[Plugin] V-Ray Tools (2.1.0) — 11 March 2013

[thomthom]

VRayTools.png

Updated: 2.0.0

• Removed the Sync Camera feature. V-Ray for SketchUp should now correctly match the SketchUp viewport.
• Added "Purge V-Ray Materials" for removing V-Ray data from materials.
• Added "Use as Material Override"
• Added "Reset Camera Aspect"
• Aspect Ratio and Export Safeframe is now merged into one dialog.
• Adjusting aspect ratio tried to compensate for viewport "jumping". (Not perfect in all cases)
• Added "Recreate Scene" to rebuild photomatch scenes as normal scenes.
• Bug fixes.

Updated: 1.2.0
NOTE! When using VfSU 1.48.66 or newer - you can now enable or disable VfSU from Preferences -> Extensions in SketchUp.
But that will enable VfSU for all SU sessions. If you want to enable VfSU in just one session then use V-Ray Toys->Start V-Ray.

Since version: 1.1.0
If you use V-Ray floating licenses on a network you face the problem that the first person that starts SketchUp will grab the V-Ray licence even though they might not be currently using it. In order to work around this I made this tool which prevents V-Ray from starting with SU and allowing the user to load it on demand.
It's also useful if you don't like the extra 3-5 seconds V-Ray adds to SketchUp's startup time.
To enable Load V-Ray on Demand, go to the Tools menu, choose: V-Ray Toys->Load V-Ray on Demand. When you restart SketchUp, V-Ray will not be loaded automatically. To start V-Ray go to the Tools menu V-Ray Toys->Start V-Ray.

What the script is doing is renaming the VRayForSketchup.rb file to VRayForSketchup.rb.disabled, thus preventing it from loading automatically.

Requirements

• TT_Lib2 (v2.7.0)

Installation Information
Guide: How to install RBZ Files

Download

tt_vray_tools - 2.1.0.rbz

Sample-SU.png

Sample-V-Ray.png

Sample-Blend.png

[kwistenbiebel]

Very Good,
Thomas !

I wish Asgvis would solve the way too long parsing time of the SR releases.
No chance that can be fixed by a ruby, is there ?

[Free Agent]

sheesh good frikken work, have ASGvis put you on the payroll yet?

could i suggest taking out the file location slot for the export location, rather have just the export button, once you hit it a window will pop up like with sketchup's export 2d image option? i tried the existing one but everytime i put in a location it says failed to save, or overwrite existing file?

[thomthom]

I wish Asgvis would solve the way too long parsing time of the SR releases.
No chance that can be fixed by a ruby, is there ?

Yea, it's be nice to get the parsing time as well as the extra time it takes to start SU when V-Ray is installed. But I don't see any way it can be enhanced via ruby. It's something that's has to be done on their end.

could i suggest taking out the file location slot for the export location, rather have just the export button, once you hit it a window will pop up like with sketchup's export 2d image option? i tried the existing one but everytime i put in a location it says failed to save, or overwrite existing file?

Afraid not. I don't find any ruby API to get that file dialog. I tried using Windows Scripting to prompt that dialog, but I get error messages. I think I'm running into security restrictions. Maybe there is a way to get that permission but I've yet to find it. Since it's so unsure how this can be fixed I released it like this so at least there is something to play around with. I promise that if I find a way to get the Window File dialog I'll update asap. I'm not happy myself with this simple textbox.


I want to ask ASGVis if they can implement better third party ruby interaction with VfSU 2. Currently I can't change any scene settings. And reading scene settings is very awkward. I had to reverse engineer suing hex editors to locate the data.
But I've managed to interact with lights. In development I have a module that add extra menu items when you right click lights so that you can turn on/off all checkbox options for lights via the menu. I'm also playing with the idea of setting the light colour by applying colour to the Light object. A bit more interactive way to work with V-Ray.
And yes, I am toying around with a light manager. But I heard rumours that ASGVis is working on this them self with VfSU 2 so I'm not sure how much work I'll bother to put into that.

[TomDC]

Thanks alot. This looks very useful.

[EarthMover]

Thomas....you're the man! I need to do line overlays on a lot of my work, this will be invaluable! Can't wait to see the other "toys"!

[HFM]

This is brilliant, I just closed SU thinking 'wouldn't it be great...', then clicked on the forum and read this [gives you a strange feeling, I tell you ]

Needles to say, thank you very much!

*edit

Don't seem to get it working correctly [using SU 6 and V-Ray 1.5]
Looks like the render is zoomed in too much [the dialog show 1,919 and nothing else ]

[bianhai]

This looks very useful.

[mimnbazhq]

Thank you!

[thomthom]

Don't seem to get it working correctly [using SU 6 and V-Ray 1.5]
Looks like the render is zoomed in too much [the dialog show 1,919 and nothing else ]

Can you post screenshots of the result? One of the SU window and one of the V-Ray output? (and also your V-Ray Camera and Output flyout?)

[Pixero]

Wow!

This will be sooo good.

And yes, I am toying around with a light manager. But I heard rumours that ASGVis is working on this them self with VfSU 2 so I'm not sure how much work I'll bother to put into that.

About the lightmanager, with ASGVis's current speed of updates that will at least take two more years, so go for it!!!

Would it be possible to add a render region tool? I really want that.

[thomthom]

Would it be possible to add a render region tool? I really want that.

I'd really like that too. But that's not something that can be achieved with a ruby I'm afraid. Has to be implemented in the V-Ray plugin itself.

[thomthom]

could i suggest taking out the file location slot for the export location, rather have just the export button, once you hit it a window will pop up like with sketchup's export 2d image option? i tried the existing one but everytime i put in a location it says failed to save, or overwrite existing file?

Good news! Turns out that I've been a complete numpty and completely missed two API methods that allow you to use the file dialog windows. I'll update the plugin as soon as I get time.

[HFM]

Can you post screenshots of the result? One of the SU window and one of the V-Ray output? (and also your V-Ray Camera and Output flyout?)

I would but the export of your plugin doesn't work on my PC. It asks if I want to overwrite the existing file [there is none ] And then gives a fail error.

I'll think I'll just wait for the next release

[40Th]

Thanks Thom! Really appreciated. I'll try the plugin (on SU7 VrfSUv1.00) any time soon and post back.

[thomthom]

Thanks Thom! Really appreciated. I'll try the plugin (on SU7 VrfSUv1.00) any time soon and post back.

Thanks.
Though I don't have high hopes that the VfSU output will match the viewport. I think things where changed between the original and SR1.0 in the way VfSU matched the SU view. Also, I think that the zoom works opposite in SR1.x. In the original you had to use numbers less than 1 to zoom out, while in SR1.x you have to use numbers larger than 1 to zoom out. ...if I'm not completely mistaken, which is a distinct possibility...

[40Th]

Thanks Thom! Really appreciated. I'll try the plugin (on SU7 VrfSUv1.00) any time soon and post back.

I tried your 1.0.1 on SU7 VrfSUv1.00 and i get an error message

[thomthom]

What kind of error message did you get?

[Yanman]

Thaks You thomthom wrote For Plugin V-Ray Toys.
I love SU.

[nomeradona]

cool toy indeed... thanks thom

[thomthom]

Added "Load V-Ray on Demand"

[Free Agent]

handy thom thanx... wheres "Render Region"?

[me3mar]

hallo everyone,

i am having a problem with vray rendering a part of the view only(in two point perspective ) , while getting the right sketchup view by exporting 2d jpeg.
the vray keeps rendering another view nomatter what i do, it renders somtimes above, and sometimes beneath the sketchup view.
the output pic in vray is my monitor = sketchup view

do these tools help with my problem ?
thanks in advance

[thomthom]

hallo everyone,

i am having a problem with vray rendering a part of the view only(in two point perspective ) , while getting the right sketchup view by exporting 2d jpeg.
the vray keeps rendering another view nomatter what i do, it renders somtimes above, and sometimes beneath the sketchup view.
the output pic in vray is my monitor = sketchup view

do these tools help with my problem ?
thanks in advance

Don't think so. This plugin required the physical camera to sync the views.

I think that you have to disable the physical camera in order to render 2 point perspectives. I've never done 2 point perspectives, but there's some threads on the topic over at ASGvis's forums.

[Free Agent]

nope its a vray bug, they cant read any changes you make to the viewport after enableling 2point perspective mode, so when u enable 2 point thats what is going to render, if u pan up to see the building it will only render ur initial view my fix is too zoom out and render at a high resolution so u can crop ur render or just correct it in photoshop.

[me3mar]

Thanks so much to Free Agent and to Thomthom,
i'll give it a try at the ASGvis's forums.
greetings

[EarthMover]

Thomas, I had a chance you use your plugin today and it worked flawlessly. Thanks again. The render I did is at the bottom of this page - viewtopic.php?f=81&t=16231&start=45

[thomthom]

Thomas, I had a chance you use your plugin today and it worked flawlessly. Thanks again. The render I did is at the bottom of this page - viewtopic.php?f=81&t=16231&start=45

That's a nice render. Thanks for posting the raw render as well, demonstrates how important post processing is.

[MrWip]

Hi ThomThom (and of course the other too...!)

I'm using really often Vray renders + Skechup lines, and I came up with an other solution than yours to solve the distortion problem, maybe it can help to share it.

In fact, to be honest, the 'out of the box' Vray Presets (for sketchup) are really bad and does not shows the true potential of this software...
Everything is linked with this physical camera, and if you want to kill the distortion, you have to switch it off.( the only basic effect that you loose is the vignetting, that you can had easily add on Photoshop... and it's a bit the same for the other ones, like exposure, etc...).
The only problem then , is the fact that everything gets burnt by the sun light, which normal level of intensity is set up to match with physical camera's sensibility.
So, the solution is to reduce it, to match with the normal camera sensibility. After many test and a lot of strange results, it appear that an intensity of 0,00005 (don't ask...) is just fine, and give the same result than 1 with the physical cam. Then, everything works perfectly, and you can render directly matching pictures and 2 point perspective or 2D views!

You can find this settings in the presets on my website, and I've just done a quick translation to make the non-french speakers able to use them. Their organisation is quite logical, so I think you will find out how they works...

WiP_VrayOptions_Eng.zip

I've also modified the original lamps to match this settings, and to make them more easy to use. (just drag an drop the lamps into your component folder, and when you use them, explode before, if you re using a Vray 1.0, because it bugs when they are into a component... watch this page to find out more http://www.wip-archi.com/wip-visualiser/vray/le%C3%A7on-2-lumiere/)

WiP_VrayLights.zip

Let me know how it works in your models, so I may improve the presets...

[thomthom]

As of SR1.5 of VfSU the default preset it with the physical camera and sun/sky off.

I prefer physical camera as I like to work with real world units, for setting the light and camera exposure. It's only on the rare occasion I want a 2point or 2D view.