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In search of a perfect ocs. exporter

PostPosted: Sun Aug 10, 2014 10:57 am
by smicha
After a week of testing current version of the Octane for SU and keep posting my remarks here
viewtopic.php?f=31&t=41485
I must say I am disappointed and for now I'll continue with TIG's exporter and standalone version.

The major drawback is the way the .ocs scene is exported. For large models everything is put into one group and a user is given total mess. If you look at the screenshot you see what I mean.

1. Every visible layer should be a group.

2. Ever visible component should be exported only within a group or a component. So for nested groups/components we should see scatter nodes pinned into scatter nodes. Some time ago I posted a tutorial of how to use TIG's exporter and the scatter plugin.
viewtopic.php?f=31&t=28211&hilit=nested+components
For example, if we have 10 copies of the as same component, and these form a new component, which is copied 4 times we should see an obj pinned to a scatter node with 10 elements pinned to a scatter node with 4 elements, not an obj pinned to a scatter node with 40 elements. This is extremely important for texturing and coloring instances. It also introduces order in the node graph.

3. Every SU group/component that contains any element - group, component - should be grouped.

Re: In search of a perfect ocs. exporter

PostPosted: Sun Aug 10, 2014 1:59 pm
by smicha
Here are my basic ideas of how I see the exporter.

1. Start with creating groups for layer groups - the exporter shall support the layer panel plugin.
2. All layers shall in in appropriate groups.
3. All scenes are exported as render targets.
4. to be continued

Please send your ideas.

Re: In search of a perfect ocs. exporter

PostPosted: Sun Aug 10, 2014 4:36 pm
by smicha
4. Components that contain other components should be grouped and then scattered. Shortly speaking scatter nodes should not include information about components that are outside other components or groups. This is the key to introduce the same order as in Sketchup. IMO this is the most important feature that ocs exporter should have.

Re: In the search for a perfect ocs. exporter

PostPosted: Sun Aug 10, 2014 6:33 pm
by Seekerfinder
Hi Smicha,
I think Fuzzy has improved export structure on the roadmap. But bear in mind that the plugin is primarily... a plugin... to enable us to render inside Sketchup. Things like animation inside SU is also on the roadmap. The proxy-system works pretty well.

So I'm wondering why it is so important for you to export from SU? The animation script?

Seeker

Re: In search of a perfect ocs. exporter

PostPosted: Sun Aug 10, 2014 9:08 pm
by smicha
Seekerfinder wrote:Hi Smicha,
I think Fuzzy has improved export structure on the roadmap. But bear in mind that the plugin is primarily... a plugin... to enable us to render inside Sketchup. Things like animation inside SU is also on the roadmap. The proxy-system works pretty well.

So I'm wondering why it is so important for you to export from SU? The animation script?

Seeker



My scenes are 4-5 GB of VRAM so the Standalone is the only way. + LUA gives me more flexibility. I also use other 3d software, mainly zbrush so SU is a great architectural tool, but not the only one.


I just need the plugin for fast scenes export. All texturing I do in the Standalone

Re: In search of a perfect ocs. exporter

PostPosted: Mon Aug 11, 2014 7:06 am
by smicha
Here is another extremely important reason why the Standalone is superior for texturing.

If I group components e.g., into two groups and export them with independent scatter nodes (one group of components will be scattered inside one group, and the other inside the second group) I can assign different textures to these groups.

On the screenshot you see the same component textured differently.

BTW. Here
viewtopic.php?f=73&t=41388
is the LUA script for random transforms of textures on instances - this is also possible only in the Standalone.

So anyway the nodal structure is very important, and the .ocs exporter shall take it into account.

Re: In search of a perfect ocs. exporter

PostPosted: Mon Aug 11, 2014 7:23 am
by smicha
And here is another example why the current ocs needs a proper structure.

Re: In search of a perfect ocs. exporter

PostPosted: Mon Aug 11, 2014 7:38 am
by Seekerfinder
Smicha,
I agree with you in terms of the functional differences. It seems as if you want to work in Standalone, in which case Tig's exporter is probably way to go for you.

For me, the fact that we can IMPORT OCS files into the SU plugin as proxies is huge. It means I can export my base models from SU using Tig's tool, do my texturing as required in standalone and import those OCS files into my SU master model. These are assets I use repeatedly on different models so work done once is available always. Works great for archviz stuff.

Seeker

Re: In search of a perfect ocs. exporter

PostPosted: Mon Aug 11, 2014 7:48 am
by smicha
Seekerfinder wrote:For me, the fact that we can IMPORT OCS files into the SU plugin as proxies is huge. It means I can export my base models from SU using Tig's tool, do my texturing as required in standalone and import those OCS files into my SU master model. These are assets I use repeatedly on different models so work done once is available always. Works great for archviz stuff.
Seeker


Seeker,

I agree. But working with proxies is another story. Actually I use proxies in SU since the Renderiza's GOSU plugin (that is a different approach).

I really love the speed of current ocs exporter. The only thing I need now is a proper structure of nodes that would be grouped with respect to layers, groups, etc.

Re: In search of a perfect ocs. exporter

PostPosted: Mon Aug 11, 2014 8:37 am
by Seekerfinder
smicha wrote:I really love the speed of current ocs exporter. The only thing I need now is a proper structure of nodes that would be grouped with respect to layers, groups, etc.


Agreed. So again, this is on the roadmap.

Best,
Seeker