Texture Switch and particle id

[simonbjork]

I'm trying to randomize textures for lots and lots of patricles using the Texture Switch node. It all works great when I have the particles "live", but as soon as I convert the particles to meshes, it all breaks. It's somewhat expected to break as modos "freeze replicator" command doesn't preserve the particle id channels. But even if I set the "pid" channel for each instance to be the same as it was when it was live (using a custom python script) it doesn't work. It does work in modos internal renderer though.

Is vray not using the "pid" (particle id) channel for meshes when they are baked? Can I work around it somehow? I see there's a Vray Switch Matrial node, but not sure if that can replace the Texture Switch. In my production scene I'm going to have hundreds of different images that I want to randomize.

See attached screenshots and sample scenes.

[John_Do]

Hey Simon,

If I have correctly understood your issue, you can reuse the Texture Switch in conjunction with a Variation Texture on your frozen meshes.

Just set the Variation Source to Item and use the value curve to drive the distribution.

There is also Texture Particle as a Variation Source setting, maybe it's what you're looking for ? ( I've never used this kind of setup with particles )

[simonbjork]

Thanks, yes that works .

Texture Particle sounds super intresting, but I haven't found any more info regarding that.

When testig this further I also noticed that I also can't use "Mesh part" when an item is converted to a VRay-Proxy. That would have been the best. Anyhow, I guess the item version will work for now.

[vladimir.nedev]

I'm trying to randomize textures for lots and lots of patricles using the Texture Switch node. It all works great when I have the particles "live", but as soon as I convert the particles to meshes, it all breaks. It's somewhat expected to break as modos "freeze replicator" command doesn't preserve the particle id channels. But even if I set the "pid" channel for each instance to be the same as it was when it was live (using a custom python script) it doesn't work. It does work in modos internal renderer though.

The Particle ID channel on mesh items is not supported. It's on the todo list.

I see there's a Vray Switch Matrial node, but not sure if that can replace the Texture Switch.

The switch material is an equivalent to the texture switch, but for materials.

There is also Texture Particle as a Variation Source setting, maybe it's what you're looking for ? ( I've never used this kind of setup with particles )

Texture particle input is used with the Texture Replicator in the Texture Locator, we don't support these two.

When testig this further I also noticed that I also can't use "Mesh part" when an item is converted to a VRay-Proxy. That would have been the best. Anyhow, I guess the item version will work for now.

This one is also on the todo list...


Note that, converting to V-Ray Proxy or baking the Replicator as meshes, won't help you with your image sequence size problem, not sure why Boyan suggested this in the other thread.

Greetings,
Vladimir Nedev

[simonbjork]

Thanks for the info Vladimir . Great that they are on the todo list alredy, they're pretty useful. The texture switch node works great with vray otherwise.