(LW)
How do I render with Steamer and an object sequence ?
First of
all, generate a .LWO file sequence with RealFlow
in a known directory. Make sure you have the max.
particles option disabled.
In Layout,
open the first .LWO particle object of the sequence that
you have just created. Apply the replacement plug-in in
the Object panel to this first particle object. Now you
can make a preview and see that everything is ok until
this point.
Apply the Steamy_particles
plug-in to the object (Object panel). Go to the Effects
panel and select Steamer as pixel-filter. Select
the right object with the options button. Steamer
will ask you to come back to layout to refresh the panel.
Then choose the correct Steamer parameters. In the
Object panel, set the object to 100% dissolve to avoid
particle points during rendering. And that's all, really.
(LW)
How do I render with Steamer and the object displacement
plug-in ?
Run a RealFlow
simulation with LWO and BIN output enabled (Options
panel), and check the "only first LWO" option
too. In case that your simulation has particle creation
(i.e. 100 particles at the beginning and 20000 at the
end) make sure you check the max. particles button
and type the maximum number of particles that your
simulation will have.
In Layout,
load the .LWO object and apply to it the displacement
plug-in "RealFlow_displace" (Object panel).
Now, dragging the time bar you should see the particles
moving in Layout. (If not, maybe the directory or prefix
were not set up properly).
Apply the Steamy_particles
plug-in to the object (Object panel). Go to the Effects
panel and select Steamer as pixel-filter. Then
select the right object with the options button. Steamer
will ask you to come back to layout to refresh the panel.
Then choose the correct Steamer parameters. In the
Object panel, set the object to 100% dissolve to avoid
particle points during rendering. There you go.
(LW)
How do I build a mesh with Modeler's metaballs ?
There are
two similar LScript files that convert RealFlow
.LWO vertex output files into sequences of metaballed
objects that can be imported into Layout using the Object
Sequence plugin. The authors have kindly released them to
the public:
(LW)
How do I build a mesh with HyperVoxels ?
Follow the next steps:
1. Use the RealFlow_displace plugin into the first
displacement slot
2. Leave the second slot OPEN
3. Plug the LW_HyperVoxels_Particles into the third
slot
4. Start the HyperVoxel panel and Activate the rfw.
object. Close HyperVoxels
5. NOW, go back and plug LW_HVRealFlow_Import into the
second slot and you can activate the server options.
Special thanks to Jay Chernick for this support.
(MAX) How can I export my MAX
scene into RealFlow ?
First you need to install the RFPACK.DLO plug-in
in your 3D Studio MAX plugins folder.
1. After having finished your animated scene go
to the Utility panel and pick the REALFLOW LINK Utility.
2. Click in SELECT button and choose the
objects you want to export. Usually you don't need to
export all objects in the scene, just those which will
participate in the RealFlow simulation. (Is highly
recommended to use meshes with low level of detail for
the main calculus and once the simulation is done
then use high level of detail objects for the final
render in MAX).
3. Press SEQUENCE and set the first and last
frame which will be recorded.
4. Choose the destination directory where the
.SD file will be recorded. Press OK button.
Then you'll see how the time slider runs along the
animation and saves the scene data on your hard disk. The
saved file with the SD extension can be read from
RealFlow environment.
(LW) (MAX) How to use the
scene data file (.SD) in RealFlow ?
Once
you get your SD file by using both Lightwave or 3D Studio
MAX scene saver plug-ins you need to import it by
choosing File > Import SD scene. When a SD file is
imported the previous RealFlow workspace is cleaned.
Set
the fluids and daemons that you want to interact with the
objects coming from the SD scene. Then you can choose
between BUZZ or ACTION. If BUZZ is pressed, the SD
animation won't run, conversely the ACTION will cause the
objects to follow their motion. This behaviour is helpful
to let the particles adopt some configuration, previous
to run the full simulation. Say you want to simulate a
glass full of water falling on the floor. First of all
you need to fill the glass with particles and let them
calm down (it can take from minutes to hours depending on
the number of particles), so click the BUZZ button at
this time. Once the particles are in their rest position,
you can use the ACTION button to move the glass.
(MAX) How do I export the
particle data from RealFlow inside MAX ?
1. Before creating your scene in RealFlow be
sure that you have the 3D Studio MAX compatible
environment set in the Preferences menu. And set the
right scale factor for the MAX-RealFlow data transfer.
2. Now create your normal scene in RealFlow..
with daemons, objects, etc etc..
3. Once everything is ready... go to the
options panel in RealFlow and choose the button 'BIN' for
exporting the binary particle data. Then fill in the gaps
a properly file prefix and a output directory. If
you have some fluids in your RealFlow scene be sure of
selecting this option for each fluid you want to export
its particle data.
4. Press the button ACTION for starting the
simulation in RealFlow. Binary file sequences will be
saved in the output directory that you set before.
5. Now go to 3D Studio MAX for importing the
particle data as a particle system. Pick the Rf_Particles
located in the particle creator list. Set the same prefix
and directory that you used in RealFlow and click on any
viewport with the left mouse button. Then the particle
system will be created.
6. Now you can choose between three easy ways
of rendering for the particles... facing to camera,
tetrahedron or metaparticles. (If you donīt like slow
MAX's metaparticles then read how to export the
RealFlow mesh to MAX, because the RealFlow metaballs are
much faster and high quality).
7. If you want you can use this particle system
with other render systems or video-post as well (such as
Particle Combustion, Afterburn, Genesis, etc etc).
(MAX) How can I export
RealFlow meshes to MAX?
1. Once you have created you scene in
RealFlow then go to the Meshes panel and fill the
parameters for saving the mesh data into MAX. You need to
click on 'BIN' button. Choose the right prefix and
directory for saving the mesh data during the simulation.
2. If you have the 'Calculate Texture
Mapping' button activated then the mesh exported
will contain information about material and texture
melting in the fluids boundaries. (This option is only
recommended if you are going to texture the fluid or if
you are making a mesh composed of several fluids that
will have different materials during the render).
3. Is important to understand the 'Tiling'
option. If it is not activated then only the particles
inside the texture box (see texture daemon) will contain
UVW information. If you check this option then the UVW
will repeated out of the texture box until the mesh
limits.
4. Run the simulation and export some mesh data
to your hard disk.
5. Now go to MAX and create a MeshLoader
Object. Set the directory and the right file prefix...
then click in any viewport and here is your mesh into
MAX. If you want to use the RealFlow MeltMaterial.. see
next FAQ.
(MAX) How does the RealFlow
MeltMaterial works in MAX ?
1. As shown in the last FAQ, you first
have to save a binary data sequence in your hard disk,
then load the mesh with the MeshLoader creator in MAX.
2. The function of the MeltMaterial is to
melt several materials inside the same mesh, so be sure
that you are applying this material to a mesh that comes
from RealFlow and this mesh was created in RealFlow with
more than one fluid, other way the MeltMaterial will work
but you wonīt appreciate any especial effect in the
fluids boundaries.
3. The third step is very easy. Just go to the
MAX material editor, create a new RealFlow MeltMaterial
and apply it to the RealFlow selected mesh. When you
refresh the time slider the number of fluids (material)
that are contained in the mesh will be shown in the
MeshLoader panel. This material works exactly the same as
a multi-subobject material. You only have to handle each
material by separately and then see the awesome effects
you will have during the rendering.
4. There is a final parameter that will allow
you to have more control over the final look of the
mixture areas. Itīs the Melt Index. Itīs very easy to
use. By default it is set to 0.0 By increasing it you
will obtain an additive colour mixture (you're keeping
the energy of the materials mixed), conversely if you
decrease it, the mixture colour will be subtractive (and
you will lose energy fading to black).
