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Arnold for 3ds Max
Rendering with Arnold in 3ds Max using the MaxtoA plug-in.
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Installing mandelbulb.dll

14 REPLIES 14
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Message 1 of 15
mdhughesAPRY6
407 Views, 14 Replies

Installing mandelbulb.dll

I'm trying to make a mandelbulb for a project in class. I'm following this tutorial, but I don't understand where to place the dll or if I'm doing it right. I think I just need a more in-depth explanation of how to get the procedural started for Arnold 5

14 REPLIES 14
Message 2 of 15
lee_griggs
in reply to: mdhughesAPRY6

Did you follow the instructions here?

Lee Griggs
Arnold rendering specialist
AUTODESK
Message 3 of 15
mdhughesAPRY6
in reply to: lee_griggs

Yeah, I created the stand in but I'm not sure exactly where things go after that. As far as installing the procedural, I don't know what the ARNOLD_PLUGIN_PATH is, and running kick -l gives me an error. When it says to add it to the plugin search path, does that mean under the plugin manager?

Message 4 of 15
Anonymous
in reply to: mdhughesAPRY6

you need mtd.file like this one:(mandelbulb.mtd)
[node mandelbulb]
desc STRING "mandelbulb"
maya.name STRING "aimandelbulb"
maya.id INT 0x00135D6D
maya.procedural BOOL true

You need aeTemplate file like this one:(aimandelbulbTemplate.py)

import pymel.core as pm
from mtoa.ui.ae.shaderTemplate import ShaderAETemplate

class AEaimandelbulbTemplate(ShaderAETemplate):
def setup(self):
self.addSwatch()
self.beginScrollLayout()

self.beginLayout("Mandelbulb Attributes", collapse=False)
self.addControl("visibility", label="Visibility")
self.addControl("gridsize", label="Grid Size")
self.addControl("maxIter", label="Max Iterations")
self.addControl("power", label="Power")
self.addControl("spheremult", label="Sphere Scale")
self.addControl("orbitthresh", label="Orbit Threshold")
self.addControl("chunks", label="Chunks")
self.addControl("threads", label="Threads")
self.addControl("julia", label="Julia")
self.addControl("Cval", label="Julia C")
self.addControl("stepSize", label="Step Size")

# Do not show extra attributes
extras = ["castsShadows",
"primaryVisibility",
"overrideReceiveShadows",
"overrideDoubleSided",
"overrideSelfShadows",
"overrideOpaque",
"overrideMatte",
"minBoundingBox",
"maxBoundingBox",
"aiToonId",
"overrideLightLinking",
"overrideShaders"]

for extra in extras:
self.suppress(extra)

self.endLayout()
pm.mel.AEdependNodeTemplate(self.nodeName)
self.addExtraControls()
self.endScrollLayout()



Message 5 of 15
mdhughesAPRY6
in reply to: Anonymous

Thank you for responding! I'm a student and I don't know much about codes at the moment, to use them I'll need to know what to do with them, also the template file you linked doesn't lead anywhere

Message 6 of 15
Anonymous
in reply to: mdhughesAPRY6

aeTemplate does not work as it is because python file need some indentation
5112-python-indentation.jpg
Create a folder called it whatever you want like customShader
inside that folder, create 02 sub-folder bin and ae
put the .dll and the mtd file in bin folder
put the python file in ae folder
in maya.env create 02 variables:

ARNOLD_PLUGIN_PATH = Point to your customShader/bin
MAYA_CUSTOM_TEMPLATE_PATH = Point to your customShader/ae

Message 7 of 15
lee_griggs
in reply to: mdhughesAPRY6

You can enter a search path to the procedural here.

Lee Griggs
Arnold rendering specialist
AUTODESK
Message 8 of 15
mdhughesAPRY6
in reply to: Anonymous

I got it loaded!! It looks so cool, now I'm just wondering how to animate it. Is that something I'd do in the .ass file? How do I get the keys into Maya for rendering?

Message 9 of 15
Anonymous
in reply to: mdhughesAPRY6

You can key all the parameters
Grid
Max Iterations
Power
Sphere Scale
Chunks
etc..

Message 10 of 15
mdhughesAPRY6
in reply to: Anonymous

Yeah but can you key them in maya so it keeps the animation? When I key the .ass file there's no way to keep the changes so the mandelbulb moves

Message 11 of 15
Anonymous
in reply to: mdhughesAPRY6

key the ass?? how???

You have to do the animation in Maya,
Then export as ass file
Load your ass file, change the padding .000 to .###
Check use File Sequence
et voila!

Message 12 of 15
mdhughesAPRY6
in reply to: Anonymous

I guess the only part I'm not understanding is how to do the animation in Maya and keep it keyed. I can't see anywhere to change the settings. Is that something else I have to add in?

Message 13 of 15
Anonymous
in reply to: mdhughesAPRY6

key @frame0: Grid Size & Power5148-frame-0.jpgkey @frame 10: Grid Size & Power5149-frame-10.jpg

Message 14 of 15
mdhughesAPRY6
in reply to: Anonymous

I don't have those settings, should I have had them when I initially got my procedural working? If I don't have them, how do I get them? Also thank you for continuing to answer my questions, you've been super helpful!

Message 15 of 15
Anonymous
in reply to: mdhughesAPRY6

hum why did you say that I got it loaded!! It looks so cool, now I'm just wondering how to animate it. Is that something I'd do in the .ass file? How do I get the keys into Maya for rendering?

any way download this file, the instructions are inside, please read carefully!
Arnold_Shader.zip

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