VRayProxy handling the *.vrmesh

[beestee]

I am not sure that I understand exactly how the VRayProxy objects work. I have some scenes that work very well even with thousands and even tens of thousands of instances of a single VRayProxy.

Now, when I load a single vrmesh in multiple VRayProxy objects I seem to lose the efficiency. I do this so that I can change the material applied to the proxy to introduce greater variety.

Just curious if there is a way to apply different materials to individual VRayProxy objects that reference a single vrmesh without the system loading that vrmesh more than once.

Seems simple in concept, but like I said, I don't understand exactly how these work.

[beestee]

Just ran a test to compare the effect at rendertime:

7m57s - loading a single vrmesh in 15 seperate VRayProxy objects

15s - instancing a single VRayProxy 15 times using the same mesh

This is the output:


I intentionally made this test to load "at once" all 15 VRayProxy objects in a single 64x64 bucket. I used IR+LC to enhance the problem that this is presenting. This was a common case scenario for us, as we are trying to develop a randomizable parking lot full of cars and at once there could be upwards of 20 cars in a 64x64 bucket at great distances. Also, we use LC very frequently, which calculates by frame and could have hundreds of cars visible at once.

We could move away from using LC and reduce our bucket size, but I am afraid that could present a different set of problems and it seems it would be dangerous to rely on a specific set of circumstances in production that would have us teetering on the edge of unrenderability.

Anyway, I hope there is a solution to this as it would greatly broaden the range of usability of the VRayProxy.

[vlado]

There is no problem to apply different materials on instances of the same object - not only VRayProxies, but any 3dsmax geometry. Or maybe you mean something else?

Best regards,
Vlado

[Neilg]

Yeah, you can have different materials on instanced objects, I do it all the time for the same purpose you describe.

[beestee]

Doh!


That is all I needed to know. Found the option in the ME to "Propegate Materials to Instances." This will help us reach our goal, but it kinda stinks that it has been hiding there all this time without my knowledge.

Consider me enlightened!