LuxC4D 0.06

[abstrax]

I gave converting a procedural texture to an image mapped texture a try (the process isn't as hard as I thought) and tried a render in LuxRender. However, I get an error dialog ("abnormal condition reported") and the following shows up in the Log:

Code: Select all

[2009-Oct-21 18:58:40 Info: 0] Loading Cimg Texture: '/Users/james/Documents/Cinema 4D/TRex/tex/skullColor.bmp'...
[2009-Oct-21 18:58:40 Info: 0] 2048x2048 (3 channels)
[2009-Oct-21 18:58:40 Info: 0] Memory used for imagemap '/Users/james/Documents/Cinema 4D/TRex/tex/skullColor.bmp': 12288KBytes
[2009-Oct-21 18:58:40 Info: 0] Loading Cimg Texture: '/Users/james/Documents/Cinema 4D/TRex/tex/skullBump.bmp'...
[2009-Oct-21 18:58:40 Info: 0] 2048x2048 (3 channels)
[2009-Oct-21 18:58:41 Info: 0] Memory used for imagemap '/Users/james/Documents/Cinema 4D/TRex/tex/skullBump.bmp': 12288KBytes
[2009-Oct-21 18:58:41 Warning: 0] Parameter 'UV' not used
[2009-Oct-21 18:58:43 Warning: 0] Parameter 'UV' not used
[2009-Oct-21 18:58:51 Warning: 0] Parameter 'UV' not used
[2009-Oct-21 18:58:51 Warning: 0] Parameter 'UV' not used


The texture does not show up in the render.

The problem is, that until RC6 the UVs were stored under the parameter "UV" in a mesh. Since the final release it's "uv". I don't know why it was changed, but I had to update LuxC4D. There are also a few other issues since the final release, I try to resolve. I hope that I have a running version 0.06c tomorrow.

[abstrax]

Don't use Sky of AdvancedRender, it crashes LuxRender.

Thanks for the info - I will have a look at it.

[abstrax]

I've been working on a couple of different projects in Cinema 4D, and doing some renders as I go in LuxRender for the purpose of comparison. I love the way that LuxRender does it's renders, as it almost always produces a very natural, pleasing result. I like the fact that I can get a pretty good idea of how the render is going in a relatively short period of time, or if I need to adjust something. I love the fact that I can get great looking caustics from glass and metal objects without a lot of hackey work-arounds. But, sadly, I am a texturing geek. I love tweaking and massaging multi-layer procedurals to turn ordinary polygons into fossilized bone, or sedimentary rock, or cultured marble, etc. This is a level of interaction missing from the current implementation of LuxRender's Cinema4D plug in.

I realize we aren't going to see Cinema4D's shaders implemented in LuxRender, but its also not feasible sometimes to give every object a proper UV map and turn every texture into a bitmap. What kind of procedural noise engine is available in LuxRender for doing this kind of work?

It will not be possible in the near future to use C4D shaders in Lux. I would have to integrate Lux into C4D rendering or the other way around and I doubt that this will be possible without changes in Lux. But you can bake them in C4D - as you already tried. Unfortunately (due to a change in Lux) UVs have to be exported now under a different name (this is the original spec I was following and which worked until RC6: http://www.luxrender.net/wiki/index.php ... ormat#Mesh). With LuxC4D 0.06c it will be possible again.

What I'm working on at the moment, is writing C4D shaders that emulate the behaviour of Lux shaders. I'm also working on a C4D material that emulates Lux materials. Together you will be able to create and edit the scene in C4D, using the C4D workflow and render it in Lux using native Lux shaders, as long as you stuck to the LuxC4D shaders/materials. As you can imagine, this is a lot of work and needs a lot of time, which I unfortunately don't have.

-> Bottom line: I know the current limitations and I'm trying to remove them one by one, but as long as there is no other help this will happen only slowly. Try to use the features currently available and focus on things you can do and not the things you can't do. Or wait. I'm sorry for that, but can't change it at the moment.

Cheers,
Marcus

[pixie]

The current conversion was just a quick and dirty way to get material from C4D to Lux. I hope the Lux materials will then allow the user to use the full power of Lux.

Is there a place where one can find the rules for the automatic conversion between cinema and lux materials?

[abstrax]

The current conversion was just a quick and dirty way to get material from C4D to Lux. I hope the Lux materials will then allow the user to use the full power of Lux.

Is there a place where one can find the rules for the automatic conversion between cinema and lux materials?

This is the best I have for the moment:

http://www.luxrender.net/wiki/index.php ... C4D_Manual

Cheers,
Marcus

[forgeflow]

Can you post the test scene files (i.e. .lxs, etc.) ? So I can directly check what is going wrong

Sure. Where would you like me to post it to?

[psor]

You can attach it here in a message or use some external host as omploader.org. ;o))




take care
psor

[forgeflow]

For now I'm just running the .lxo files through BBEdit, changing the string "UV" to "uv" with search and replace, and now the texture maps are showing up properly in LuxRender. Yay.

[forgeflow]

Another quick question - is cube mapping implemented? I have a complex object that would be unfeasible to create a UV map for, but cube mapping of the texture works perfectly for what I need. However, the texture doesn't seem to show up in LuxRender.

[pixie]

Another quick question - is cube mapping implemented? I have a complex object that would be unfeasible to create a UV map for, but cube mapping of the texture works perfectly for what I need. However, the texture doesn't seem to show up in LuxRender.

You can generate uv maps out of cube map easily, Objects Manager > Tags > Generate UVW coordinates