in general: the one from Autodesk or the one that comes with the Omniverse Connecter for max?

kind regards,
Rasmus

[hermit.crab]

hermit.crab

I've installed the latest USD (v0.7.0.101) from Autodesk and Vray 6.2 in max2024, but I only see Arnold in the "Plugin Configuration" panel. Default Render is set to Vray?... What might I be missing? =).

I presume it's because USD 0.7.0 is not supported on all V-Ray versions.

Which USD Exporter is preferrable in general: the one from Autodesk or the one that comes with the Omniverse Connecter for max?

The 3ds Max native one. It will export V-Ray Mtls as they are, ready to be used within another host platform that supports V-Ray. The Omniverse Connector will convert VRay shaders to .MDLs, which as mentioned earlier do not support a whole lot of parameters/shaders/lights. I mentioned it simply as a workaround to work with the Hydra viewer.

[rasmus]

Thank you hermit.crab ! I've installed vray 6.2.0.06 and now the PluginConfiguration Option of "Vray" is showing as expected. However, when I export any simple geo with a very basic vray shader and PBR textures (vrayBitmaps), no file textures are showing in the Omniverse Composer? Do you have any idea if there are advanced options on the "Vray Configuration", e.g. to collect/relink relative textures next to the .usd?

[hermit.crab]

However, when I export any simple geo with a very basic vray shader and PBR textures (vrayBitmaps), no file textures are showing in the Omniverse Composer?

In the USD Composer's Viewport or in its Stage outliner? Based on a simple scene I tested, V-Ray textures and shaders are correctly stored in the USD, but as mentioned a few times already - you cannot render V-Ray shaders without V-Ray.

Do you have any idea if there are advanced options on the "Vray Configuration", e.g. to collect/relink relative textures next to the .usd?

No, but it seems relative texture paths are automatically exported in the USD stage with their full path.

[RobH22]

I'm reading this thread and I see and acknowledge the limitations you are discussing. I'm unable to transfer a simple V-RayMtl with just a UVW texture bitmap on a cube to USD via Max's exporter or Omniverse USD exporter. In the Export dialog like rasmus originally said, V-Ray is not listed in the exporter's 'Plug-In Configurations'. Only Arnold is listed.

I have V-Ray 6.20.06 and Autodesk USD 0.8.0 installed. I uninstalled both for Max 2024 and reinstalled. Still no listing for V-Ray in the exporter's 'Plug-In Configurations'.

Are there some configuration settings or parameters that I might need to turn on and am overlooking? I realize that some shaders are not supported, but I think I should be able to export a simple cube with a bitmap in the diffuse slot.

[hermit.crab]

I have V-Ray 6.20.06 and Autodesk USD 0.8.0 installed.

As mentioned earlier, that USD version is not yet supported in the official builds. Check the docs page I've linked.

You can download and install the latest stable nightly build, where 0.8.0 is supported here.

[RobH22]

I thought I read the thread pretty well. Sorry I missed that. I'll use your links and appreciate the redirect.

[RobH22]

In case it helps other's wanting to experiment with USD and Omniverse with Max 2024, and who may not have read the above post carefully, as I apparently failed to do....lol... Following Aleksandar's post above to docs and nightly builds solved my issue. I now have access to USD 0.8.0 with Max 2024. Thanks @hermit.crab...

[RobH22]

Reporting back. I retract my previous enthusiasm about having "solved my problem." I thought my problem was access to code that would show 'V-Ray' in the 'Plug-in Configurations.' I did in fact solve that, V-Ray is listed.

However, it doesn't function. I get no textures on the models in Composer. The names are there but nothing is connected or displayed in the viewport. I can certaily convert each texture to an OmniPBR and manually set them up, but I have a model that has 200 materials and that's just not reasonable. I've spent two days exporting every way I could think of from both Max 2024 and Max 2025 and I get not textures. So, I'm throwing in the towel.

So I guess for now, USD and Max are not going to be something that can be relied upon. I can use Datasmith to export the model to UE5 and then UE5 to Composer, but that's a lot of work. Since UE is a competitive realtime-render solution like Composer is, I'm just going to stick with UE until USD for Omniverse Composer connectors mature a bit more.

[hermit.crab]

As mentioned a few times already (post #4, #6, # 8 ), you cannot render V-Ray shaders without V-Ray. You cannot set V-Ray as a renderer in the Omniverse Composer. The shaders may be converted to .MDL, however, there are a lot of limitations (check post #4). I haven't tried the UE to UE composer method but from what I read here either native or .MDL shaders can be rendered.

TLDR: You cannot expect to import a V-Ray shader in Microsoft Paint and expect it to work.
USD is basically a data storage. To read the V-Ray data, however, you need V-Ray.