Proxies in V-Ray for Revit

[Ana Lyubenova]

Hi all,

This post comes as a follow up on a message we received from jaybehr
Although proxies are not a new feature in the V-Ray for Revit context, people continue asking us the same questions. So, we've decided to put together a short FAQ forwarding to some useful resources.

1. Why .vrmeshes imported in Revit render in magenta and their materials are missing? - This is expected behavior which relates to the .vrmesh format specifics. The .vrmesh stores info only about the geometry and its corresponding material IDs but not about the materials themselves. While you can't edit the geometry, you have the freedom to assign it with any material you created in V-Ray for Revit. More info about the .vrmesh format can be found on the following page.

2. How to import and control proxies in V-Ray for Revit can be found on the following page.

3. Where can I find .vrmesh files? - You either export them from other V-Ray host apps, or you can use the ply2vrmesh converter which installs along with your V-Ray for Revit installation.

4. How to export a .vrmesh from various V-Ray host apps? - Click the respective app name for more details: 3Ds Max, SketchUp, Rhino

5. How to use the ply2vrmesh converter? - It's a command line tool and you can watch how to use it in the following webinar, simply jump at 32:00 min.

6. So how can I import geometry plus materials in V-Ray for Revit? - One option is to use the .vrscene format which is covered in the official V-Ray Next for Revit webinar at 35:00 min.

In case you don't find answers to your questions in the list above, do not hesitate to contact us.

Cheers,
The V-Ray for Revit team

[cnd7jones]

Ana, if we create a proxy (from max) but it's not generating a material slot, how do we apply a material?

[Ana Lyubenova]

Most probably it was exported from Max like that, check your settings there. Otherwise, you can also send me that .vrmesh at ana.lyubenova@chaos.com

[cnd7jones]

Just a follow up, if I break up the model in max to have a multisub material then i'm able to assign a material. I just have to have more than 1 material to make that happen. this seems like a glitch to me.

[Ana Lyubenova]

So, I made an experiment and I can't reproduce it. That's why I suspect there is something in your export settings.

Here's what I did:
1. I built a 3Ds Max geometry (in my case it's a simple cube)
2. I assigned it with a Multi/Sub-Object material. By default, it launches with 10 material slots but I used the Set Number control to make them only 2. And I assigned both materials with ID numbers 1 and 2.
3. Then, I added an Edit Poly modifier to the geometry, set the selection to Polygon, and in the Polygon:Material IDs rollout, I set the IDs of each polygon to match the ID of the materials from p.2
4. Then, exported the .vrmesh
5. On import to V-Ray's Asset Editor in Revit, 2 material slots are generated corresponding to the setup done in 3ds Max.

Let me know if your approach is any closer to that. Also, let me know your V-Ray for Revit version.

Best,
Ana

[cnd7jones]

Yes thats exactly what i'm able to make work, but I want to do it without mulit sub just a single vray material for the object. we're on 5.2023 thanks for looking into this!

[Ana Lyubenova]

You can then skip step 2 from the above description. Only assign the same material ID (as described in step 3) to the whole object and export the .vrmesh. Prior to exporting, in the VRay mesh export dialog, disable the Create Multi/Sub-Object Mtl checkbox at the bottom left corner.
For me, this results in a single material slot for the Proxy Mesh in Revit. Let me know if it would work for you.

[arno_delange]

Where do we change the scale now.. there is no asset browser any more.. is now cosmos button.. my models come in to big.

[arno_delange]

found it: it is the little icon behind the proxy in the appearance manager

[Ana Lyubenova]

I'm happy that you found it. As you asked about scale though, assets scale is changed from the bottom of the Appearance Manager window (former Asset Browser). You need to pick an item from the list in order to unlock the scale/rotation controls.

[logan_carrozza1]

Ana Lyubenova Why does the proxy load in so big? I'm exporting from 3ds Max to a .vrmesh file and in 3ds Max the object is 100mm but when I load the proxy into Revit its 3000mm tall. Changing the scale or file units in 3Ds Max before exporting doesn't seem to make any difference. Neither does changing the Revit Project files units before or after importing. I have to scale the proxy in Revit to 0.03937x (1mm to inch conversion). How do I reduce the size the vrmesh loads in as without changing the scale in the appearance manager?

EDIT: Figured out my issue. After A LOT of searching, I finally found this post that described my issue exactly. The fix was to reset XForm after scaling down the mesh. 3ds Max help page for the function for my fellow 3ds noobs.