Proper instancing of .vrmesh

[jreynolds]

Could someone please help me clarify a statement in the VRay docs based on a couple scenarios?

The help reads:
If you need to create several proxies linked to the same .vrmesh file, it's better to make them instances - this will save memory since the .vrmesh file will be loaded only once.

Scenario one:
Using Duplicate Special and checking the "Instance" box

or
Scenario two:
Using Duplicate Special and cheicking the "Copy" box but selection "Duplicate input connections" (and not "Duplicate input graph")


I've come from using VRay in Max for years and am now working with Maya full time so I'm wondering if there is some translation to the above statement. I would understand in the help I should use the first method but it appears to me that the second would be the better solution for basic asset management purposes and takes less of a memory hit in Maya.

Thanks in advance,
--Jon

[Morbid Angel]

Hey bud!

Both methods will give you the same result. If you do instance, then only transform is copied but the shape and its incoming connection remains from original mesh. If you do duplicate with input, then it will copy the original mesh and its shape and also all of its incoming connections. For working with multiple geometry, especially proxies, all you need to do is to be able to place them in the world, so you need to have transform and don't really care for shape. However, I think that duplicate will give you better result, because its more controllable, you can add custom attrs to specific meshes, where as with one instance its all on one shape. Also maya handles instances in a funny way, often duplicate would be better especially with a proxy.

[jreynolds]

Sweet thanks for the great explanation Dmitry, I was hoping it worked that way will be super useful to be able to add custom attrs.