Simplifying Vray Proxy

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Note: This is an advance posting, the image is still on posting process, sorry.

Simplifying VrayProxy Tutorial

VrayPrxoxy is one method of saving a lot of geometry as well as saving a lot of rendertimes by creating an external proxy to your scene. However some procedures might be consider for us not to end up rendering a proxy with just one material. This is the error we usually encountered... and this method hope will ease up and address that situation.

The following notes was derived from Vray Manual Spot3d vray help file (or if you dont have, you can download my compiled Vray manual - same manual, only it was compiled into one pdf file with some added features and samples)

ALL ABOUT VRAY PROXY

• The geometry generated by the proxy object is not modifiable. Any modifiers applied to the VRayProxy
object will be ignored.

• At present, the .vrmesh file cannot store deforming animated meshes. However,
a #preRenderEval MaxScript callback can be used to replace the .vrmesh file name of the proxy object. A suitable
callback script can cause different mesh files to be used for each frame, thus creating an animation effect.

• If you need to create several proxies linked to the same .vrmesh file, it's better to make them instances - this will
save memory since the .vrmesh file will be loaded only once.

• Materials are not saved in the .vrmesh file. Instead, the geometry will be rendered with the material applied to the
VRayProxy object. This is because third party materials and procedural textures would be difficult to describe in a
general way. In addition, you may want to edit the material independently of the mesh.

• The resulting .vrmesh files can be rendered outside of 3ds Max - for example, by the standalone version of V-Ray,
or V-Ray for Maya.

• Shadow maps will not include information about the proxy objects. If you want the proxy objects to cast shadows,
you should use VRayShadows.

• You can convert .ply and .obj files to .vrmesh files with the help of the ply2vrmesh converter tool.

• The V-Ray SDK has methods for reading and writing of .vrmesh files.


1. To start with,let us create some simple objects as an exercise for our vrayproxy. I create a simple teapot, then break it down to component ( body, spout, cover and handle), then applied with diffirent materials. See image below.



The rendered image



2. Let us now convert the model into vraymesh. The most convenient way is to isolate the object or group of object you want to make for vraymesh proxy. To isolate, select the object/s, right click then select isolate. The next step is to attach each object from one another. Click one object then on Modifying panel, under Edit Geometry select attach. Press the small box icon on Attach ( for poly objects) or the Attach List (mesh objects) to launch the object selection dialog box.if you wish to select multiple objects. Highlight all the objects then press attach. Then choose match Material ID to materials



3. Once all the objects is aleady attached as one, you can now use vraymeshexport.Right click on the object, then on the quadmenu select vray mesh export. then provide necessary information and accept the parameters you prefered. See sample image below.



4. The next thing i do is to selecting the vraymesh object, then go to file menu and select xref object, then save the vraymeshobject as max file. I do this especially if im working on a complex scene. I will show you the reason for this later as we goes on with this simple tutorial.



5. You are now ready to use your vraymesh object as proxy. See sample image render with the vrayproxy coppied instance about a hundred times. So this this now conclude the process of creating proxy with a simple objects.



Here are some usual question about vray proxy.
a. Can i edit the materials of the vray proxy / mesh.
b. Can i use that vraymesh on other scene.
c. Why if i use the vraymesh to other scene, it will rendered as one material only?
d. Can i change my vraymesh material once it was placed on the other scene.

Here are some method that will answer the questions.

6. If your vraymesh is still a resident object of the original scene you are working, then you can still change the materials.You can change the diffuse maps, adjust the tilings, add reflections and more, but you cannot apply uvw mapping and maps scaler anymore, if you do, the object materials will be a mess.

7. You are also free to use the vraymesh on other scene. Just merge your vraymesh max file to your scene.
8. If you failed to export your vraymesh object as maxfile before, you can still use the vraymesh object through vray mesh proxy procedures. see image below.



However, the above procedure (no.8) have some issues- the material of the proxy object is not a anymore included with the proxy, so the result will be a plain color. This is the reason why I initiated procedure no. 4 of this tutorials.
To get rid of these, follow these simple steps. Press M for material dialog box, select one empty slot, then press the button Standard to go to the material map browser and select Xref material. On file name box, press the opposite icon box (browse for file), and look for your original max file where the vraymesh object was originated.
On the Xref Merge dialog box that will pop up, select the vraymesh object then hit ok. This will merge only the material on your scene. Then drag now your xref material to your vraymesh. See image procedure below.

(vrayproxy9)

if you wish to change the material of the above procedures, merge the material of the xref material to the scene. This will give you full access to its material parameters. see image procedure below

(vrayproxy10)

9. What if the original file where the vraymesh was originated doesnt exist anymore. Meaning its not nowhere to find. To get rid of these follow this procedures. On the image provided was a vraymesh object i made from Evermotion Archmodel
Collection No.33. The object was inserted by means of vray mesh proxy procedures and rendered as shown.... only one plain color, no maps, and no texture.



I created new material - multi /sub-object material, apply it the vray mesh object. Making a test render.
(vrayproxy11)

Now, change some diffuse color on each material ID. Make a test render. You will see now diffirent color on the object which represent its individual materials. Now edit your new material. Press your material, change it to multi-sub material. On ID number one change its diffuse color, say red. then make a test render. see image below

(vrayproxy12)

See what happened, one part of the model change its color, meaning that color is in material id no. 1, continue until you have completed the color of the vraymeshobject. Now change the material on each slot to your preference and add some textures. You have now full control to your vraymesh proxy object materials. see rendered image

(vrayproxy14)

Here are some of my sample render using vraymesh proxy

(vrayproxy15)
(vrayproxy16)
(vrayproxy17)

Good Luck and happy viewing
Comments and critics are welcome!!!
Any violent reaction are also WELCOME

All rights reserved
rpadc2002@yahoo.com

Note the image is still on posting process, sorry

very helpful tutorial. thanks for sharing

napakalaking tulong talaga ng tutorial mo sir, boung puso po akong nagpasasalamat nito...

salamat master sa tutorial a very big help sa tulad namin baguhan sa max...

Sir may question po ako.. 
After magcrash ng PC ko while rendering eh after loading the file, wala na sa proper designated place yung mga Vray Proxy Objects. Nagkalat at sabog-sabog. May masyadong mataas o mababa sa Z axis, meron ang layo sa original X-Y coordinates nito.

Eh medjo madami po akong Vray Proxy sa scene. Usually Bushes at Trees.
Napaka-Hassle po naman kung mano-mano ko aayusin yung mga nagkalat ng proxies sa kanilang designated X & Y coordinates na inassign ko.

Ano po ba magandang gawin para hindi sila magkalat kalat? Wala po kasi akong makita sa google na solution eh. Di ko po alam yung right term sa error o problem na na-encounter ko.

TIA