Correct way to instance a VRay proxy?

[daviddeacon]

Hi,

I'm looking to instance VRay proxies to a grain simulation, I'm also looking to render on VRay cloud so I need the vrscene to be as efficient as possible for upload.

The 450k points with velocity and pscale comes out at round 7mb for one frame.

With the VRay proxies packed and copied to the points, it balloons up to 200mb. So after a short frame range I'm over 15Gb+ which isn't realistic for me to upload.

Is there a more efficient way to do this?

Thanks,
David.

[chakarov]

Hi daviddeacon , did you try to turn on "Use Rayserver Instancer (WIP)" in V-Ray Object Properties? in my test scene it reduces the vrscene file size a lot. You can add those properties to your geo node from V-Ray shelf button.

[daviddeacon]

chakarov I just tried it enabling it. I the file size did drop to 39Mb, I then tested the vrscene in VRay for Maya and got nothing. Then tried in houdini and also they didnt show up in the render...

[Gosho.Genchev]

Hey there,

the viewport preview is indeed empty but the render should not be. Can you please check if this file ( https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dH_...ew?usp=sharing ) is working as expected for you ?

Cheers!

[daviddeacon]

Thanks,

Your setup seems very similar to mine. I did have an issue creating the proxy from Tommy crashes Houdini...

In my setup it's not that it isn't working, it's just creating huge files and chakarov 's suggestion doesn't render

[chakarov]

Hello again daviddeacon , we currently have some bugs in vrproxy export, but devs are work to fix them. Can you send me a simple scene with your setup so I can check if the problem is in proxy export or something else.

[bdancer]

daviddeacon

> I then tested the vrscene in VRay for Maya and got nothing.

Got nothing where? In viewport? In render? Were there any error messages in log?

> Then tried in houdini and also they didnt show up in the render.

Like you exported vrscene from Houdini, then loaded in Maya with VRayScene, then exported again and then loaded back in Houdini?
Was the alpha channel valid?

> I did have an issue creating the proxy from Tommy crashes Houdini...

Have you tried exporting to Alembic?

[daviddeacon]

bdancer

Here is a link to my test scene.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/t6eyptfkpd...ancer.zip?dl=0

Includes a point cache and a vrmesh instanced to the points.

This is written to a vrscene for rendering in side VRay for Maya and ultimately to be rendered on VRay cloud.

This renders as expected in VRay for Houdini.

Exporting just as points to a vrscene it comes in at 7mb, with the proxy instanced to the points it comes in at 200mb+.

I tested the 'Rayserver Instancer' suggested by chakarov. With this enabled the instanced proxies don't render in VRay for houdini.

When imported into VRay for Maya 4.04.03

I get no instanced proxies, and this in the log.

// Warning: line 1: V-Ray : Failed to create object of type "InfoRenderEngine" //
// Warning: line 1: V-Ray : Unknown property "use_direct_velocity" in object "|obj|grid1|geo" //
// Warning: line 1: V-Ray : Unknown property "use_direct_velocity" in object "|obj|instancer|packed|63A9E2EA" //
// Warning: line 1: V-Ray : Failed to create object of type "GeomRayserverInstancer" //
// Warning: line 1: V-Ray : Unknown property "use_direct_velocity" in object "|obj|instancer|geo" //

Testing the latest VRay Maya nightly 4.12.03 again I get no instanced proxies but a different log message.

// Error: line 1: V-Ray : Failed reading file "//": "Error parsing scene" //

The idea is to have some close ups of animated sand, Pixar's short piper is the inspiration for the technique. Having this work efficiently is probably going to be make or break for rendering it on vray cloud.

Thanks,
David

[chakarov]

Just tested the provided scene and this is what I got in Houdini and V-Ray Cloud. The only thing I've changed is camera position and @pscale = .01, so I be able to see the proxies. Is this what you trying to achieve?

[daviddeacon]

Is that with the 'Rayserver Instancer' enabled?

My only problem is the current x28 file size increase in using instanced proxies over rendering points. As when I scale to a production asset and multiple frames the caches will take longer to upload than render locally.

[bdancer]

> When imported into VRay for Maya 4.04.03

You *have* to use compatible V-Ray Core version. In our case you have to use some recent V-Ray for Maya 4.12 stable build.

> Testing the latest VRay Maya nightly 4.12.03 again I get no instanced proxies but a different log message.

// Error: line 1: V-Ray : Failed reading file "//": "Error parsing scene" //

How have you tested this? This looks like a Maya message. Have u loaded exported vrscene with VRayScene node or?
This error may only appear if file is corrupted somehow.

[daviddeacon]

Shouldn't it would in Houdini in VRay for Houdini first, I'm currently on the 30 day trial could that be old code?

[bdancer]

daviddeacon, do you have access to nightly builds? You should have access to stable nightlies at least. Try a build from here: https://nightlies.chaosgroup.com/mai...ni/stable/4.12

[daviddeacon]

Okay some progress, after upgrading to the latest stable nightly. I get instanced proxies with Rayserver Instancer enabled when rendering in VRay for Houdini, they don't appear in IPR. The exported vrscene loaded into VRay Maya nightly 4.12.03, works also again just not in IPR.

[bdancer]

> they don't appear in IPR.

Same scene? Works fine for me.

> works also again just not in IPR.

VRayScene in Maya do not support IPR updates, but I don't see any reasons why they should not render.