34003 vrscene export doesn't save frame range

[delineator]

Been able to reproduce this reliably. I have not updated to 34004, but I don't believe the release notes mention anything about this.

Under settings output, it will not reproduce the settings saved whilst in SketchUp (I typically select frame range, and then hit "get animation range"). However, on the output vrscene file we get:

SettingsOutput _SettingsOutput {
  img_width=1920;
  img_height=1080;
  img_pixelAspect=1;
  img_file="U:\Tmp\2017 JULY ANIMATION\raw frames\final\rooftop_animation_delta.exr";
  img_dir="";
  img_file_needFrameNumber=1;
  img_separateAlpha=0;
  img_noAlpha=0;
  img_dontSaveRgbChannel=0;
  img_saveVelocityZeroBase=0;
  img_deepFile=0;
  img_rawFile=0;
  img_rawFileVFB=1;
  anim_start=0;
  anim_end=1;
  anim_frame_padding=4;
  anim_renumber_on=0;
  anim_renumber_start=0;
  anim_renumber_step=1;
  anim_ren_frame_start=0;
  frame_start=0;
  frames_per_second=30;
  frames=List(
      ListIntHex("ZIPC080000000E000000eJxjYGBgqABiAAHoAHk=")

Not a big deal to change this, its just annoying to have to manually edit the vrscene file each and everytime. A nice check box or render channel with a velocity pass channel would be great too, so I don't have to edit each time

[Peter.Chaushev]

Animation frame range is stored in the frames List parameter as a hexidecimal value.

[delineator]

hmmmm, ok, but does it do that in other vrscene files? I will have to retest, but I don't believe the animation will render via vrscene unless the anim start and anim end parameter is changed. Additionally, this means that programs looking for this info (render farms parsing the vrscene file, deadline, etc) do not autofill the information so that frame info has to be manually entered. I'll have to test this out more, but I'd be curious as to how this is handled in other plugins (ie 3ds max via vrscene export, maya, rhino, etc)

[Peter.Chaushev]

There should be no issue rendering a specific frame sequence using a vrscene file. V-Ray Standalone properly reads the frame range from the frame list value.
Let us know if you stumble upon any problems related to animation rendering.

Kind regards,
Peter

[delineator]

Right....but what about all the other programs that parse vrscene files based on previous vrscene parameters? I tested last night and deadline is rendering the animated sequence (though it does not automatically know how many frames are in the sequence and I have to manually overrride that).

This is one of my biggest gripes about vray for sketchup: the lack of interoperability with other vray products. vrmesh from Max to SU? Geometry yes, materials no. Vrscene from SU to Max? Geometry yes, materials kinda, lights no, settings no. Vrmesh from SU to Max? No. Settings across products? No chance. Materials across products? Maybe, but don't count on it.

Its just frustrating when I'm trying to get something done within the vray family and products do not talk to each other or behave like their brothers and sisters. This is especially frustrating when you throw in something like a Rebus or Deadline, in which they have built their products off a common "vray language" only to find that it differs from product to product and guess who is left to kick dirt? The SU folk.

I've been working with the folks at Deadline since the initial alpha release of vray3 for SU (almost a year ago) to get their vrscene submitter working properly for SU exported vrscenes. And we are very very close, but the biggest hurdles have been trying to figure out what render channels are called because apparently that parameter differs from product to product. And because of that, to this day, we have to create a workaround because ID channels and extra texture channels from a SU exported vrscene are not recognized by their parser. Want to bet what software suites this is solved for (albeit with the occasional bug)?

[Peter.Chaushev]

As already mentioned, V-Ray Standalone properly reads which animation frames should be rendered out of a vrscene created in V-Ray 3.4 for SketchUp.
What is important for achieving identical results when rendering vrscenes is to use the same V-Ray Standalone version (or at least one very close in terms of release date).

You bring very good points. This is something our dev team has discussed in depth and is actively working on a solution which will improve V-Ray data transfer between V-Ray for SketchUp and other V-Ray products. Enhancing the V-Ray Proxy controls is also something in active development.
For any specific troubles using a render manager with vrscenes, we cannot provide direct support. Please discuss such issues with your render manager's support team and ask them if they need help or information to contact us - my colleagues will be happy to provide assistance!

Kind regards,
Peter