Is this acceptable in professional software?

[Ian Sloan]

Hi,

I have dabbled with Vray but after discovering that there are very few materials supplied with the SketchUp version, I quickly became frustrated. I can't believe such an expensive piece of software expects the end user to scavange for, or have to create, nearly all their own materials. After seeing that there was quite a good selection of materials available for 3DS Max I downloaded the free Material Studio program from AGSvis to convert these for use with SketchUp. A good idea if it worked, but it doesn't. When you try to import these converted files you just keep getting the error message that it is an "Invalid file type". If anybody knows how to get this program to work correctly I would appreciate it. I accept, but doubt, that it is user error. Other users seem to have the same problem.
Even if it did work, I was still put off by the fact you can't actually view vray textures on your model in the viewport.
You can only see them when rendered. That seems like software that was released before it was fit for use.
A real shame, because good Vray renders look superb.

If I have got anything wrong here I am more than happy to stand corrected.

Thanks.

[thomthom]

Re: Is this acceptable in professional software?

ServicePack1 comes with many more materials than what the original version did. And there's the download section at this site.

I don't see materials as a requirement for a render
program, but it sure is nice to have some to get you started.


As for seeing the material in SketchUp, that's not possible as SketchUp doesn't give control over the viewport to plugins. SketchUp is designed to be a modeller, not a renderer.

There are some threads here at the forum which talks about converting V-Ray Max material to V-Ray SU material. Don't have a link though.

[dcauldwell_cg]

Re: Is this acceptable in professional software?

I count over 200 materials in the download section here
http://asgvis.com/index.php?option=c...c=select&id=16

The way VR for SU is intended to be used is that you set-up the materials in SU, so you can see straight away what you will get in the SU view. When you render, then you get the bells and whistles, (i.e. bump, displacement, reflection etc)

I think once you have got into it you will appreciate it a little more!

Good rendering

David

[Ian Sloan]

Re: Is this acceptable in professional software?

So, its the workflow procedure and interface that I will have to get to grips with.
You apply the materials in the normal way using SketchUp and then make them linked to the vray materials to get the full effect when rendered. Is that correct?
I assume if you scale or otherwise change the texture in SketchUp that automatically gets updated in the vray material?

I must be doing something wrong with Material Studio because it still won't work.

Thanks for explaining that the viewing of materials is a SketchUp restriction and has nothing to do with Vray. I hope version 7.0 of SketchUp can change that.

Thanks for the responses guys.

[thomthom]

Re: Is this acceptable in professional software?

With the ServiceRelease all SketchUp materials are automatically synced with the V-Ray materials. With the original you had to manually link them.

And yes, you map the textures in SketchUp. Setting any mapping co-ordninates in the V-Ray material to anything than Explicit Mapping is unpredictable. If a material doesn't have a texture applied there isn't any mapping co-ordinates available for SU. It's also recommended that you apply the materials directly to the mesh, not the outside of groups and components. At least if the materials have textures applied.