multiple paths and static materials

#1

Hello,

inspired by the Animation: conveyor belt thread I am trying to build a pFlow-System:

Multiple Shapes in a group are instanced to follow mutliple paths with ‘Speed by Icon’.
I strayed in script operators and test until I found that the build in operarator seem to do everything I want.

Now I had the problem, that the particles loose there material passing from one event to the next. I read this in the FAQ, too.

Please explain how to solve this:

If I put ‘Shape Instance’ in the global event, both ‘Speed by Icon’ generate the same objects display the same objects in the same sequence.
If I have common ‘display event’ where a particles are ‘sent out’ to, they don’t follow the path anymore.

Here is also the Max8-file.

Georg

#2

maybe this thread may help you…

http://forums.cgsociety.org/showpost.php?p=3636447&postcount=3362

#3

psychosilence,

after staring at our samples I realised I never really tried to assign a “material static” with a Multi/Sub-Material containing all possible materials.

Moral: Never think complicated.
Thank you!

Reference: rdg-pflow-color_solution.zip

Georg

#4

btw i emailed you a few days ago concerning jobs and portfolio but didn´t got an answer from you jet :cry::cry:

back to toppic :slight_smile:

just downloaded your example, it´s pretty much the same idea as in the traffic demo scene. good job georg!

another way to keep certain attributes like materials during the entire flow (not only until the event is over) is trick #01 of the 666 dirty tricks with pflow:

put your materials, shape instances, cache data, camera culling, etc. in the top event under the render node.

kind regards

anselm

#5

anslem,

I answered but got no respone from you - I :cry: too and blamed the new netiquette.
I PM you.

Georg

#6

Seems like my crappy fu**ing spamfilter didn´t get that your mail was a serious way to get in touch with me…anyways, i await your mail with tension :wink:

pflowin´ anselm

#7

rdg-pflow-color_offset_splines.zip

[** should now be working **]

In this example the splines do not need to start at the same location and particles will still follow them without offset. You can move the splines to different locations or rotate them to test it.

In some occasions this might be smarten than having different pflow-sources to stick particles to paths - I don’t know.

I used this with a birth script that moves the pflow-source to the first knot of a spline when emitting a particle. The logics behind distibuting the particles to the spline is hard to abstract, so this is just a prove of concept.

Georg

#8

got a 404 error :frowning:

what you´re up to code is what standard particle systems like spray are able to do since forever…they can be influenced by world space modifiers like path deform eg…

#9

here is a “pflow multiple path follow generator tool”.

rdg_pflow_mutliplefollow.ms

what the script does:

It generates a group from selected objects and a multi/sub-material with their materials.
It generates a particle flow. For every spline a “speed by icon” is generated and path_constrained. “Split Amount” Operators are generated so every particle follows another path. the pflow is positioned at the first vertex of the first spline …

Usage:
Install as Macroscript and assign to a toolbar …

Generate some splines. Best Results if all splines start at the same position.
Generate some objects and assign some materials.
Run the script.
Select the Objects.
Select the Splines.
Press “Go”.

Due to a bug/feature in max8 the pflow needs some further attention:
Delete a connection from one of the “Split Amounts” and reconnect it.
Now the particles show in Viewport.

Optional: Report bugs.

Georg

#10

i´ll give that baby a try if i can find the time. :wink:

right now the roof´s on fire…

kind regards

anselm

#11

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