OTOY Forums

Hi Simon,

First, let me say, that the OR plugin does work really great. Very good job as far as I can tell

I just noticed some bugs during my daily work. I use 3.05.01.31. Below, I listed them. Those are all minor bugs, so it's not really a big problem to have a work around. At the end, there is a feature request. Perhaps you can make it work.

Multipass render
Images are saved as Bla_passBeauty.png.png - so, the extension comes in as a double team

Scatter object (CSV files)
When several scatter objects are placed into a group, and the group is given an Object Layer Modifier (e.g. Layer ID = 3), it's not possible to render only this layer (=3) in the viewport.

Scatter object (CSV files)
Scaling is a problem. When placing a VDB file into the scene, it has the correct dimensions. When a CSV file is imported, it hasn't the correct dimensions, so I have to scale it. Is there a way to import it with the correct dimensions as in the case of a VDB file (= Fixed scale)?

VDB
Changing a value in the import settings does not update the OR view port. E.g. changing the Emission grid from "Heat" to "Temperature" does not update the OR view port. It seems that it does (because it renders again), but it doesn't.

Some shaders do not work as expected
Some shaders from the Octane Live Database does not seem to work. If I apply the Lava shader from the Misc section, it doesn't look like Lava at all.

Alembic import/export
Exporting alembic files via "Generate Animation" works quite well. Is there a way we could incorporate an Alembic importer? It should just import the file in the same dimension as it exported it.

Best wishes,
Thomas

Thanks for the bug reports, I'll add them to my list. I'm working on 3.06 features right now. Stay tuned.

Hi Simon,
Just requesting Alpha Image channel make it to the bug list.

Also, with materials, I am finding that texture maps are not always updating in correspondence with the little reload icon. Finding it necessary
to rebuild the Octane viewport in order to update.

Thanks for your help,
R

What is wrong with alpha image? As far as I can tell it works as advertised. All it does is use the alpha channel of a png or tif as a gray scale image. You then plug this into the opacity channel to get your alpha blending.

You are absolutely correct.
The Opacity channel works with alpha images as expected, with both Alpha images and Grey scale images.

But, the Diffuse, Glossy, and Specular all offer Alpha Image in the channel shown in the attached image. This channel, for me, does not work with Alpha images.
Maybe it is not supposed to be offered for this channel? But, if is supposed to function, I would like to experiment with it.
Thanks

It should work, but, you will just get a grayscale image (the alpha channel of the png) if you put it in the diffuse channel.

Actually, I am finding that the Alpha portion of the image renders black if unsupported by an Alpha image in the Opacity channel.
So really, there is no Alpha Image support in the top Channel, even though it is offered.

As an Alpha image, it seems that the Alpha function should be supported independent of the Alpha Channel, per the attached image of an Alpha Image in the native Carrara shader.
This is what I would like for Octane Materials.

Hi,

Well, in my eyes, it makes perfect sense. The "Color channel" in Carrara is displaying colors (black, white, blue, red or no color [transparent] at all...). However, the "Diffuse channel" in Octane does not display a color but calculates the diffusion reflection for the material. The range is from high diffusion to no diffusion. So, IMHO, it would be really strange if you would get the same result as in the case of the Carrara "Color channel."

Best wishes,
Thomas Schwenke

Hi Thomas,
I see your point, as you explain it. Just was wondering why the Alpha Image was offered for this channel, and how one might use it. I was thinking that
it must be offered for some reason.
thanks,
R

Hi again,

Well, I don't know if this is really the case as I explained it, but it would be my assumption

When it comes to an Alpha image, I'd say that the opacity equals diffusion reflection, e.g. high opacity equals high diffusion (or reversed).

Best wishes,
Thomas