Support for passes and multiple Soft2Octanes per scene

[jamnique]

Hi Face.

Would it be possible to allow multiple of Soft2Octanes per scene? This way we could conveniently set multiple render outputs (for different cameras, formats, etc) in one scene.

Also, if you could give the option to choose render kernel from the plugin, we could set up multiple passes form one OCS (although i somehow doubt it's possible).

Thanks for your work
Jamnique

[face]

The renderkernel is set in the saved ocs. There´s no parameter to set it from outside.

face

[jamnique]

The renderkernel is set in the saved ocs. There´s no parameter to set it from outside.

face

I thought so. It would be nice if Refractive to give us the option now that we have utility passes.

Meanwhile, for other dummies like me: you can easily have multiple Octane configs via Ice. See the attached image.

[face]

Like a batchrender
It can be possible to place the plugin multiple times in the scene, but any menu wouldn´t work like now. I can´t know if you want to create a new instance or you only want to inspect one.
The only access would be over the scene explorer.
I also need another plugin which managed the instances.
If it worked, you can also have different ocs-files per instance where you can change the kernel.

But for now, i haven´t the time to make such a great modification of the plugin...

face

[jamnique]

Like a batchrender
It can be possible to place the plugin multiple times in the scene, but any menu wouldn´t work like now.
I can´t know if you want to create a new instance or you only want to inspect one.
The only access would be over the scene explorer. I also need another plugin which managed the instances.
face

I think that being able to do multiple setups would be worth losing the inspector.
Imagine you want to render the same model in 5 different lighting scenarios (OCSs).
Now you have to create a different XSI scene for each one, or manually change the plugin settings
for each scenario (exposure, output path, OCscene, etc) within the same XSI scene.

Now when i think of it, it would be really AWESOME to create multiple render targets in one OCS, and be able to choose one from the plugin.
That, combined with the compound i am making would give you the power to have multiple setups in the same XSI scene and from one OCS.
Power to the max

If it worked, you can also have different ocs-files per instance where you can change the kernel.
face

What do you mean by that? Multiple OCS files in one XSI scene or something more?

But for now, i haven´t the time to make such a great modification of the plugin...
face

Understood ;] No worries, the plugin is rock-solid as it is and i get the feeling it's the smoothest of all the exporters
(though i can compare only with the 3ds one, no offense to whoever made it)
Keep up the good work

[jamnique]

I made a compound that allows to override any setting of Soft2Octane.
You can turn overrides on or off per pass, it respects the original Soft2Octane settings.

Combining this with Select Case you can have as many setups as you want,
so you can for example set up one scene to render:
- to different folders, with different names, frameranges, samples, etc
- from different cameras
- with different OCS
- with different Octane versions
- with different GPUs if you like (i think)

It's not finished and quite cumbersome, but it works and you can customize it any way you like.
It's extremely easy to make, but a bit time consuming.
One thing i couldn't figure out is how to make an actual camera dropdown list.
I will post it tomorrow (or rather later today). I want to clean it up a bit.
Cheers.

[jamnique]

This is a much simpler setup. You just plug the overrides you want to execute ports.
But... somehow it breaks when overrides get disconnected and from frame to frame.
Everything that's inside now are SetData nodes.
Any ideas why that could happen?

[face]

Now i understand what you want.
You want to render different settings in one scene.
I thougt you want to render the full scene and then render the same with other settings.

Hm, i have no idea why the connection break sometimes.
Maybe some values are better to overwrite with an expression.
It´s also possible that some values aren´t set correct when you slide over the timeline, but at rendertime it should work.

face

[jamnique]

Now i understand what you want.
You want to render different settings in one scene.
I thougt you want to render the full scene and then render the same with other settings.
face

Hmm now i'm not sure i understand what you mean;] I don't see the contradiction between the two.
I want to render with (full scenes or not) with different setups from one XSI scene. Using different OCS files if needed for every pass.
Altough it would be preferrable to choose different RenderTargets from one OCS file.
One of the reasons for that is precisely rendering the full scene and then rendering the same with other settings (other lighting scenario, other kernel, different resolution for previews and final outpout, renders from different Octane versions for comparison, etc).
So basically what i want is a variant of the RenderManager with overrides system.
Now that utility passes are available this would come in handy.

Hm, i have no idea why the connection break sometimes.
Maybe some values are better to overwrite with an expression.
It´s also possible that some values aren´t set correct when you slide over the timeline, but at rendertime it should work.
face

It's very strange. Both versions worked perfectly all night, but suddenly everything is broken. Same scenes that worked, all versions of the compound.
I get the same error over and over again and it crashes everything - invalid path ... (every path seems to be invalid now).
I think i broke the plugin or the compounds got corrupted. I'll try to reinstall Soft2Octane and rebuild the compound.

Thanks for taking a look ;]