Hi, is anyone using the specific combination of Poser5/Viz/VRay software? I've used Poser and Cinema4D for good effect, but Im thinking about switching over to Viz and Vray for the excellent renderings and for the user friendly accuracy I can get by importing Autocad files. Any personal experience with these issues would be appreciated. Mayavada3d

No experience with 3dsVIZ, but I have a lot of experience using 3dsMax with Vray Advanced. I haven't imported autocad files, but I have imported other file types (.obj, and PZ3 files via BodyStudio). My personal and humble opinion is that Vray is spectacular. No complaints here. It's one of the industry's best raytrace/GI engine, so I'm sure you'll find it works extremely well in that regard. It's also benchmarked as having some of the fastest GI calculations on the market today, and produces stunning results. I recommend visiting the ChaosGroup website forums and reading the tips and tricks and tutuorials provided for a better understanding of the renderer. From what I've heard, there's no issues with it and VIZ. In fact, 90% of the users of Vray on that board are professional architectural designers, and can probably help you out with whatever you need in the way of Vray/VIZ. Here's some good sites you're probably aware of, but I'll post them just in case: http://www.vrayrender.com/ http://www.vray.info/

Thank you, your experience confirms all I've heard so far - except that I have not yet heard anything good about VRay's use of Poser models. I'm assuming that they would be exported from Poser to a useable file format just as in Cinema, but everyone is carping about the poor result and close-up bad quality. I(m looking for as good a result as I get with Cinema before I spring for the new software. Thank you again.

I think you'll find that Vray is a superior rendering engine to what is found in Cinema (although Cinema is very good as well), but Vray just has a lot more features. The new build has some extensive geometry handling capablilities, as well as built-in dynamic fur/hair, etc. Bear in mind, you'll need a basic understanding of "render theory" before engaging Vray to perform at it's fullest potential, but the same holds true for any high end raytrace engine. I'm not sure what you mean about the poor result of close-up quality. Vray handles OBJ just like other renderer would. It's the obj import settings that determine the quality (smoothness) of the mesh in the app, and ultimately the materials/lighting you use plays a big part in how good the final render will turn out (just like any other renderer). Loading a PZ3 scene into Max via a plugin renders with no problem in Vray as well.

Attached Link: http://www.renderosity.com/viewed.ez?galleryid=361011

Here's a render someone else did a while back using Vicki with 3dsMax/Vray. There's a couple others in this guy's gallery as well. Not trying to sell you on the product, but I can also post a quick render of Vicki using Vray here if you like as well. As I mentioned, it handles the textures and geometry of Poser exports the same as any other renderer would. Hope that helps you decide. :-)

Eh, what the heck... might as well post a quick one from me as well. ;-)

This is just your standard V3 (no morphs) with Vicki's default hi-res maps applied, and Hmann's millenium hair. Imported into 3dsMax as a PZ3 via Bodystudio.

Just standard GI, with low settings, and one spotlight. No HDRI and nothing fancy.

Actual Rendertime: 1.3 minutes with medium antialiasing at 640x480. GI calculations took approximately 2 minutes or less.

Total Rendertime: Just over 3 minutes.

As rendered. No postwork (aside from the Max DOF render effect), and no special material tweeks.

Vray had no trouble handling the geometry or transmaps in the Millenium hair. Render settings of course can be tweeked to death to achieve better/worse results, or to speed up rendertime even further.

I didn't even bother tweeking the values other than changing the irradiance map to it's "low" settings.

So the entire process from Poser to final render in Max took only around 10 minutes (if you include how long it takes Poser to load V3 and Millenium hair). So I don't really see how there are any problems with it handling Poser figures. Does a good job of it I think.

Anyway, that's all. Good luck in your decision making on the product. :-)

Message edited on: 07/24/2004 18:27

I really appreciate your time and effort here. It is as I suspected - the problem with V3 seems mostly to be the operator......not the render software. I'm convinced and do now plan to get the new setup - as it will make my life easier in efficiently importing my Autocad files into the 3D modeling software and then also using the Poser figures I often use as well. Just as an aside, I wrote to the makers of Cinema4D several times (Maxon) as asked why not get a plugin together so some kind of efficient files exchange between Autocad and Cinema would be possible. Of course there is a workaround - that is if you want to turn triangles into quads for many many hours - I never got an answer except that they have managed it for Archicad instead. Meanwhile 3dsMax and now (Max) Viz is available for exactly the purpose I and many others have needed. Now, even including VRay to render, the whole package is very competitive in price to Cinema. I'm looking forward to the speed and the beauty of the combination. Thanks again for your help.