State of Octane Hydra Delegate Tweet

[heimlich]

The Hydra version is not in sync with the latest non hydra version.

Since they are different versions, you cant run the non hydra and hydra version together... They are not compatible, many things break if you do. We need to get a unified version, especially since the non hydra versions fix critical bugs.

Some of the MOST BASIC things are not working:

- switcher/node selector octane nodes are not working.
- edit materials is not working (so how do you propose editing any material brought in via USD).
- material collect nodes are not working.
- render target setup/edit is a nightmare. (I could fix that with my own hda, but since switcher/node selector octane nodes aren't working within the octane plugin, no go)
- Disk/area lights are double sided... should be single sided or have a checkbox for both options
- the dome light doesn't work. rotate it, you'll see what happens
- primvars are not supported

Have you actually tried doing anything in Hydra, other than maybe loading an USD file and going to the render pulldown and enabling octane ? Cause if you did, wouldn't you notice this kind of stuff ? Most of this, is required for the most basic USD use.

Its been 7 (seven) months since Solaris was released. Compared to some of the other integrations, Octane is seriously lacking and falling behind, by a margin. I find this extremely weird, since every time you read anything regarding octane, its PR is all about hydra this, hydra that, making deals with other products to integrate them with octane in hydra, and so on, and so on.

Personally, I would like to get an OCTANE hydra build first. Unlike others maybe, I foremost care about being able to use Octane with Hydra, not Worldmachine, or embergen, etc.. All great products, but I can use them standalone right now. I cant use octane in Solaris as a delegate. Its so far from even attempting a production with it, that it really is not funny, and I'd really like to know what you are going to do about that. Its not fun to open it every time you add a new release, play with it for a bit, and again, go.. nah.. not even close, half of the stuff is still not working, and wait a couple months for the next one... playing around is one thing, actually using it is another. Again, not having a unified build between hydra/non hydra after 7 months is a little bit sub standard.. ALL of the other renderers have managed that. I have the believe you can too.

When you say "other bug fixes", state EXACTLY what they are. The plugin is so broken at the moment, that it would actually be important to know WHAT they are. Communicate. You want or need help ? Get it. You don't know anything about USD or how to work with it.. Ask someone. You running into problems with specific things ? Tell us, let us know what they are. Simply.. Communicate. Its not that hard right, and its cheap. As it currently is handled, its extremely frustrating, and off-putting. Please fix it, there is so much potential... Communicate.

And just to let you know. I love octane, I've been using it and pushing it on pretty much every project since 2013, but that doesn't mean that I am a fanboy that just eats anything you put out. I am trying to push for something usable here, make it better, but I need communication.

Be great to know what the plan here is.

Best,
Oliver Hotz

[snakeboxmedia]

All of the above. The disconnect between what's being said in talks and on social media to the actual communication given to paying customers is so skewed and confusing. From a basic user point of view there is so many things wrong and odd with the perception you are left with when trying to make sense of what is going on and where the development is heading. talk to us!! we all want this to be better but right now, something basic and bundling your own plugins together to make a package that actually makes sense to use.... I mean come on! think for a second what it would be like to actually use these tools.

[rohandalvi]

Agree with everything that's being said. The hydra plugin in nowhere near being production ready. Heck, it's barely good enough for doing previews. Also, the non hydra and hydra version need to be combined. This kind of separate development is only leading to further confusion.