Updated TyFlow Support Tweet

[neonZorglub]

The current versions of Octane plugin for 3dsmax have an improved support of tyFlow.
(2020.1_-_10.10 and 2019.1.5_-_8.22, for tyFlow version 0.16084)

That includes:
-Updated tyFlow support: Particle orientation with motion Blur, Material override per particle
-Fixed issues with tyFlow particle motion Blur.
-Added support for tyFlow particle Mesh velocity for motion blur
-Added option in tyFlow Support Tab and global preferences to always set tySplines as movable proxy
-Added option in tyFlow Support and Octane geometry Modifier to use standard particle interface only (allows to render from particle Shape without Mesh operator)
Note that this is for backward compatibility; it is preferable to add a Mesh operator when needed.
-Added option in Octane Properties context menu to display external Object details (tyFlow objects)


Most tyFlow samples can be renderer with Octane directly, or with a few setup steps.
Some require extra steps, as described bellow:

Basically, if there are particles, or actors generated by tyFlow that use the same meshes, you can activate tyFlow particles.
(tyFlow simulator object, Interfaces rollup, Enable particles Interfaces)

This might be enough, check by opening Octane viewport.
If the particles are not rendered, open Tyflow editor, and make sure there are 'Shape' and / or 'Mesh' operators on the visible elements.

In some cases, the use of particles is not recommended (each particle using a different mesh), or may not be fully supported (UV setting per particle)
You can instead create a tyMesher object, set to the tyFlow object, and set the mode to Imput geometry.
and assign the tyMesher material from the tyFlow object material, if it has one.
Instead of a tyMesher, you can also locate or create a Mesh operator, with 'triangle Mesh' and Render Only unchecked.

When the particles use sprites in the viewport, each group may appear with different colors.
To render with octane, a Shape and Mesh need to be added in the tyFlow editor.
Then, each group can use a different material ID, that can be rendered with a multi material assigned to the tyFlowObject.
(see eg grain/tyFlow_sandCastle_001, and corresponding steps description in the zip file bellow)

Some samples that work without any special settings:
Actors/tyFlow_balloons_001.max
Bindings/tyFlow_freiOtto_001.max
Misc/tyFlow_branchFrost_001.max
Splines/tyFlow_electricArc_001.max
Targets/tyFlow_sliceCube_001_oct.max
Tets/tyFlow_tetTear_001.max

Some samples that work after setting objects as Movable proxy, as usual, to support animation in viewport
Cloth/tyflow_clothTearing_001.max
Splines/tyFlow_splineDisturbance_001.max

Some samples that work after enabling Particles Interface:
grain/tyFlow_pills_001.max
PhysX/tyFlow_centerOfMass_001.max
Scripting/tyFlow_scaleScript_001.max

Some samples that work after enabling Particles Interface, AND adding a Mesh operator:
Actors/tyFlow_bindPoseMatch_001.max
Misc/tyFlow_dancingVoxels_001.max

Some samples that works after creating a tyMesher:
Fracturing/tyFlow_fractureDisplace_001.max
PhysX/tyFlow_recombine_001.max

Note that the tyFlow samples use standard materials, supported by Octane without conversion by default (see Global preferences / Material / On-the-fly material conversion)
Also, as the background is black, make sure to enable 'Replace black background Environment' in Global preferences / Kernel Default before loading a scene.

Some samples are available here:
tutorials_oct02.zip

tutorials_oct02.zip

(724.61 KiB) Downloaded 273 times

A description of steps for each tyFlow sample (tyFlow_scenes_014) is available here:
tyFlow_scenes_014_OctaneInfo.zip

tyFlow_scenes_014_OctaneInfo.zip

(27.97 KiB) Downloaded 252 times

Also, the tyFlow benchmark is fully supported using particles, apart from the case of uv mapping override needing the use of a tyMesher :

A support of uv mapping per particle is not directly possible, but similar effect should be archived using a custom osl shader.


Note: previous tyFlow tutorial page was there: viewtopic.php?f=27&t=73516

[HHbomb]

Thank you very much for your hard work ! can't wait monday to use !!!!
"Instead of a tyMesher, you can also locate or create a Mesh operator, with 'triangle Mesh' and Render Only unchecked."
It would be nice to tell us in which case octane render consider mesh as instance or not…

[neonZorglub]

Thank you very much for your hard work ! can't wait monday to use !!!!
"Instead of a tyMesher, you can also locate or create a Mesh operator, with 'triangle Mesh' and Render Only unchecked."
It would be nice to tell us in which case octane render consider mesh as instance or not…

Hi HHbomb,
You can see the particle count and mesh instances count of a tyFlow object, as it will be used by octane (for current frame):
Object properties, select only 1 tyFlow object, right click on it in the list, choose in the context menu: "External plugin object info"

For example, with Actors/tyFlow_arrows_001.max, after enable Particle Interface,
at frame 15, we read 375 particles using 21 instances.
So that's a typical good case to use particles, that will use Octane Scatter node.

and with Actors/tyFlow_balloons_001.max, after enable Particle Interface,
at frame 0, we read 100 particles using 100 instances.
So, each particle will have a different mesh; a single mesh that we can get from tyFlow will probably be more efficient and fast..
Note that for some tyFlow object like in this balloon sample, we can get a single mesh without adding a tyMesher..

Also, you can see how the particles are using a single scatter node by opening the Octane Node Viewer.
On the arrows sample, at frame 15, you can see the node 'Sct-tyFlow001_#1 has 75 transforms; that's all the arrows using the same arrow mesh,
and the other nodes are the actor's body parts, with 15 transforms each, making the 15 characters..

ref: (tyFlow_scenes_014_OctaneInfo.zip)
Actors/tyFlow_arrows_001.max
-set Octane as renderer
-in tyFlow001, Interfaces: Enable Particle Interface
+see tyFlow_arrows_001_octInfo.txt for material setting

Actors/tyFlow_balloons_001.max
-set Octane as renderer
-Keep Particle interface disabled, as each balloon would have a different mesh, particles would not be efficient.

[HHbomb]

Thanks NeonZ ! I think such explainations in depth could be very usefull for all users in a lot of areas : Forest pack ( legacy, direct,... ) ...
Even clone tool from itoo, need Forest Pack setting to be Legacy...

[tcheng00]

Hey neonZorglub,

I'm making a scene with thousands of tyflow particles using the Shapes 2D snowflakes default. Generally, after creating this setup, I would bake out the particles using Export Particles (tycache). In order to render my tycache, I would use tymesher set to input geometry mode.

My question is, in this scenario, is the tymesher creating 1 unique mesh for all the snow flake per frame? If yes, I'm assuming I should probably avoid baking out the particles to a tycache? Thanks.