MODO 801 SP4 and the new render cache API

[vladimir.nedev]

I am thinking of switching the nightly builds to use the 801 SP4 SDK.
This will make it possible to use the new render cache API to export hair/fur from MODO to V-Ray,
but might make the V-Ray plug-in incompatible with 801 SP3 and earlier 801 SPs.
Has anyone here stuck to SP3 because of issues with SP4 ?

Greetings,
Vladimir Nedev

[Steffen Dünner]

Go for it!

[swizzelz]

Nope, all updated and working fine here

[Dentzz]

Switched over to SP4 awhile ago and haven't noticed any issues.

[kubbek]

Also have no problems with sp4.

[vladimir.nedev]

Ok then, I will write back here when I switch the nightly builds to use the 801 SP4 SDK.
I just tested it and older versions of MODO 801 will indeed crash when trying to load the V-Ray for MODO plug-in compiled with the 801 SP4 SDK.
The next official open beta build (3.00.07) will also use the new SDK version, so it will require MODO 801 SP4 as well.

Greetings,
Vladimir Nedev

[uncle pritt]

I have no problem using SP4. I'm wondering if this change will be a step forward to the new 901 in few days, I hope in very little code changes with the new release.
Thank you.

[vladimir.nedev]

I have no problem using SP4. I'm wondering if this change will be a step forward to the new 901 in few days, I hope in very little code changes with the new release.
Thank you.

V-Ray for MODO runs in MODO 901 with just a recompile, although I still have to add support for some of the new features.
I haven't added the 901 version to the nightly builds in order to avoid people breaking their NDAs by posting bugs related to new 901 features in this forum.

Greetings,
Vladimir Nedev

[uncle pritt]

V-Ray for MODO runs in MODO 901 with just a recompile, although I still have to add support for some of the new features.
I haven't added the 901 version to the nightly builds in order to avoid people breaking their NDAs by posting bugs related to new 901 features in this forum.

Greetings,
Vladimir Nedev

This is very good to know. Thank you.

[vladimir.nedev]

A test image using the Render Cache API. This image uses texture locators with Implicit UV as the Projection Type and a Variation texture with Particle for the Variation Source.
Both of these wouldn't work when using the "Bake Geometry Cache" command, as it doesn't bake the implicit UV map and the strand IDs (which are needed for the variation texture).



Greetings,
Vladimir Nedev

[vladimir.nedev]

Tomorrows nightly build (the one from 2015-05-15) will use the MODO 801 SP4 SDK, and will subsequently crash with earlier versions of MODO 801.
It will also have initial support for exporting geometry generated by MODO's Fur Material. This is implemented using the new Render Cache API.

Some things that don't work with the Fur geometry, but I will get back to them in a couple of weeks (or maybe sooner) :
- animation
- motion blur
- RT updates
- UVs for the cylinder output type

Some problems with the API that need to be fixed by The Foundry in a service pack (hopefully SP5).
1. After the Render Cache API is used, MODO will crash when:
- the current time is changed
- scene is closed
- attempt is made to open an existing scene
- attempt is made to create a new scene
Because of this bug, usage of the render cache API is disabled in V-Ray for MODO by default.
The V-Ray Preferences have a new option called "Use Render Cache" (near the bottom) which will enable it.

2. When both a Variation texture in particle mode and an Image map are used for shading the Fur geometry
(when in Strips output mode), the image map's UVs will be incorrect.

3. Sometimes the V-Ray export will be unexpectedly aborted when calls to the Render cache API are made.
I had this happen when the Fur material's View Frustum Culling option is enabled. Disabling
it fixes the problem.

It will be very helpful, if you can run some tests, so further problems can be found and fixed by me or reported to The Foundry.

Greetings,
Vladimir Nedev

[John_Do]

Some problems with the API that need to be fixed by The Foundry in a service pack (hopefully SP5).
1. After the Render Cache API is used, MODO will crash when:
- the current time is changed
- scene is closed
- attempt is made to open an existing scene
- attempt is made to create a new scene
Because of this bug, usage of the render cache API is disabled in V-Ray for MODO by default.
The V-Ray Preferences have a new option called "Use Render Cache" (near the bottom) which will enable it.

These are serious bugs, don't they make this feature practically unusable on a daily basis ? Can we expect an improved version of this API in the 901 ?

Anyway, thank you !

[vladimir.nedev]

These are serious bugs, don't they make this feature practically unusable on a daily basis ? Can we expect an improved version of this API in the 901 ?

Anyway, thank you !

Yes, it does make it unusable on a daily basis. I am hoping they fix this bug in a service pack for MODO 801. It is present in the MODO 901 Beta as well.
Or maybe it turns out I am doing something wrong, but it doesn't seem like it. Even the simplest use of the Render Cache API triggers the crashes.

Greetings,
Vladimir Nedev

[vladimir.nedev]

I've added support for UV maps when the Fur Material's Type is set to Cylinders.
These changes will be in nightly build from 2014-05-22, as well as in the 3.00.07 open beta build.

Greetings,
Vladimir Nedev

[vladimir.nedev]

These are serious bugs, don't they make this feature practically unusable on a daily basis ? Can we expect an improved version of this API in the 901 ?

Anyway, thank you !

I can confirm that problem 1 (crashes on open/close scene) seems fixed in the latest Release Candidate of MODO 901. Hopefully the fix makes it into a service pack for MODO 801.

Greetings,
Vladimir Nedev