VRay ocean shader for PhoenixFD 3

by Hammer Chen

This is my material settings for ocean. Sim with PhoenixFD 3.

無偏差（ unbiased）算圖的真相

原文 / the truth about unbiased rendering
作者 / ChaosGroup lab
編譯 / Hammer Chen

多年來，大家都在爭執到底是偏差式算圖（biased）或是無偏差式算圖（unbiased）哪個比較好。『無偏差式的算圖』這個詞已被用了許多次了，幾乎等於精確算圖的代言人。事實上幾乎所有的算圖器其實多多少少都帶有偏差，即使是那些宣稱是無偏差的算圖器。 因為偏差式算圖真的比較快，更智慧，也不代表就不精確。為了要更了解這點，我們分成幾個方面來了解：

Phoenix FD 3 vs FumeFX 4 Comparison

by Hammer Chen

last update: 2016/10/04

	FumeFX 4.0	PhoenixFD 3.0 official build
price	USD 845*	USD 830*
Simulation capability	fire, smoke and explosion	Fire, smoke, explosion, water, high viscosity fluid, Infinite ocean with splash and foam, beer foam, boat wake
UI	Floating UI	Rollout
cache file path	Absolute path	Relative path to scene, $(implicit)
Adaptive Grid	YES, plus expanding grid option	Fully controlled, fit in cam view
Opacity for smoke and fire	One for fire, one for smoke	shared One for fire, one for smoke
Particle shader		PHXFoam, able to render (large amount of) particle
Default Object Interaction	Inclusive list	Exclusive list
Ocean Texture Map		PhoenixFDOcean Tex
Color gradient / curve  editor	user friendly	difficult friendly with advanced controls
Particle source control	user friendly, radius with curve editor	through particle size or "Custom Prt Size"
Gravity helper	YES, straightforward and effective
Other forces		PlainForce, BodyForce and WaveForce
2D Simulation		YES
Viewport preview		accurate viewport preview auto reduction auto range
Interactive simulation (Simulation not locking the gui)	YES (start form FumeFX 4.0)	YES
Amp. resolution	Wavelet	Resimulation: wavelet, interpolate
retime	YES, Post Processing	YES, resimulation /time blend: general purpose or slow down Mode: Linear, cache index, Loop Frm.Blend: Interpolation, velocity
Workflow for resim / select cache	straightforward, Sim Mode	Automatic switch caches, might be confusing for beginner
Inertial forces	YES, Use Grid Motion	YES, can link sim grid to moving object, i.e.: moving torch
Dynamic solvers	Solvers: CG and QCG Advection: Default, Advanced (fields), Advanced(fields and vels)	Conservation: Direct Symmetric, Direct Smooth and Buffered, PCG Symmetric Advection methods: Classic, Slow moving, Forward transfer, Multi-pass and FLIP
Advanced vorticity	vorticity II	Massive vorticity
Fluid Mapping	YES
heathaze		YES
displace voxels post-sim	NO	YES
Fire create smokes	YES	YES, Fuel: enable burning
Smoke buoyancy	Sensitive to dynamic, unlimited	range from 10 to -10
Cache optimization	Drop unused channels by post processing	1)Storage quality control (similar to jpeg compression) 2) No-Export Channels option in the Resimulation
Import Field3D, openVOD	support	support
Export PRT	support	support
Export Alembic		support
Self-illuminate acceleration	Illumination map	Grid-based
Render acceleration		probabilistic shading
Black-body shader	YES	YES, Allowed gradual transition between the default Black Body Fire model and an artistic model using the 'Physically Based' option
Sharpness control	Sharpen strength for fire and smoke	Sampler type: Box, Linear and Spherical Content Smoothing for separate channel
Render elements	FumeFXfire, FumeFXsmoke, velocity, zdepth	YES for Maya version
Integration with Particle Flow	FumeFX Birth, Follow, Test	PhoenixFD Birth, Force, Test
Integration with thinkingParticles	FumeFX Birth, Follow, Probe
GPU Preview	Floating viewport	Through 3dsmax extended viewport or Display on current viewport
Solid mode		YES
Network simulation	through backburner "...it is possible to send many variations of the same simulation across the network and pick the result the user likes the most..."	Backburner or Deadline, "... several simulations with varying parameters are simulated, each on a separate computer..."
Spline Follow	YES	YES, follow path
Render Warps	YES
Effectors	YES
Learning curve		Lots of parameters, take time to learn New Quick Presets provides several quick settings as good starting point
Renderer compatability	mentalRay	V-Ray
Customer support		Offical forum and Facebook group

*Please check official website for their local store / sales details.

related posts:

Phoenix FD 2.2 vs FumeFX 4.0 Comparison

Phoenix FD 2.2 vs RealFlow 2015 Comparison

V-Ray電影製作裡的抗閃爍方法

原文 / ChaosGroup V-Ray RT GPU Fan Group
編譯 / Hammer Chen

Maarten Nauw問：大家有沒有試過上面影片中所用的方法 等不及有空的時候來試試看

Emanuele Lecchi答：我參與2012年時參與電影【Oblivion遺落戰境】的峽谷場景製作，用的設定是LC per frame, BF as primary engine，該場景具有移動的幾何體（模型破壞，也帶有拓譜改變） 粒子 每個frame有幾十一個polygon。用這樣個設定完全沒有閃爍的問題，而且還只是用V-Ray 2.x的版本而已。

我不會建議你用該影片中的方法做為通用作法 有兩個原因

PhoenixFD 3新增功能列表

原文 / Phoenix FD 3.0 for 3ds Max

翻譯 / Hammer Chen

（譯者認為重要的功能以★表示）

details for section斷面的細節

筆記 / Hammer Chen

thinkingParticles預設的volumeBreak切面太平滑。以下是網路上找到的幾個讓破碎斷面產生細節的技巧

bercon noise for lichens地衣遮罩

文 / Hammer Chen
免費的 BerconNoise程序性紋理，可以用在很多自然效果上，例如rusted metal生鏽金屬。這裡我們分析一下幾個關鍵參數，找到適合用在lichens地衣或是發霉的紋理上。

VRscans為您開啟了更高精度更寬廣的材質世界

原文 / Look Development is dead, long live Look Development! - Or on the advent of higher accuracy in the broader shading world

作者 / Emanuele Lecchi

翻譯 / Hammer Chen

風格研究已死，風格研究萬萬歲！開啟更高精度的材質世界

幾個月前，Chaos Group公司幾位高手組成的小團隊，經過多年累積的研究與努力，終於發表了VRscans！

我聽到你們的問題、疑慮，我也知道你們想要知道更多資訊。這篇我不會談材質掃瞄出來操作上的問題（載入、自動調整tiling 、材質...等等）。我要談的是對每日工作流程上更深層的意義。

當前光學解析度的極限（這是他們說的，我只是引用）可以到60微米，或是每個像素0.06 mm。從DPI的角度來看，大約是在20cm見方的範圍具有423（例如一撮鹽，其中的shader會有點複雜）　打個比方，最接近VRscans解析度大約是羊毛纖維的兩倍寬。

精簡版的3dsMax Lite

文 / Hammer Chen

最近發生一件訴訟案。某離職員工（曾經是原公司的主力程式設計師）被告。到底誰對誰錯不談，有趣的是該員工分享一個pdf，裡面談到他後來寫的軟體大小比那家大公司的軟體，小了十分之一。換句話說原本是100Mb的軟體，後來寫的就只有10Mb。他說原本公司是多人撰寫，程式碼比較亂，後來他自己寫有最佳化，軟體才會這麼精簡。

個人認為這是絕對有可能。程式可以跑出一樣的結果，程式碼卻可千變萬化。若是經過好幾代員工的撰寫，裡面累積多少垃圾，用不到的東西，或是看不懂不敢動，不敢拿掉的東西...這很像生物演化一樣，基因代代相傳，並非每個序列都是用得到的。也可能像視網模那樣倒著長，或是咽喉跟氣管那樣不合理的設計都會因為歷史原因而累積下來。如果程式碼真如說所做到超級最佳化，搞不好一樣的功能，軟體一下就開啟了，要算圖也不會載入一些沒必要的東西，用起來應該很舒爽吧。如果3ds Max也可以拿掉那些用不到的，重複的。把相似的功能整合，就太棒了：

• 丟掉Viewcube, steeringweels, egg shape, meatlRay, "metalRay connection", Flight Studio
• 整合Editpoly與EditMesh成一個，不會再發生『Teaching 3dsmax to a Cinema 4D friend』裡面的窘困狀況
• 整合Optimize與ProOptimizer
• 拿掉SahderFX
• 把Transform / toolbox放到Pivot選單中
• 徹底解決3ds Max Texture Map在viewport顯示大小不正確的問題
• 解決需要套XForm的問題

就算完全沒新功能，推出如此精簡化的『3dsMax Lite』應該還是會大受歡迎吧。或許啟動不用花三秒。或許整個安裝檔只有200Mb。這個假想的3ds Max Lite計畫會遇到幾個問題，首先是高層與股東意願的問題。再來是因為歷史悠久，程式碼或有許多遺跡，要精簡程式碼很麻煩，成本過高。其三，難以向下相容。拿掉很多東西後變成很多功能不支援。

換個角度來看，軟體超過十年變成一個累贅。新成立的軟體公司，儘管是一人公司，完全沒有包袱，反而有更多自由度，不會綁手綁腳地，這是利基。任何一套軟體，尤其是套裝軟體如果經過十年不把一些過時的功能淘汰整併的話，遲早會被自身的肥肉拖垮。

[相關資訊]
3ds Max的歷史(一）：專訪Tom Hudosn
3ds Max的歷史(二）：專訪Gary Yost
3ds Max的歷史(三）：José María De Espona
3ds Max 的輝煌二十年

VRay concrete material水泥材質製作流程

文 / Hammer Chen

大致介紹一下用V-Ray製作水泥材質的流程。這裡的重點是如何從一張照片產生無縫的diffuse，再根據這張產生reflection map，gloss map與normal map。中部粽堆疊在一起則是用thinkingParticles模擬出來的，之後再另文說明。

VRay PBR材質練習

文 / Hammer Chen
素材 / bernhardrieder.com

這篇是筆者在Chaosgroup官方論壇看到的關於3DCoat或Substance Designer輸出的PBR紋理，如何對應到V-Ray material的精采討論。bernhard 先生除了上傳它的素材，還錄了以下教學影片。什麼是PBR材質建議先閱讀這篇。

V-Ray 3.4 能偵測模型變化的關鍵遮罩

文 /Hammer Chen

介紹四種主要的能根據模型而改變的材質遮罩（geometry sensitive mask）。對於寫實材質設定非常關鍵。

教學影片：VRay黃金材質

應網友要求將之前的黃金教學操作錄成影片。文字教學連結點這裡。

Phoenix FD vs RealFlow Comparison

by Hammer Chen

	Realflow 2015	PhoenixFD 2.2 official build
Developer	Next limit	Chaos Group
price	1995€ *	921.5USD without Dongle *
Package	Standalone software + Connectivity Plugins or REALFLOW for CINEMA 4D	Phoenix FD for 3ds Max or Maya
UI	Standard UI + node-based Relationship Editor	Tabs and rollouts
Sim Methods	SPH FLIP (Hybrido)	Grid-based
Fluid solver selections	-DYVERSO solvers	3 Conservation 4 Material Transfer
multi-threading sim	YES	YES
GPU acceleration	solvers	viewport preview
Network simulation	YES, Independent Domain Of Computation
Sim capability	-Small scale liquid and splashs -Large scale ocean, waves and splashs - foam, bubbles and mist	-Small scale liquid and splashs -Large scale ocean, waves and splashs -foam, bubbles -Non-Newtonian
Physical Properties	- Surface tension - Density - Viscosity - Vorticity - Int Pressure, Ext Pressure - Compressibility	-Surface Tension -Viscosity (normalized to 0~1) -Vorticity
Dynamics	- Rigid body (Caronte solver) - Soft body - Fibers	passive rigid body interaction only
Emitter	- Circle, square, sphere, linear - Object	-PHXSource (supporting shape and mesh)
Emission type	- Speed - fill object	-Inject -Brush -initial fill up
Specialized Force / Daemon	-Shetter Daemon -DSpline daemon -Crown daemon -Layered Vortex Daemon -k Isolated, k volume, k speed Daemon -Morph, Magic Daemon -Filter Daemon -Attractor	-PHXTurbulence
3rd Party  Plug-ins	-Wet Work -loSim -RF_toolfactory
Ocean Mesh	Realwave + spectrum...etc	Automatic mesh extension inside of camera frustum + PhoenixFDOceanTex vector displacement
Stepping control	Min and Max Substeps	Steps per frame
Retime	Time function curve editor	Resimulation
Mesher control	- Speed stretching - polygon size - metaballs, Weighted isotropic and Weighted Anisotropic -Filter: thinning, relaxation, tension, steps	-Preview / Show mesh -Mode: mesh, ocean, cap, implicit surface and geometry atomosphere -sampler type: box, linear, spherical
Mesh optimization	Curvature / Camera	Output / storage quality
Import	sd, obj, abc, bin...etc	- all 3dsMax /Maya suport formats -PRT loader -vdb, f3d
Export	abc, bin, obj...etc	-PhoenixFD export particles / prt
Renderer	Maxwell

*Please check official website for their local store / sales details.