Yes - just in certain situations and areas - the base of a wineglass stem being an example.
I'm now wondering if it would be possible to isolate those 'terminated to black' rays to a AOV using a Light Path Expression. It wouldn't be a solution, but perhaps it could offer a route to some post-render / compositing options to mitigate the issue until we have a render option to deal with this. Unfortunately I currently know zero about LPE's...
The alternative is Redshift - that does have this render feature.
When I get time I am going to rebuild this render just to make sure it is not something else that's causing it.
Found 308 posts.
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Solaris and Karma » Karma Refraction Black Faces on thin Material
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- Mike_A
- 308 posts
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Solaris and Karma » Karma Refraction Black Faces on thin Material
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- Mike_A
- 308 posts
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gunjack
Since my Arnold subscription has just expired I was about to ditch Arnold for Karma. I did some tests and Karma really looks impressive. However I hit the wall already on the first project.
1. I am getting black edges even on most basic refractive object regardless of the amount of refraction limit setting. There really should be an option for rays to "exit into background" when limit is reached otherwise the glass looks odd. Thin walled option is not a solution to this issue.
I'm also struggling with the lack of an 'exit to background' option. I have glassware and cannot get rid of black areas in certain parts, no matter what limits I set.
Houdini Indie and Apprentice » Hole SOP is very slow
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- Mike_A
- 308 posts
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I think there's a good chance this is caused by numeric precision limitations. If you look up the Boolean help card you'll find a section about half way down the page talking about 'precision issues'. Read the bullet points immediately above too. There is also a section talking about 'collapse tiny seam edges' - read that as well. Hopefully that info will point you to a solution.
You could try a 'clean' or 'Polydoctor' SOP - but 'fine tuning' the first boolean to give you the best geometry would be the preferred option.
You could try a 'clean' or 'Polydoctor' SOP - but 'fine tuning' the first boolean to give you the best geometry would be the preferred option.
Edited by Mike_A - Feb. 12, 2025 18:14:07
Solaris and Karma » Setting up Whitewater shader in MaterialX?
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- Mike_A
- 308 posts
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mzigaib
...a matter of Sidefx to know that this needs attention and I hope they see this.
No need to 'hope'. Please take 5 mins to fill in the form - with links to this thread and as above. Then they will see it - and we might see some action.
www.sidefx.com/bugs/submit [www.sidefx.com]
Houdini Indie and Apprentice » Hole SOP is very slow
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- Mike_A
- 308 posts
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Houdini Indie and Apprentice » v@up driven by @P
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- Mike_A
- 308 posts
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Try this for the last line:
v@up = set(0,normdPointPosY,0);
Edited by Mike_A - Feb. 8, 2025 19:16:27
Technical Discussion » Enabling Caustics with XPU
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- Mike_A
- 308 posts
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I'm really hoping we'll see some massive improvement in this area of refractive caustics - and soon. It makes Karma unusable for some of the stuff I want to do.
Edited by Mike_A - Feb. 5, 2025 04:44:11
Solaris and Karma » The challenge: Output a shadow catcher and background direct
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- Mike_A
- 308 posts
- Online
Todd - thanks for the follow up. After carefully comparing your set up and mine - which looked identical - I've finally got it.
The main issue was as you suggested: the need to implicitly set the prim to "/render/rendersettings". In addition to that I'd messed up some 'edit render setting' by messing around with the initialise menu.
I'm not sure about the 'eternal' bit : ), but certainly enjoy this moment of glory and kudos with my sincere thanks : ) You delivered!
The main issue was as you suggested: the need to implicitly set the prim to "/render/rendersettings". In addition to that I'd messed up some 'edit render setting' by messing around with the initialise menu.
I'm not sure about the 'eternal' bit : ), but certainly enjoy this moment of glory and kudos with my sincere thanks : ) You delivered!
Houdini Indie and Apprentice » Hole SOP is very slow
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- Mike_A
- 308 posts
- Online
Houdini Indie and Apprentice » Hole SOP is very slow
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- Mike_A
- 308 posts
- Online
I think you've got a few duplicate points in there. Drop a fuse just after your convert SOP. That might help - at least a little.
** Looking again, I think the issue with boolean - which is massively faster - is that the 'small holes' have a reversed winding order to the large holes - ie they are facing in opposite directions. Group those by normal, reverse normals for that group and see how that goes with a boolean.
** Looking again, I think the issue with boolean - which is massively faster - is that the 'small holes' have a reversed winding order to the large holes - ie they are facing in opposite directions. Group those by normal, reverse normals for that group and see how that goes with a boolean.
Edited by Mike_A - Feb. 1, 2025 18:11:15
Solaris and Karma » The challenge: Output a shadow catcher and background direct
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- Mike_A
- 308 posts
- Online
Todd - many thanks, but no this doesn't solve my issue. I've no problem setting up a background plate and rendering the shadows as a holdout-shadows layer for post render compositing - as per your example scene. The Karma viewport does show the background plate and shadows but this is just a preview - it does not match the render.
What I can't get is a single layer render ie: one that matches the Karma viewport - containing the shadows and background plate.
The help says this is possible. Here's the link:
https://www.sidefx.com/docs/houdini/nodes/lop/backgroundplate.html [www.sidefx.com]
Scroll down the page to: "Add background plate to the final render"
I've followed those instructions without success.
What I can't get is a single layer render ie: one that matches the Karma viewport - containing the shadows and background plate.
The help says this is possible. Here's the link:
https://www.sidefx.com/docs/houdini/nodes/lop/backgroundplate.html [www.sidefx.com]
Scroll down the page to: "Add background plate to the final render"
I've followed those instructions without success.
Edited by Mike_A - Feb. 1, 2025 11:02:57
Solaris and Karma » The challenge: Output a shadow catcher and background direct
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- Mike_A
- 308 posts
- Online
I'm currently admitting defeat on this one:
I want to: output a 'final render', that has a background plate with a shadow catcher.
I've read the help files, viewed the videos, followed the instructions (I believe), tried CPU and XPU, explored too many minor variations - but I still can't get a simple single layer render containing all elements.
Can anyone offer a solution?
I want to: output a 'final render', that has a background plate with a shadow catcher.
I've read the help files, viewed the videos, followed the instructions (I believe), tried CPU and XPU, explored too many minor variations - but I still can't get a simple single layer render containing all elements.
Can anyone offer a solution?
Edited by Mike_A - Feb. 1, 2025 11:16:33
Solaris and Karma » Solaris material gallery?
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- Mike_A
- 308 posts
- Online
eikonoklastes
Don't be silly. This is USD we're talking about. "User-friendly" does not belong here.
I 'enjoyed' that : )
OK, you're confirming what my baby steps into Solaris and USD were suggesting. So I am at least reassured that I'm not the village blind man and everyone else is happily using some swish material gallery / management set up I've no idea about.
I should make a poster for my wall: "Houdini and user convenience do not go together. Get over it."
Edited by Mike_A - Jan. 21, 2025 08:39:43
Solaris and Karma » Solaris material gallery?
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- Mike_A
- 308 posts
- Online
I want to:
1. Build my own Karma materials from scratch.
2. Drag and drop them into a user friendly searchable gallery I can use across my projects.
3. Drag them back into material linker or wherever I want to use them.
Is that too much to ask in 2025?
1. Build my own Karma materials from scratch.
2. Drag and drop them into a user friendly searchable gallery I can use across my projects.
3. Drag them back into material linker or wherever I want to use them.
Is that too much to ask in 2025?
Solaris and Karma » Solaris material gallery?
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- Mike_A
- 308 posts
- Online
Has there been any progress on making an 'artist friendly USD / Mtlx material gallery'?
I really hope so.
I really hope so.
Edited by Mike_A - Jan. 20, 2025 17:43:11
Technical Discussion » How to set collapsible folder default state
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- Mike_A
- 308 posts
- Online
Solaris and Karma » Karma nested dielectrics issue
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- Mike_A
- 308 posts
- Online
Thanks brians. I was returning to report that I'd discovered this was a scaling ('aka: ray bias') issue - only to find your post.
What I would ask you to note is that the original model - with default ray bias - rendered correctly in both Redshift and Karma CPU - but failed (as above) in Karma XPU. So it looks like there could be inconsistency in default ray bias settings here. That causes confusion.
What I would ask you to note is that the original model - with default ray bias - rendered correctly in both Redshift and Karma CPU - but failed (as above) in Karma XPU. So it looks like there could be inconsistency in default ray bias settings here. That causes confusion.
Edited by Mike_A - Jan. 17, 2025 08:50:03
Solaris and Karma » Karma nested dielectrics issue
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- Mike_A
- 308 posts
- Online
Thanks for the thought. I've ramped up the sampling limits to the max as a test, but after some more experimentation, it looks like an XPU limitation to me, but I'm hoping it might be user error and someone will educate me : )
It renders as expected with Karma CPU, but not with XPU - as below.
It renders as expected with Karma CPU, but not with XPU - as below.
Edited by Mike_A - Jan. 16, 2025 18:28:58
Solaris and Karma » Karma nested dielectrics issue
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- Mike_A
- 308 posts
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OK... having wasted so much time chasing this, I've now realised it renders OK - to MPlay or disk - but doesn't display correctly in the Karma stage viewport. I'm hoping there is a button / switch or something that is causing this, otherwise a renderer that doesn't render what I see in the viewport isn't much use to me. How am I supposed to adjust materials? Render for every minor tweak?
Edited by Mike_A - Jan. 16, 2025 16:48:37
Solaris and Karma » Karma nested dielectrics issue
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- Mike_A
- 308 posts
- Online
Hi all. Very late to the party, but I am finally trying Karma in place of Redshift.
Problem 1: I have a classic 'liquid in a glass' model. The liquid slightly intersects the walls of the glass - as is standard. I've got Karma standard materials set up in Solaris. Nested dielectric property for the glass set to 1 and 2 for the red liquid. Everything renders as expected if I move the liquid outside of the glass - but the liquid is opaque if it's in it's normal position inside the glass.
Can anyone help?
Problem 1: I have a classic 'liquid in a glass' model. The liquid slightly intersects the walls of the glass - as is standard. I've got Karma standard materials set up in Solaris. Nested dielectric property for the glass set to 1 and 2 for the red liquid. Everything renders as expected if I move the liquid outside of the glass - but the liquid is opaque if it's in it's normal position inside the glass.
Can anyone help?
Edited by Mike_A - Jan. 16, 2025 14:36:41
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