ScriptSpot

Script

Rs PointCache Merger

By recubo · Credited author: Albert Alomar Juan · 2011-12-20

Version
1.02
Version requirement
Should work on 3dsMax 2010, 2011 and 2012. Not tested on previous versions.
Date updated
2011-12-19
Votes
6
Download
Download
Description

This script can be used as an alternative to comercial mesh-cachers like Boomer Labs SuperMesher or Thinkbox Xmesh with the limitation that this works only on animated meshes or objects that does not have any topology changes.

The main purpose of this MaxScript is to let you attach as much animated meshes as you want without losing the animation applied to each one of them. This kind of feature is specially usefull with some ParticleFlow Operators like Krakatoa Collision or Geometry test. It can also be used with animated characters to unify all the PointCaches of the diferent elements they are wearing, like weapons or cloths, in only one big PointCache with all the vertex movement information of all the meshes attached.

The tutorials will show you how to use the script and some of its possibilities. Both have subtitles in english and spanish. The Part 1 shows the installation, the basic usage and the advantages of using it with the Krakatoa operators. The Part 2 shows the usage of the script with a rigged character.

The script is free and OpenSource under CC BY 3.0 license.

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Since this is my first public script, I would also like to give a big THANK YOU to all those brilliant coders that share their knowledge with the community. There are many more out there, but I've learned MaxScript mainly from the code of: SoulBurn, Bobo, LoneRobot, Allan, Joe, Paul, Klaas, Håvard, Anubis...

I hope you enjoy this... and Merry Christmas ^_^!

 

Additional Info

- Kown Bugs -

  • You must apply the script only on animated meshes and/or moving objects. If you apply it to a set of objects that have some static ones (static respect the world coordsys of the scene), the .PC2 file generated by the script may be corrupted. I'll add a filter for that case in a future version of the script.

 - Max Versions -

  • Tested on 3dsMax 2010-11-12 x64. If you try it on other systems please let me know with a comment here, directly on my mail (you'll find it at the About button of the script) or on this thread of CGTalk
Videos

Tags: attach, animation bake, krakatoa, PointCache

Comments (10)

Great Script

thomascheng · 2013-03-20

This should be integrated into Max natively.

MatID-Problem

darthsaschi · 2013-03-19

Hm, ts, I wasn´t able to reproduce the problem either. Seems that I´m just too stupid. Sorry for the alarm...

Recently used the tool again, link will follow ;)

Sascha

Changing IDs?

darthsaschi · 2012-12-19

Hi recubo.

Thanks for the script, it´s amazing. I have a problem with MatIDs - when I merge meshes with multiple IDs - the IDs of the merged result are all set to 1. Is there a way to avoid this?

Thank you.

Sascha

Uops, you're right...

recubo · 2012-12-19

Yes, right now the MatID are not considered when the meshes are attached.
I shouldn't be difficult to implement, I'll definitely try to do it when I have some time... Maybe this Christmas...

Thank you

darthsaschi · 2012-12-20

recubo!

Thank you, I really appreciate this! And again, the tool is really amazing!

If you are interested, here is what I did with it:

http://youtu.be/xUuccoh4tCI

At second 38 I have a fractured glassball - pointchached with your tool!

Sascha

Thanks for the feedback!

recubo · 2013-02-04

Hi Sascha!

You've done a great animation!
It's nice to see talented people like you using this tool. Here are some other feedbacks I've had since the release:

- This tool was initially made to be used in a sequence of the movie "Tad, the Lost Explorer" ( http://www.imdb.es/title/tt1764625/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2 ).
Finally the sequence was finished without it 'cause it was an alpha version that not fitted very well the pipeline of the studio, but after finishing the beta version the feedback from Lightbox Entertainment was really good and they ended up adding it to their tool pool.

- Here are some nice words from the VES award winning artist Matt Chandler from Analog VFX Studio: http://angry-pixel.blogspot.com.es/2012/01/pointcache.html

- A great video made by HaymakerFX that has been done using this script in some way (not specified): https://vimeo.com/31780817

- Also the people from Make VFX (http://www.makevfx.com/reel.html) is using it right now. Actually they're using a new version of the script that I'll release in a few days. I'll be able to deal with thousands of objects (previously baked from particles) without crashing 3dsMax. It works ok already, but I need to do some more tests to find silly bugs...

It's really nice to see all this good feedback from all of you guys ^_^!

BR,

Albert Alomar.

pd: btw, I've tried to replicate the problem you had with MatID again without any luck. In my tests with version 1.02, although the MatID is not specificaly considered in the code, the used attach command seems to respect all the different Mat ID when the meshes are attached. Do you still have that problem?

You could improve your script with these technique:

noel_d3 · 2012-06-28

Very interesting.
You could improve your script with these technique:
When an object has a turbosmooth modifier, disable it, record the point cache on the object, and applie the turbosmooth on the new object after new point cache modifier.

This may be the same with some modifiers as :
Meshsmooth, Vraydisplacement, Ornatrix ...

Best

leon

Thanks for the suggestion

recubo · 2012-06-28

You're right. The script is fairly quick just the way it is, but this method would improve both caching time and disk space.

I'll keep it in mind for the next version.

You're welcome :)

recubo · 2012-03-13

I'm glad you like it. I've been following your tools since you made Superflow and I realy like them. The last one "Quantum Force" is amazing, nice work!

W DIGITAL · 2012-03-12

this script is REALLY useful! thanks so much for making it!