Your "Wireframe" approach in MAYA?

#1

Hi 2 all…

The subject of question…
I’ve encountered a problem in getting wireframe renderings in MAYA 6.0…
I come from an architectural field…so getting wireframe style renders is really important for me…:slight_smile:

For now, using using Maya’s docs i’ve found 3 possible solutions for that:

  1. HArdware render, but it’s kind of weird when it comes to wire…doesn’t have enough options…limited output resolution…

  2. Vector render…which is better …but it has the same damn resolution problem…when you set it high enough ( even 5120x3840 )…it gives you a mistake message…probably cause it’s mostly for web , flash, cartoon style renderings…

  3. And finally Maya 6.0…countour shading…I am not deep in Mental yet…so i donow much about it…probably you do :slight_smile:

Thanks for attention…please feel free to share…:rolleyes:

#2

well, i think the last option is the best, MentalRay contour rendering.Its cool because you can mix the wireframe look with the shaded look:)

#3

I think so 2…

but as i got from the docs sophisticated connection job has to be done with all that Mr shader nodes to get the render done? am i right?

if you could share an example of setting a pretty simple wire-render setup…without interior shading …just outlines…:shrug:

Sooner i m going to get into mental myself…but for now i just need wire…

Thanks i n advance… :slight_smile:

#4

Well, not if you are using Maya 6.You just need to create a simple shader, lets say a lambert, then go to the mentalray tab in your Lambert shading goup, and chose contour render, then you can chose the color you want.Next step is go to the render globals, in the Draw contour tab, you need to select what kind of wire look you want, im posting an image to help.That image im using between Different Primitives.You can Test other types of render.This is really cool.
here is the image final look
http://img51.exs.cx/img51/2233/teste1.jpg

and here is a screencapture view, showing the Material attributes, and the render global atributes:thumbsup:
http://img35.exs.cx/img35/5/screencapture.jpg

#5

Vector render…which is better …but it has the same damn resolution problem…

actualy vector render can output vector formats like .ai and resize it to any format you like without loosing resolution… its vectorial.

#6

Thanks a lot slipknot66…Your mini-tutorial was really valuable for me…it worked…:thumbsup:

In Brasil, sport number 1 is basketball…cause football is religion…

Is it true?:rolleyes:

romeu…I was thinking about that…but i am not so close with Ilustrator and Corel…
I am more familiar with Photoshop…
And my wireframes are far more detailed than those cartoon style pictures in docs…so it is not that easy…
So I tried once to trace some things from Max like that…but i was not sutisfied…maybe I just doknow how to do it right… :shrug:

#7

photoshop also alow you to import an .ai file and choose the resolution you want, but the best way to do this is realy to use some vector editor like Adobe Ilustrator or Corel Draw, to manipulate your wire after rendered.

here´s a preview for an 8 by 4 meter poster i had to do once,

some scary resolution to do it in pixels, so IMHO vectorial is one way to go.

#8

just be careful with the vector renderer… with high detailed models it gets terrible slow and uses enormous amounts of RAM…
the contour shader approach should be the better and more reliable one i would say :slight_smile:

cheers

alexx

#9

Once your 3d poly object is finished and your have prepared UV’s for texturing. Re-use the UV snap shot as a texture with transparency or without. I find this is an easy way to simulate wire frame

#10

Thanks for replies…:thumbsup:

But as far as I know snapshots done in Hardware buffer have limited resolution…at least i could not set ti high enough…right?

Is there any way around that problem?

#11

Yes, a hardware render, but if you try saving at 2k, or maybe 4k you will get some clean wires.
Just a possibility. :hmm:

#12

WHat about 8k? :rolleyes:

I’d like to have a reliable way for any resolution…

#13

I’ve got an easier method using the Hardware Buffer…I’ll post it later on tonight!

#14

Ok, so here’s what you do:

Window > Rendering Editors > Hardware Render Buffer.
This opens a window with a timeline as well.

Click on the Render > Attributes… button. Here is where you can customize values.

In the Render Modes section, click on the “Draw Style” pulldown menu and select “WireFrame.”

You will notice that further below there are other options that you can modify, such as background colour, multipass rendering, lighting, etc.

Please be aware of the Image Output Files section, as where and how you save it will make a difference.

I can go into detail with my exact process if you need.

When you have everything in place, go back to the Hardware Render Buffer window and select Render > Render Sequence.

Good luck!

#15

As i said the main limitation of hardware render buffer is resolution…so its not OK
…4k iz max…:smiley:

By the way do you guys know how to render out *.ai format with Vector render…
Cause i tried that, and unfortunately when i could not open it in Photoshop…
The warning was something like “cannot parse the file”

Any ideas:rolleyes: ?

#16

Oops!!
Sorry, when I tried it on my model and it came out nicely, I didn’t even look at the limitation (or notice the thread above)…

I’ll keep looking!

#17

As i said the main limitation of hardware render buffer is resolution…so its not OK
…4k iz max…:smiley:

By the way do you guys know how to render out *.ai format with Vector render…
Cause i tried that, and unfortunately when i could not open it in Photoshop…
The warning was something like “cannot parse the file”

Any ideas:rolleyes:
I could simply open it in photoshop, but now i get the same error.

but good news, i just tried with .eps and it works fine. just choose what size and resolution you want when you open it in photoshop, and “voila”.

#18

Thanks…

Corel Draw works fine…

ai format is not a pain in the ass anymore…

Take care…:thumbsup:

#19

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