AccuRender Studio

[Roy Hirshkowitz]

Here's the latest version of the new stuff.  If you're interested, try it at your leisure and let me know what you find.  It's a work in progress, so please be kind.  We'll likely have some bugs and certainly have some missing features.

******

Some highlights:

Standalone renderer which accepts input from Rhino, Sketchup, Obj and FBX.

Plugins for AutoCAD and other CAD applications.

Online material and plant libs.

Single advanced engine with fewer compromises and biases.  Similar to current hybrid engine but noisier.

*******

AccuRender Studio is 64 bit only and will not run on 32 bit machines.
On older machines, the installation may require updating .net versions which can be a lengthy process. Windows 10 is recommended (but not required.)

The AutoCAD plugin can be run with or without a recent version of nXtRender loaded.
If you run the plugin without nXtRender, you will get only AutoCAD information in the ArScene file. If nXtRender is loaded some conversion of nXt information will occur.

Instructions:

1. Download and install AccuRender Studio.
2. Open an AutoCAD session.
3. Load the correct .net AccuRender Studio plugin for your version of AutoCAD by typing           netload at the command prompt (not appload!) and navigating to

    c:\program files\AccuRender Studio.  The plugin versions are:

    ArStudioAcadPluginR19.dll (AutoCAD 2013-2014)

    ArStudioAcadPluginR20.dll (AutoCAD 2015-2016)
    ArStudioAcadPluginR21.dll (AutoCAD 2017)
    ArStudioAcadPluginR22.dll (AutoCAD 2018)

    You should only have to do this step once. The file will be demand loaded after that.

4. Optionally load nXtRender (by typing nxt at the command line, for example).
5. Type arstudio at the command line to run the command. It will inform you if the correct         version of nXtRender was found. If not, an update from RenderPlus may be required.

[Peter Milner]

Looking at the png file you sent me, rather than having an alpha channel, it just has the background colour removed so that it is transparent. I think there's some confusion in terminology here.

[Peter Milner]

I've just tried the png file you sent and now I get this:

[George Ioannidis]

Can you select which colour will be the transparency map Peter? With some kind of eye-dropper maybe? I don't know, just guessing. Another thought would be to reverse the image to negative and see what happen. Again, just a guess ;)

[Peter Milner]

No, there doesn't seem to be that option.

It's not a black & white image. It's a black image on a transparent background.

So I'm not sure where the white is coming from.

[George Ioannidis]

I see. Looks like nXt translates the alpha transparency areas of the bitmap to white colour.

[George Ioannidis]

So why not try to reverse the alpha channel and coloured areas: convert the black areas to alpha channel and vice versa, to see what will happen :)

[Roy Hirshkowitz]

Sorry-- I was out of town for a few days.

You should be able to replace the decal using the ArDecal command and it will handle
everything automatically-- just use the png provided.

-OR--

If you want to use the material editor you'll need to replace both the Color and Opacity maps and make sure the Opacity map has the Use Alpha as Data checkbox checked.

Yes-- it's possible photoshop calls this something other than Alpha.

[Peter Milner]

Adding the decal from fresh using ARDECAL worked, even with my version.

Next question: how do I add more than one decal to an object?

[Peter Milner]

Also, when I reduce the strength of the decal, instead of becoming transparent, it becomes grey. How would I set it to show some base material coming through?

[Roy Hirshkowitz]

Strength is supposed to do that-- I'll verify.  I'm working on a few things right now-- should have a build for you by tomorrow or so. 

• Some legacy items are not persistent, including materials (you should only need to have the legacy product running when you first bring up ArStudio).  This is working better now.
• Legacy decals embedded within blocks are not working-- on my list next.
• Multiple decal editing is not working-- next up.

[Roy Hirshkowitz]

Here's how you adjust the overall transparency-- 

1. Edit the Decal material in the Material Editor.
2. Go to Opacity and change it to 0 using the slider (I may do this automatically at some point).
3. Edit the Opacity Map (not the Color Map) by clicking on the picture. 
4. Select a new value for the Strength parameter.

[Peter Milner]

Thanks Roy. That did the trick.

I just have to wrap my head round the logic behind it.