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playmesumch00ns
09-17-2002, 03:00 PM
Okay, I come calling out for help from those of you whose brains swell unbearably with knowledge!

I need help with the Maya API, specifically integrating an MFC program into it.

I need to have some custom nodes that have their own attribute editor bits, then I need to open a window that displays my own OpenGL rendering of the current scene. I need to be able to access polygonal mesh data for the scene and finally I need to hit a render callback, not only when you click the render button, but also for each frame of a batch render.

Phew! That's quite a lot! The most difficult part I think will be the window with the OpenGL rendering (I really can't do this is a viewport)

If anyone has any experience of any of these bits, or knows anyone who does, can you please, please get in touch with me!

Thanks!
alexx
09-17-2002, 06:12 PM
not really sure what you are trying to do..

but if you need a batch rendering tool for hardware renderings:
i wrote some mel scripts, that do a distributed hardware rendering on a renderfarm using muster from virtual vertex.. maybe that is what you need?

cheers

alexx
playmesumch00ns
09-17-2002, 06:48 PM
Hi alexx, cheers for the reply!

What I want is to render the scene or animation as normal, then do my own stuff "on top" of the final image.

Actually thinking about it, I don't even need to do the render callback. What I really need is to get at all the polygonal data for the scene, and to be able to draw my own version of the scene into a new window with OpenGL.

This seperate window is like the editor for my plugin as I have to have complete control of what is drawn. The final output I can do as a 2D process after it is rendered.

There was a powerpoint presentation and some sample code on www.secretlevel.com for incorporating MFC into Maya (with some devilish trickery), I was just hoping someone might be able to give me a helping hand along the way.
alexx
09-17-2002, 06:53 PM
you want to put frame numberings and stuff on top or real geometry?
playmesumch00ns
09-17-2002, 07:06 PM
Basically what I'm doing is partly a painterly renderer, I want to automatically paint brushstrokes on top of the rendered frame, using the colour of the rendered image as a guide.

I also want to do a variety of other things that are going to call for special shaders and the like, but I'm not really sure if it wouldn't be a better idea to do it in RenderMan from the start. I'm trying to figure out which direction to take as I'm going to have to start this very soon.

You see if I do a Maya plugin, I've got to do all the DAG stuff, and possibly write a couple of shaders, and then there's the whole editor integration into Maya with MFC, which could be a nightmare.
On the other hand, if I go the RenderMan route, I've got to write a RIB parser, whereas in Maya I can just ask her for all the mesh data and she gives it to me all nicely arranged in vertex and face arrays. But then the RMan one will be a stand-alone prog which will be a hell of a lot easier to debug, and having RenderMan know-how under my belt would be great Kudos for any job interviews, no?

Aargh! It's hard! Thanks for talking about this, I'm sort of wrestling it out in my head, and I think I'm going towards RenderMan but oooh aahhhh I just don't know!!
alexx
09-17-2002, 07:09 PM
ok.. sorry then..
this is one too much for me for just being able to help.. would take me weeks myself to answer..
sorry and good luck with it all..

and YES.. renderman knowledge will help a hell lot :)
Heinrich
09-17-2002, 11:11 PM
Try asking the guys at WWW.SimplyMaya.co.uk they will be able to help you.
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